Location
Lateral to the BL40 on the medial border of the tendon of the biceps femoris.
Categories
- Lower He-Sea point of the Triple Burner
The classical groups this point belongs to, from Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture.
No specific contraindications.
Indications
Conditions for which BL39 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.
ConstipationContraction FootContraction LegAbdomen Inferior BloatingUrinary ProblemsBedwettingAbdomen Inferior FullnessChest FullnessHemorrhoidsPainAbdominal PainLower Back PainFoot PainLeg PainLumbar Spine PainUrinary RetentionChannel StagnationArmpit SwellingPainful Urination
TCM actions
What classical sources say BL39 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.
Benefit Regulate Jiao MiddleBenefit Regulate UrinationRegulate Jiao MiddleRegulate Urination
Protocols using BL39
- Urinary Retention, Urination Difficulty, Abdominal Distending Pain – SP06, SP09, BL23, BL28, BL32, BL39, CV02, CV03, CV04 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(08)60020-5 ↗)
- Spleen Deficiency, Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – ST35, SP01, SP02, SP09, HT08, BL39, LV01 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-129 ↗)
- Kidney Deficiency, Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – LU08, ST35, SP03, SP09, BL39, KD03, KD07 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-129 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Liver Deficiency – LU08, ST35, SP09, BL39, KD10, LV04, LV08 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-129 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Gallbladder Deficiency – LI01, ST35, SP09, BL39, BL66, GB43, GB44 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-129 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Bladder Deficiency – LI01, ST35, ST36, SP09, BL39, BL40, BL67 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-129 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stomach Deficiency – ST35, ST41, ST43, SP09, SI05, BL39, GB41 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-129 ↗)
- Contracture Knee, Brachial Plexus Injury, Muscle Atrophy, Paralysis Upper Extremity, Paralysis Lower Extremity, Contracture Ankle, Contracture Shoulder, Contracture Elbow, Scoliosis, Neuromotor Impairment, Steppage Gait – LU01, LI04, LI05, LI11, LI14, ST34, ST36, ST41, SP09, SP10, SI05, SI06, SI07, SI09, BL11, BL12, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL36, BL37, BL39, BL55, BL56, BL57, BL58, BL60, BL61, BL62, KD03, KD04, KD05, KD06, TB09, GB20, GB21, GB40 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2013.16.009 ↗)
- Leg Pain, Buttock Pain, Low Back Pain, Stenosis Lumbar Spinal, Claudication Neurogenic, Gait Disturbance – SP09, BL23, BL25, BL32, BL39, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S438219 ↗)
- Leg Pain, Buttock Pain, Low Back Pain, Stenosis Lumbar Spinal, Claudication Neurogenic, Gait Disturbance – BL23, BL32, BL39, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S438219 ↗)
- Leg Pain, Buttock Pain, Low Back Pain, Mobility Reduced, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar, Neurogenic Claudication – SP09, BL23, BL25, BL32, BL39, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
- Stroke Sequelae, Stroke Post, Paralysis Ankle, Ankle Joint Problems, Ankle Dysfunction – ST31, ST34, ST36, ST37, ST40, ST41, SP10, BL39, KD06, GB34, GB39, GB40, LV03 (doi:10.27127/d.cnki.ghlzu.2024.000593 ↗)
- Depression Post-stroke, Urinary Retention Post-stroke – SP06, SP09, BL28, BL39, LV03, LV05, CV03 (doi:10.27026/d.cnki.ggszc.2023.000230 ↗)
- Arthralgia Painful Cold Bi – LI04, LI11, LI15, ST35, BL39, BL60, TB04, TB05, GB30, GB31, GB34, GB39, CV04, GV14 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(10)60032-5 ↗)
- Leg Pain, Low Back Pain, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar, Neurogenic Claudication – SP09, BL23, BL25, BL32, BL39, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Injury Ligament Anterior Cruciate – BL39, BL40 (doi:10.1177/09645284221125251 ↗)
- Leg Pain, Low Back Pain, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar Degenerative, Claudication Neurogenic – SP09, BL23, BL25, BL32, BL39, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03, XB02L1, XB02L2, XB02L3, XB02L4, XB02L5 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
- Stenosis Lumbar Spinal – SP09, BL23, BL25, BL32, BL39, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S438219 ↗)
- Stenosis Lumbar Spinal – SP09, BL23, BL25, BL32, BL39, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL54, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB34, GB39, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S438219 ↗)
- Sciatica – BL23, BL30, BL36, BL39, BL40, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB31, GB34 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
- Heat Bladder, Damp Bladder, Heat Bladder, Damp Bladder – ST28, SP11, SP12, HT08, BL22, BL27, BL28, BL31, BL35, BL36, BL39, KD10 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
- Damp Large Intestine, Heat Large Intestine, Damp Large Intestine, Heat Large Intestine – LI01, LI03, LI09, LI11, ST22, ST25, SP04, SP15, SP16, BL25, BL27, BL28, BL37, BL39 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
- Motor Dysfunction, Spinal Cord Injury, Paralysis Paraplegia – ST32, ST33, ST34, ST36, ST40, ST41, ST42, ST43, BL37, BL39, BL40, BL55, BL56, GB40 (Wang Yuanhui, Zhang Lei, Pan Guodong, Liu Jing, Zhang Hongrui, Song Xu, Wang Qiang. Traditional Chinese Medicine comprehensive therapy for the improvement of motor function in spinal cord injury patients. J Tradit Chin Med, 2016, 36(5): 618-624)
- Edema, Oedema Yang, Oedema Yang – LU07, LI04, LI06, SP09, BL39 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
- Urinary Retention, Heat Bladder, Urinary Retention, Heat Bladder – SP06, BL28, BL39, CV03 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
- Discomfort Urination, Dysuria, Calculi, Urinary Tract Infection, Urolithiasis, Discomfort Urination, Infection Urinary – SP09, BL28, BL39, CV03 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
Most often selected alongside BL39
How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with BL39. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.
- SP09Yin Mound Spring17 protocols
- BL23Kidney Shu Point10 protocols
- BL40Middle Of The Crease10 protocols
- GB34Yang Mound Spring10 protocols
- BL57Mountain Support9 protocols
- BL60Kunlun (Mountains)9 protocols
- GB30Jumping Circle9 protocols
- GB39Suspended Bell9 protocols
- BL25Large Intestine Shu Point8 protocols
- BL32Second Bone Hole8 protocols
- BL51Vitals Gate7 protocols
- BL52Willpower Room7 protocols
