Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang (BL)
The Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang is the longest meridian among the fourteen meridians, traversing almost the entire body. It transports the precious body fluids throughout the body, thereby relating to the health of the entire organism. This meridian originates from the acupoint Jingming (BL-1) at the inner canthus of the eye, and terminates at the acupoint Zhiyin (BL-67) at the tip of the little toe. Its pathway runs through the head, neck, back, legs, and feet.
Active Hours
Shen hour, Bladder Meridian
Functions
The Lingshu (Spiritual Pivot), in the chapter "Cold and Heat Diseases" (Han Re Bing), states: "The Foot-Taiyang [Bladder Meridian] has a branch that passes through the nape and enters the brain. It directly pertains to the root of the eye and is called the 'eye system' (ocular system). … It lies between the two sinews in the nape. After entering the brain, it differentiates into yin and yang. The yin and yang intersect: yang enters yin, yin enters yang, and they meet at the outer canthus of the eye (mu rui)."
Related Conditions
Visceral patterns (Zang-fu symptoms): stranguria (dribbling urination), scanty reddish urine, hematuria (blood in the urine), urinary incontinence, and hemorrhoids. When the qi of the bladder is exhausted, enuresis (involuntary urination) occurs. Meridian patterns (Jing-luo symptoms): When the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang is obstructed, symptoms such as epilepsy, excessive tearing (epiphora), nasal congestion, nasal discharge, nasal disorders, headache, enuresis, difficult urination (dysuria), and pain along the posterior aspect of the lower limb may manifest.
Daily Care
The bladder stores water and body fluids. It discharges the water (as urine) to the exterior, while the fluids circulate within the body. If there is heat in the bladder, it may cause "bladder cough" (a cough accompanied by involuntary urination). Moreover, the bladder is most active during the Shen hour (3:00–5:00 p.m.). It is advisable to drink plenty of water at this time, ideally 250 ml of plain warm water. When you feel the urge to urinate, never habitually hold it back. Long‑term retention of urine can lead to urinary retention. The Bladder Meridian has 67 acupoints from head to foot. During the Shen hour, you can use the thumbs and index fingers of both hands to pinch and press the muscles on either side of the spine from top to bottom. Then, with all ten fingers held together, apply point‑pressing, kneading, and tapping from bottom to top so as to fully stimulate the acupoints. Do this once daily.
Acupoints
No acupoints listed for this meridian yet.