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The Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian originates at the inner canthus (Jingming BL1), ascends to the forehead, and intersects at the vertex. Its branch extends from the vertex to the upper angle of the ear; its straight course enters the brain from the vertex, emerges again, descends separately to the nape, follows the medial side of the scapula, flanking the spine to reach the middle of the waist, enters the deep muscles along the spine, connects with the Kidney, and belongs to the Bladder. Another branch arises from the waist, descends flanking the spine, penetrates the buttocks, and enters the popliteal fossa. A further branch descends from the medial side of the shoulder blade on both sides, passes through the scapula, flanks the spine internally, crosses the hip joint, follows the posterior-lateral aspect of the thigh, and joins in the popliteal fossa. From there, it descends through the calf, emerges posterior to the lateral malleolus, follows Jinggu (BL64) to the lateral side of the little toe. When this meridian is disturbed, symptoms include headache striking upwards, eyes feeling as if they are falling out, neck feeling as if being pulled, spinal pain with a sensation of the waist breaking, inability to flex the thighs, tendons in the popliteal fossa feeling knotted, and the calf feeling as if torn. This is called "An-Jue" (Malleolar Reversal). This meridian primarily governs diseases generated by the sinews, such as hemorrhoids, malaria, mania, and epilepsy; pain in the vertex, occiput, and neck; yellowing of the eyes with tearing; nasal congestion or epistaxis; pain throughout the neck, back, loins, sacrum, and feet; and dysfunction of the little toe. In excess conditions, the Renying pulse (ST9) is twice as large as the Qikou pulse (LU9); in deficiency conditions, the Renying pulse is smaller than the Qikou pulse.

The Luo-connecting vessel of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian is named Feiyang (BL58). It is located 7 cun above the lateral malleolus and branches off towards the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. In excess conditions, it presents with nasal obstruction, headache, and back pain; in deficiency conditions, it presents with nasal discharge or epistaxis. Treatment involves selecting the point where it branches off.

The sinews of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian originate at the little toe, ascend and bind at the ankle, slant upwards to bind at the knee. The descending part follows the lateral side of the foot and binds at the heel, ascending along the Achilles tendon to bind at the popliteal fossa. Its branch binds at the lateral side of the popliteal fossa, ascends along the medial aspect of the popliteal fossa, runs parallel with the main tendon, and binds at the upper buttock. From the spine, it ascends to the neck. Its branch separates and binds at the root of the tongue. Its straight course binds at the occipital bone, ascends to the head, descends to the face, and binds near the nose. Its branch forms the upper eyelid margin and binds at the inner canthus. Another branch arises from the posterolateral axilla, binds at the shoulder, enters the axilla, ascends to emerge at the supraclavicular fossa, and binds at the mastoid process. Another branch emerges from the supraclavicular fossa, slants upwards to the upper angle of the ear. Symptoms include supportiveness of the little toe, swelling and pain of the heel, spasm of the popliteal fossa, opisthotonos, cervical muscle tension, inability to raise the shoulder, twisting pain in the axilla and supraclavicular fossa, and inability to shake the head left or right. Treatment employs burning needle puncture (fire needle), with frequency determined by symptom relief and pain points used as acupoints. This condition is known as "Zhongchun Bi" (Spring Spasm).

When pathogenic factors invade the collateral vessels of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian, causing headache, neck, and shoulder pain, puncture Zhiyin (BL67) on the nail bed of the little toe and the point where flesh meets bone, one moxa cone each. Symptoms cease immediately. If not relieved, puncture three cun below the lateral malleolus, treating the left side for right-sided symptoms and vice versa. Relief occurs within the time it takes to eat a meal. When pathogenic factors invade the collateral vessels causing spasmodic stiffness of the back and pain radiating to the hypochondrium, start needling from the neck, count the vertebrae, press firmly along the spine paraspinal areas until tenderness is felt, and puncture three locations nearby. Symptoms cease immediately.

The Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian travels from head to foot, measuring eight chi in length, totaling one zhang six chi on both sides, comprising 126 acupoints.

Jingming (BL1): Two points, located at the inner canthus, intersection of five meridians (Hand-Taiyang, Hand-Yangming, Foot-Taiyang, Foot-Yangming, Yin Qiao). Treats pterygium covering the pupil, aversion to wind with tearing, itching and pain in the inner canthus, childhood night blindness and malnutrition eye disease, adult cold tears, blurred vision, and caruncle overgrowth. Needle depth 1.5 cun, retain for three breaths. Moxibustion is contraindicated. For night blindness, retain needle longer then remove quickly.

Canzhu (BL2): Two points, also known as Yuanshu, Shiguang, Guangming, located in the depression at the medial end of the eyebrow, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats blurred vision, redness and pain in the eyes, and eyelid twitching. Needle depth 0.1 cun, retain for three breaths, reduce method for three inhalations, remove slowly. Moxibustion is not suitable. Use a fine three-edged needle to vent heat. Puncture three times for clear vision.

Qucha (BL8): Two points, located 1.5 cun lateral to Shenting (GV24), entering the hairline, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats mental restlessness and fullness, absence of sweating, vertex headache, body heat, and blurred vision. Needle depth 0.2 cun, moxibustion 3 cones.

Wuchu (BL5): Two points, located 1.5 cun lateral to Shangxing (GV23), where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats poor vision, wind-headache with vertigo, convulsions, locked jaw unable to recognize people. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Chenguang (BL7): Two points, located 1.5 cun posterior to Wuchu (BL5), where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats nasal congestion with loss of smell/taste, excessive clear nasal discharge, wind-vertigo headache, vomiting, mental restlessness, and white membrane on the eye. Needle depth 0.3 cun. Moxibustion is contraindicated.

Tongtian (GV17): Two points, located 1.5 cun posterior to Chenguang (BL7), where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats difficulty turning the neck, nasal stuffiness, facial paralysis, excessive clear nasal discharge, epistaxis with heavy head. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Luoque (BL9): Two points, also known as Qiangyang, Naogai, located 1.5 cun posterior to Tongtian (GV17), where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats glaucoma, blindness, vertigo, and tinnitus. Moxibustion 3 cones.

Yuzhen (GB9): Two points, located 1.5 cun posterior to Luoque (BL9), flanking NaoHu (GV16) by 1.3 cun, rising from the muscle at the occiput entering the hairline 3 cun up, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats eye pain and inability to see, unbearable brain-wind headache. Moxibustion 3 cones.

Tianzhu (BL10): Two points, located in the depression lateral to the large tendon at the posterior hairline of the neck, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats inability to bear weight, severe shoulder and back pain, closed eyes/blurred vision, cervical muscle stiffness preventing looking back, dizziness, and brain pain. Needle depth 0.5 cun, drain upon arrival of Qi, immediate cure.

Dazhu (BL11): Two points, located below the first thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides in the depression, intersection of Foot-Taiyang and Foot-Shaoyang. Treats malaria, stiff neck unable to bend or extend, headache with chills, chest fullness due to Qi excess, cold damage with no sweat, stiff spine, sore throat, mental restlessness, wind-consumption cough, chest oppression, fever, and vertigo. Needle depth 0.5 cun, moxibustion 7 cones.

Fengmen (BL12): Two points, also known as Refu, located below the second thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides, intersection of Du Mai and Foot-Taiyang. Treats cold damage with stiff neck, sneezing, nasal discharge, wind-consumption with retching and rebellious Qi, chest and back pain, asthma with restless sleep. Needle depth 0.5 cun, retain for seven breaths. Frequent puncture vents Yang heat, preventing carbuncles on the back. Moxibustion 5 cones.

Feishu (BL13): Two points, located below the third thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral to the spine, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats rebellious Qi and vomiting, hypochondriac fullness, anorexia, absence of sweating, stiff back pain, alternating chills and fever, asthma with fullness, empty heat with dry mouth, consumption with bone-steaming, lung萎 (withered lung) with cough. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, drain upon arrival of Qi. Zhen Quan states: locate by reaching across, taking opposite side, midpoint of middle finger tip. Treats chest Qi fullness, hunchback like a turtle, stiff waist, vertigo, pallor. Needle depth 0.5 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion 100 cones.

Jueyinshu (BL44): Two points, located below the fourth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats rebellious Qi and vomiting, lingering heart pain, chest fullness. Needle depth 0.3 cun, moxibustion 49 cones.

Xinshu (BL15): Two points, located below the fifth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats Wind invading the Heart, manic running, epilepsy, crying/singing, chest stuffiness, restlessness, absence of sweating, accumulation of cold/heat, vomiting without appetite, hemoptysis. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, drain upon arrival of Qi. Moxibustion is contraindicated.

Geshu (BL17): Two points, located below the seventh thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats cough with vomiting, cold phlegm in diaphragm/stomach, inability to swallow, chest fullness and distension, hypochondriac pain, abdominal distension, acute epigastric pain, febrile disease with no sweat, sore throat, abdominal masses, lethargy, limb weakness, dampness preventing eating, heart pain after eating, generalized bi syndrome with whole-body pain. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Ganshu (BL18): Two points, located below the ninth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats cough drawing pain to hypochondrium, dyspnea, difficulty turning, pain connecting hypochondrium to spine, opisthotonos with upward gaze, vertigo, brow headache, fright/mania, nasal discharge/epistaxis, dizziness upon standing, white opacity on eye, chest pain with cough, cold hernia with lower abdominal pain, hemoptysis, shortness of breath. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for six breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Danshu (BL19): Two points, located below the tenth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats abdominal distension, vomiting with food regurgitation, bitter taste and dry tongue, throat pain, anorexia, jaundice, inability to turn chest/hypochondrium, headache with chills/no sweat, axillary swelling. Needle depth 0.5 cun, moxibustion 3 cones.

Pishu (BL20): Two points, located below the eleventh thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats abdominal distension radiating to chest/back, excessive eating, emaciation, jaundice with yawning, hypochondriac fullness, diarrhea with heaviness, limb weakness, abdominal masses, painful abdomen with anorexia, phlegm-malaria with chills/fever. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for six breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Weishu (BL21): Two points, located below the twelfth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats stomach-cold with abdominal distension, anorexia, emaciation, borborygmus, abdominal pain, chest/hypochondriac fullness, spinal pain, tendon spasm. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion equal to age in years.

Sanjiaoshu (BL22): Two points, located below the thirteenth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats borborygmus and abdominal distension, indigestion, abdominal pain with diarrhea, vertigo and headache, vomiting with inability to eat, shoulder/back stiffness, stiff spine unable to bend/extend. Needle depth 0.5 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Shenshu (BL23): Two points, located below the fourteenth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides, level with the umbilicus. Treats consumptive emaciation, deafness, Kidney deficiency, chronic cold of Water Organ, abdominal distension, hypochondriac fullness radiating to lower abdomen with acute pain, blurred vision, shortness of breath, hematuria, turbid urine with sperm leakage, genital pain, five exhaustions and seven injuries with exhaustion, leg/knee stiffness, cold feet, heavy head with fever/chills, lumbar/limb weakness, profuse diarrhea with undigested food, edema like water. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for seven breaths, moxibustion equal to age in years.

Dachangshu (BL25): Two points, located below the sixteenth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats lower back pain, borborygmus, abdominal distension, periumbilical cutting pain, difficulty urinating/defecating, profuse diarrhea with undigested food, stiff spine unable to bend/extend. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for six breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Xiaochangshu (BL27): Two points, located below the eighteenth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides. Treats dark/scanty/dribbling urine, lower abdominal pain, leg swelling, shortness of breath, anorexia, pus/blood in stool, five types of hemorrhoidal pain, leukorrhea in women. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for six breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Pangguangshu (BL28): Two points, located below the nineteenth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats wind-consumption lower back/spine pain, diarrhea with abdominal pain, dark/scanty/incontinent urine, genital sores, shortness of breath with cold feet, stiffness preventing flexion/extension, uterine masses in women, weak legs/knees. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for six breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Zhonglunei Shu (BL29): Also known as Jinei Shu. Two points, located below the twentieth thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides, rising muscle flanking the spine. Treats cold intestines with bloody/dysenteric stools, Kidney deficiency with thirst, absence of sweating, stiff spine unable to bend/extend, abdominal distension with hypochondriac pain. Needle depth 0.3 cun, retain for ten breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Baihuan Shu (BL30): Two points, located below the twenty-first thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral on both sides, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats lumbar/spine spasm and pain, difficulty urinating/defecating. Position: arch back, sit upright, hands stacked on forehead, relax skin. Needle depth 0.8 cun, drain upon arrival of Qi, then tonify heavily. Treats lumbosacral pain, leg/knee paralysis, warm malaria, cold lumbar/spine pain, inability to lie down. Contraindicated for wind-deficiency/consumption; avoid moxibustion, sexual activity, and heavy lifting. See Du Mai section for Yaohu.

Shangliao (BL31): Two points, located below the first sacral foramen, in the depression flanking the spine, collateral of Foot-Taiyang and Foot-Shaoyang. Treats cold pain in waist/knees, vomiting, epistaxis, cold/heat malaria, female infertility, uterine prolapse. Needle depth 0.3 cun, moxibustion 7 cones.

Ciliao (BL32): Two points, located in the depression of the second sacral foramen flanking the spine. Treats hernia with downward dragging, stiff back unable to twist, acute pain radiating to genitals, numbness from waist to feet, cold back pores, dark dribbling urine, subcardiac hardness/fullness. Moxibustion 7 cones, needle depth 0.3 cun.

Zhongliao (BL33): Two points, located in the depression of the third sacral foramen flanking the spine, knot of Jueyin and Shaoyang. Treats male five exhaustions, seven injuries, six extremes, lower back pain, difficult defecation, abdominal distension with diarrhea, dribbling urine, incomplete digestion, female infertility with leukorrhea, irregular menstruation. Needle depth 0.2 cun, retain for ten breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Xialiao (BL34): Two points, located in the depression of the fourth sacral foramen flanking the spine, knot of Foot-Taiyang and Jueyin. Treats lower back pain unable to turn, female involuntary discharge, internal cold-damp injury radiating to lower abdomen with acute pain and bloody stool. Needle depth 0.2 cun, retain for ten breaths, moxibustion 3 cones.

Huiyang (BL35): Also known as Liji. Two points, located on both sides of the coccyx, where Du Mai Qi emerges. Treats cold Qi in abdomen, persistent diarrhea, chronic hemorrhoids, Yang deficiency with sweaty yin. Needle depth 0.8 cun, moxibustion 5 cones.

Fufen (BL41): Two points, located below the second thoracic vertebra, attached to the medial neck, 3 cun lateral on both sides, intersection of Hand and Foot Taiyang. Sit upright. Treats shoulder/back stiffness, wind-cold in interstices, stiff neck unable to look back, wind-consumption with arm/elbow numbness. Moxibustion 5 cones, needle depth 0.3 cun.

Pohu (BL42): Two points, located below the third thoracic vertebra, 3 cun lateral on both sides, sit upright, where Foot-Taiyang Qi emerges. Treats back pain, rebellious Qi with cough, vomiting, fullness, consumptive lung-wither, five corpse wandering, stiff neck unable to look back. Needle depth 0.5 cun, drain upon arrival of Qi, retain long. Moxibustion acceptable, 7 cones daily up to 100.

Gaohuangshu (BL43): Two points, located below the fourth thoracic vertebra, 3 cun lateral on both sides. Indications are universal: emaciation, deficiency, nocturnal emission, rebellious Qi with cough, mania, amnesia. Acupoint location method: Sit upright, curve spine, extend arms, place arms on knees straight, thumb aligned with knee cap, support elbow with object to prevent movement. Feel from upper angle of scapula down to bone head; between four ribs and three spaces, moxa the middle.