Gallbladder
GB21
肩井 · Jianjing
Shoulder Well
Top of the shoulder muscle. Not for pregnancy self-care.
Local trapezius point
Traditionally avoided in pregnancy
System
- Channel
- Gallbladder (GB)
- Element
- Wood
- Yin or yang
- yang
- Organ system
- Gallbladder
- Region
- Shoulder and arm
- Limb rule
- Foot Shaoyang
Where it is
On the top of the shoulder, midway between the big vertebra at the base of the neck (Du14) and the outer tip of the shoulder bone.
Nearby: The lung apex is under this muscle. Pinch the trapezius; do not drive pressure straight down into the chest. Traditionally avoided in pregnancy.
Traditionally said to
A meeting point used for shoulder tightness and, in classical obstetrics, for promoting labor. That is exactly why self-care lists avoid it in pregnancy. It can also drop the blood pressure feeling if pressed hard — people get lightheaded.
What people look up
Acupressure
Pinch or press the muscle belly across the shoulder, not downward into the ribs, 30–60 seconds. Sit down so a head rush has somewhere to go.
When not to press: Do not use in pregnancy. Stop if you feel dizzy or short of breath. Skip if the shoulder is injured.
About 30–90 seconds is the usual window, unless the step above is shorter. Stop if pain, dizziness, or anything unusual shows up.
Licensed practice only
Needle depth, angle, electroacupuncture
Textbook language for students. Not instructions. A cun is a body-inch on that person, not a ruler inch. Do not needle yourself.
Depth
Often charted at 0.5–1 cun, perpendicular or slightly posterior. Deeper needling can collapse a lung. Pregnancy: standard teaching contraindication.
Angle
Perpendicular into the trapezius or slightly posterior, never straight anterior-inferior into the lung dome.
Electroacupuncture
Introductory charts rarely assign a standard electroacupuncture setting here. Clinics that use current choose frequency and intensity for that person. No milliamp figure is given, because copying one would be misleading.
Nearby on this channel
Wind Pool
The skull-base hollows for neck headache and “wind.”
Use caution
Jumping Circle
Side of the buttock, the hip point for lateral leg pain.
Use caution
Yang White
Forehead, just above the eyebrow.
Yang Mound Spring
Outer leg below the knee, the sinew influential point.
Use caution
Herbs often paired for a similar pattern
Tags
jianjing · trapezius · shoulder