膀胱俞 : Pangguangshu : Bladder Shu

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Back Shu point of the Bladder

Meetings:

Meeting of Bladder with Bladder Divergent and Kidney Divergent

Location:

1.5 cun from the midline, at the level of the second posterior sacral foramen.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Taiyang usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be bled.
"The foot Taiyang is to be pierced 5 fen deep and remain inserted for seven exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of six exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Regulates the Bladder
Clears Damp-heat from the Lower Jiao
Dispels stagnation and resolves masses
Benefits the lumbar region and legs

TCM Indications:

• Difficult urination, dark urination with unsmooth flow, retention of urine, enuresis, turbid painful urinary dysfunction.
  
• Seminal emission, swelling and pain of the external genitals, genital ulceration, damp itching, swelling and pain of the vagina, deficiency swelling of the penis.
  
• Diarrhoea, diarrhoea with abdominal pain, difficult defecation, constipation, abdominal fullness, abdominal (Jia Ju) masses in women, hard abdominal (Ji Ju) masses, wasting and thirsting disorder, diminished qi.
  
• Stiffness and pain of the sacrum and coccyx, stiffness and pain of the lower spine and buttock, inability to sit for long, the lower leg, numbness of the leg, atrophy disorder and heaviness of the leg, sciatica.

I Ching Hexagram:

䷅ Song 訟 Conflict

Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Dorsal rami of S1 - S3

Dermatome Segment: S3

Deeper Structures: Dorsal rami of S2

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.

Major Combinations:

• Enuresis:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Weizhong Bl-40, Dadun Liv-1, Taichong Liv-3, Jimen Sp-11, Tongli He-5 and Shenmen He-7
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Dark urine:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Xiaochangshu Bl-27, Baihuanshu Bl-30 and Wangu GB-12
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Dark urine:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Shenshu Bl-23, Yingu Kid-10, Taixi Kid-3, Qihai Ren-6 and Guanyuan Ren-4
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Spleen deficiency with undigested food in the stool:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Pishu Bl-20
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).
  
  
• Difficulty in defecation with abdominal pain:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Shigan Kid-18
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Prolapse of the rectum:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Shenque Ren-8 and Baihui Du-20
    (Liao Runhong, 廖润鸿, 1874: Zhen Jiu Ji Cheng, 針灸集成, Compilation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Wind Taxation lumbar pain:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Guanyuanshu Bl-26
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Stiffness and pain of the lumbar region:
    Pangguangshu Bl-28 with Xiaochangshu Bl-27, Weizhong Bl-40, Yaoshu Du-2 and Yongquan Kid-1
    (Great Compilation).

Notes:

As back-shu of the bladder this is the main point on the back for treatment of urinary disorders, the external genitals and regulating water balance. It is also an important point for lumbar, sacral and lower limb disorders.

In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)

Reference Notes:

Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.

For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here