BL26 Guanyuanyu (Original Qi Gate Shu Point)

Location

1.5 thumb widths lateral to the du mai at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 5th lumbar vertebra.

Indications

Conditions for which BL26 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

Protocols using BL26

The 50 best-sourced of 56, ranked by strength of evidence. The count above is the full figure.

• Low Back Pain, Pelvic Girdle Pain, Sacroiliac Pain, Symphysis Pain, Pregnancy Second Trimester, Pregnancy Third Trimester – LI04, ST36, SP12, BL26, BL32, BL33, BL54, BL60, KD11, GB30, GV20 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-8-34 ↗)
• Back Pain, Sciatica Pain, Herniated Nucleus Pulposus – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL31, BL32, BL33, BL34, BL40, BL57, BL60, GB30 (doi:10.1093/ecam/nep085 ↗)
• Lumbar Pain, Low-back Pain – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL32, BL40, BL60, GB30, GB34 (doi:10.1155/2013/872142 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Tinnitus Kidney-yin-deficiency – SI19, BL26, KD13, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-15-397 ↗)
• PCOS, Infertility Anovulatory, Hyperandrogenism, Anovulation, Oligoovulation – SP06, SP10, BL17, BL26, KD03, LV03, CV03, GV04 (doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1375-4 ↗)
• Low Back Chronic Pain – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GV03 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000010790 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Lower Back Pain, Disc Herniation Lumbar – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB30, GV03 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011951 ↗)
• Radicular Pain, Low-back Pain, Paresthesia Lower-limb, Disc-herniation Lumbar – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB03, GV03 (doi:10.1155/2018/5871657 ↗)
• Chronic Pain, Back Low Pain, Disability Lumbar – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB30, GB31, GV03 (doi:10.1186/s13063-018-3049-x ↗)
• Low Back Pain, Paresthesia Lower Extremity, Disc Herniation Lumbar, Radiating Lower Extremity Pain, Lower Extremity Weakness – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB03, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S234761 ↗)
• Back Low Chronic Pain – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GV03 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000022526 ↗)
• Leg Weakness, Low-back Pain, Claudication Neurogenic, Lower-extremity Pain, Stenosis Lumbar-spinal – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB30, GB31, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S399132 ↗)
• Leg Weakness, Low-back Pain, Claudication Neurogenic, Lower-extremity Pain, Stenosis Lumbar-spinal – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB30, GB31, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S399132 ↗)
• Leg Numbness, Lumbar Pain, Back Low Pain, Lower-limb Pain, Lower-limb Numbness, Disc-herniation Lumbar, Herniation Disc Lumbar – SP06, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, KD03, GB30 (doi:10.12998/wjcc.v11.i10.2308 ↗)
• Back Pain, Lumbar Pain, Low Back Pain, Back Low Pain, Disability Functional, Lumbosacral Pain – BL23, BL25, BL26, BL54 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000034407 ↗)
• Sciatica, Lumbar Pain, Low Back Pain, Lumbar Disc Herniation, Disc-herniation Lumbar, Lower-extremity Right Pain, Leg Right Numbness, Scoliosis Lumbar – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL36, BL37, BL40, BL57, BL60, GB30 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000036684 ↗)
• Radiculopathy, Lower-limb Numbness, Lower-back Pain, Radiating Lower-limb Pain, Disc-herniation Lumbar Extruded – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL28, BL29, BL30, GB30 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2024.1381292 ↗)
• Groin Pain, Lower Back Pain, Sacroiliac Pain, Pubic Symphysis Pain, Difficulty Walking, Postpartum Symphysis Pubis Diastasis, Qi Stagnation Blood Stasis – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL28, BL29, BL30, BL53, BL54, GB27, GB28 (doi:10.21037/acr-2025-189 ↗)
• 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 ↗)
• Cough, Fatigue, Anxiety, Insomnia, Respiratory Dysfunction, Loss Of Appetite, Post-covid Rehabilitation – LU06, LI11, ST25, ST36, BL13, BL17, BL26, CV06, CV08, CV12, GV14 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2020.100479 ↗)
• Fatigue, Anxiety, Respiratory Dysfunction, Loss Of Appetite, Post-covid Rehabilitation, Digestive Weakness – LU01, ST25, ST36, SP06, BL26, PC06, CV12, CV17, GV20 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2020.100479 ↗)
• Fatigue, Respiratory Dysfunction, Post-covid Rehabilitation – ST36, BL24, BL26, CV12, GV14 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2020.100479 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Buttock Pain, Low Back Pain, Mobility Reduced, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar, Neurogenic Claudication – ST36, ST40, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL53, BL54, GB30, GB31, GB34, LV03, GV03, GV04, GV05 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Leg Numbness, Leg Weakness, Radiculopathy Lumbar, Lower-back Pain – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL31, BL32, BL33, BL34, BL54, GB30, GV03, GV04 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2025.28.4.269 ↗)
• Lumbar Pain, Low Back Pain – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26 (doi:10.15294/kemas.v16i2.22650 ↗)
• Lumbar Pain, Lumbar Disc Herniation, Sciatica Radicular – BL25, BL26, BL36, BL54, BL57, GB30, GB34 (doi:10.16448/j.cjtcm.2005.06.045 ↗)
• Lumbar Pain, Stenosis Lumbar Spinal, Claudication Neurogenic, Lower Extremity Pain – SP06, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL36, BL40, BL57, BL60, GB30, GB31, GB34, GV03, GV04 (doi:10.13517/j.cnki.ccm.2025.05.015 ↗)
• Back Pain, Lumbar Stiffness, Lumbar Pain, Back Acute Pain, Low Back Acute Pain – SP06, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, GV03, GV04 (doi:10.3390/healthcare11222939 ↗)
• Pelvic Pain, Pubic Pain, Diastasis Symphysis-pubis – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, GB27, GB28 (doi:10.21037/acr-2025-189 ↗)
• Sciatica, Leg Pain, Lower Back Pain, Sciatica Discogenic – BL25, BL26 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250402-0001 ↗)
• Infertility Male, Asthenospermia – ST29, BL26, CV03, CV04, CV12, GV03 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20210927-k0003 ↗)
• Low Back Chronic Pain – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GV03, XB05 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000022526 ↗)
• Low Back Pain, Stenosis Lumbar Spinal – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL60, GB30, GB31, GV03 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S399132 ↗)
• Low Back Pain, Chronic Nonspecific Low-back Pain – BL23, BL25, BL26, BL54 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000034407 ↗)
• Low Back Pain, Low Back Acute Pain – SP06, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, XB02L3, XB02L4, XB02L5 (doi:10.3390/healthcare11222939 ↗)
• Low Back Pain, Low Back Acute Pain – SP06, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, GV03, GV04, XB02L3, XB02L4, XB02L5 (doi:10.3390/healthcare11222939 ↗)
• Sciatica, Low Back Pain, Disc Herniation Lumbar – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL28, BL29, BL30, GB30 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2024.1381292 ↗)
• Pelvic Girdle Pain – LI04, ST36, SP12, BL26, BL32, BL33, BL54, BL60, KD11, GB30, GV20 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-8-34 ↗)
• Low Back Pain, Pelvic Girdle Pain – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL28, BL31, BL32, BL54 (doi:10.1186/s40814-016-0107-6 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Low Back Pain, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar Degenerative, Claudication Neurogenic – ST36, ST40, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL53, BL54, GB30, GB31, GB34, LV03, GV03, GV04, GV05, XB02L1, XB02L2, XB02L3, XB02L4, XB02L5 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
• Pubic Symphysis Pain, Postpartum Symphysis Pubis Diastasis – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL28, BL29, BL30, BL53, BL54, GB27, GB28 (doi:10.21037/acr-2025-189 ↗)
• Cold Large Intestine, Cold Large Intestine – BL25, BL26, KD16 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Fatigue, Dizziness, Headache, Depression, Lassitude, Knee Pain, Head Vertex Pain, Dyspnea, Heaviness Lower Limbs, Lower Back Pain – LI04, ST36, SP06, HT07, BL15, BL17, BL18, BL20, BL21, BL23, BL26, KD03, PC06, GB20, LV03, CV06, CV12, GV20, GV24 (HU Jin-sheng. Acupuncture Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2009, 29(3): 234-236)
• Back Pain, Abdominal Pain, Labor Pain – LI04, ST36, SP06, BL25, BL26 (Wu Lingling, Liu Xiaohui, Yin Yuzhu, Sun Ke, Wu Ling, Yi Wei, Li Shangrong, Hou Hongying. Effectiveness of acupuncture versus spinal-epidural anesthesia on labor pain: a randomized controlled trial. J Tradit Chin Med 2017; 37(5): 629-635)
• Lumbar Pain, Radiculopathy Lumbar, Herniation Disc Lumbar – BL25, BL26 (Liu Yaru et al.. Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in treatment of lumbar disc herniation: a protocol for a cohort study.. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 2020)
• Renal Colic Pain – BL21, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL26, BL45, BL46, BL47, BL48, BL49 (Acupuncture Versus Titrated Morphine in Patients With Renal Colic. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02781415)
• Sciatica, Intervertebral Disc Displacement, Sciatic Radiculopathy – BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL31, BL32, BL54, GB30 (The Effectiveness of Doin (Conduction Exercise) of the Pelvic Joint for HLD With Radiating Leg Pain. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03571503)
• Lumbar Disc Herniation – ST36, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL28, BL57, GB30, GB34 (Clinical Research on the Efficacy of Thread-embedding Acupuncture on Herniated Intervertebral Disc of Lumbar Spine. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03236753)
• Back Low Pain – ST36, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL32, BL40, BL60, KD03, GB30, GB34, GV03 (이인선 et al.. 요통 침치료를 위한 경혈 선정에 관한 체계적 문헌 고찰. Korean Journal of Acupuncture, 2012)
• Low Back Pain – ST36, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL32, BL40, BL60, KD03, GB30, GB34, GV03 (In‐Seon Lee et al.. Systematic Review of Selection of Acupuncture Points for Lower Back Pain. Korean Journal of Acupuncture, 2012)

Most often selected alongside BL26

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with BL26. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• BL25Large Intestine Shu Point43 protocols
• BL23Kidney Shu Point40 protocols
• BL24Sea Of Qi Shu Point36 protocols
• BL40Middle Of The Crease22 protocols
• GB30Jumping Circle22 protocols
• GV03Yang Lumbar Gate21 protocols
• BL60Kunlun (Mountains)20 protocols
• ST36Leg Three Miles14 protocols
• BL54Lowermost In Order12 protocols
• BL32Second Bone Hole9 protocols
• GB34Yang Mound Spring9 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection9 protocols

Other points on the Bladder Meridian