Verscienta
GB20

Fengchi

Star

風池 (Fēngchí) — Wind Pool

Gallbladder channel · point 20

Not yet clinically reviewed

Meeting point of the Gallbladder and Triple Energiser channels with the Yang Wei and Yang Qiao Mai

Traditionally used for

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Eye health
  • Ears & hearing
  • Nose & throat
  • Colds & fever
  • Sleep
  • Nerves & recovery
  • Pain & joints
  • Blood pressure

Cautions & contraindications

  • No deep needling

Location

On the nape, in the depression between the upper portion of sternocleidomastoid and the upper trapezius, level with GV16.

How to locate: With the patient prone or seated, slide a finger from the midline along the lower border of the occiput, over the bulge of the trapezius, until it sinks into a hollow about the size of a finger pad; the point is in its centre, between sternocleidomastoid and trapezius, level with GV16.

Regional anatomy: Skin and subcutaneous tissue in the hollow between sternocleidomastoid and trapezius, then splenius capitis and semispinalis capitis to rectus capitis posterior major; the vertebral artery and, higher and medially, the foramen magnum and medulla lie deep, which is why the needle is never directed upward or medially.

Distances are in cun, a proportional unit — how to measure.

Body map, back: GB20 · Nape of neck
Fig. — GB20 · Nape of neck After Albinus, 1747
Body map, back: GB20 · Nape of neck

GB20 · Nape of neck · Albinus, Tabulae sceleti et musculorum, 1747

The vertebral column — Gray's Anatomy plate Needling hazard — see Needling safety
The vertebral column Gray's Anatomy, 1918
The vertebral column — Gray's Anatomy plate Needling hazard — see Needling safety

The vertebral column · Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

3D view not available for this point: its position on the 3D model couldn't be checked against its location text, so it is not shown. The 2D maps above show it.

  • The spinal cord is not drawn: the anatomical model used here does not include it as a surface. This is a limit of the model, not of the anatomy. The spinal cord / medulla risk above still applies.

Needling

Cited needling

  • ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla

Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:

  1. Slightly oblique insertion — inferior, in the direction of the channel
    Depth 1–1.5 cun
    skindeeper
  2. Insertion — directed towards the tip of the nose, the contralateral eyeball or Yintang (M-HN-3)
    Depth 0.5–1 cun
    skindeeper

Case reports: central nervous system injury after needling at this point (11 cases in Wu et al. 2015, including a death).

Depths describe average adult habitus in the cited population, never a single safe number for the patient in front of you. Palpate and adjust.

Sources (3)
  1. Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S. Systematic review of adverse effects: a further step towards modernization of acupuncture in China. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:432467 — Table 2 (Central nervous system injury associated with acupuncture) Supports: spinal cord / medulla (case report)
  2. World Health Organization. Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture. Geneva: WHO; 1999. WHO/EDM/TRM/99.1 — Section II §5.2 (Central nervous system), p. 25 Supports: spinal cord / medulla (names this region)
  3. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 436 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

  • No deep needling
Depth: 0.5–1.0 cun
Angle: Directed toward the tip of the opposite eye or the opposite GB20, never upward toward the foramen magnum
⚠ Cautions: The medulla oblongata lies deep and medial. Never angle the needle upward and medially, and observe the depth limit strictly.

Functions

  • Expels both external and internal wind
  • Subdues Liver yang and clears the head
  • Benefits the eyes, ears and nose
  • Activates the channel and relieves neck pain

Indications

Headache of any kind, especially occipital and one-sideddizziness and vertigohypertensioncommon cold with stiff neckred, painful eyes and blurred visiontinnitus and deafnessnasal congestioninsomniastroke and hemiplegiastiff neck and shoulder tension

Clinical Notes

Among the most-used points in the entire repertoire. It treats wind of every description — the external wind of a common cold and the internal wind of vertigo, tremor and stroke alike.

Combinations Using This Point

Fengchi, Tianzhu and Dazhui

Fengchi, Tianzhu and Dazhui across the nape — a combination for wind invasion with headache and fever, stiff neck, cough and convulsions.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Hegu how are these connected? (Hegu) Taichong how are these connected? (Taichong) Lieque how are these connected? (Lieque) Taixi how are these connected? (Taixi) Fengmen how are these connected? (Fengmen) Sanyinjiao how are these connected? (Sanyinjiao)

Sources

  • World Health Organization. WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2008. (Location.)
  • Focks C, ed. Atlas of Acupuncture. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2008. (Locating method and actions.)

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