Location
3 thumb widths above the GB34 lateral to the knee joint in the depression above the external epicondyle of the femur.
Cautions
Avoid in acute knee injury.
Indications
Conditions for which GB33 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.
Benefit JointsDisease KneeStiff KneeTendon Ligament StiffnessImmobility KneeImmobility Tendon / LigamentNumbnessKnee Lateral PainQi Leg RednessStrain Quadriceps SwellingBi Arthralgia Leg Inferior SyndromeBi / Arthralgia Leg Inferior SyndromeBi Arthralgia Wind SyndromeBi / Arthralgia Wind SyndromeWind Damp SyndromeWind-damp Syndrome
Protocols using GB33
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – LU06, LI04, LI10, LI15, ST34, ST36, ST40, ST44, SP05, SP06, SP09, SP10, SI08, SI10, BL23, BL40, BL60, KD03, KD07, KD10, TB14, GB33, GB34, LV03, LV07, LV08 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-4-6 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Joint – ST06, ST34, ST35, ST36, SP04, SP05, SP06, SP09, SP10, BL20, BL40, BL57, BL58, BL60, BL62, KD03, KD10, GB33, GB34, LV08 (doi:10.1155/2013/182528 ↗)
- Head Pain, Headache Migraine, Headache Unilateral – TB08, TB19, GB33 (doi:10.1186/s12967-014-0351-6 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Morning, Disability Musculoskeletal – LI04, ST34, ST35, ST36, ST40, ST41, SP06, SP09, SP10, BL60, KD03, GB31, GB33, GB34, GB36, GB39, GB41, LV03, LV08 (doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013830 ↗)
- Headache Migraine, Migraine Without Aura – TB08, GB33, GB42 (doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2017.05.013 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee, Restricted Range-of-motion Knee – ST35, ST36, SP06, SP09, BL40, GB33, GB34, LV08 (doi:10.1155/2020/1686952 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Joint – ST34, ST36, SP09, SP10, GB33, LV08 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000021957 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee, Inflammation Joint – ST34, ST35, ST36, ST40, ST41, SP06, SP09, SP10, BL60, KD03, GB31, GB33, GB34, GB36, GB39, GB41, LV03, LV07, LV08 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S256950 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – ST34, ST36, SP09, SP10, GB33, LV08 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000029306 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Knee Problems, Stiffness Knee, Arthritis Knee Degenerative – ST34, ST35, ST36, SP09, SP10, KD10, GB33, GB34 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030385 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – ST35, SP06, SP10, KD03, GB33, LV08 (doi:10.1186/s12906-025-04985-w ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – ST34, ST35, ST36, SP10, BL18, BL23, GB33, GB34 (doi:10.1186/s12984-025-01692-y ↗)
- Osteoarthritis Knee, Liver-kidney Deficiency – ST35, ST36, GB33, GB34, LV08, CV04 (doi:10.27134/d.cnki.ghbzc.2024.000027 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – LU05, LI11, ST35, GB31, GB33 (doi:10.2196/77336 ↗)
- Stroke, Hemiplegia, Leg Weakness, Spasticity, Balance Impaired, Spasticity Post-stroke, Hemiplegia Post-stroke – SP09, BL59, KD06, KD08, GB33, GB34, GB40, LV08 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250680 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – ST35, SP06, SP10, KD03, GB33, LV08, XL05A (doi:10.1186/s12906-025-04985-w ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – ST34, ST35, ST36, SP10, BL18, BL23, GB33, GB34, XL05A (doi:10.1186/s12984-025-01692-y ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee – ST35, GB33, LV08, XL05A (doi:10.2196/84082 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Knee, Liver-kidney Deficiency, Wind-Cold-Damp Bi Syndrome – ST32, BL38, BL54, BL60, KD03, GB29, GB33, LV07 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250424-k0005 ↗)
- Osteoarthritis Knee, Joint Knee Pain – ST35, GB33, GV03, XB08, XL05A (doi:10.2147/jpr.s571098 ↗)
- Migraine Without Aura – TB08, GB33, GB42 (doi:10.1177/0333102416641665 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – ST34, ST35, ST36, SP09, SP10, KD10, GB33, GB34, XL05A, XL05B (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030385 ↗)
- Parkinson's Disease – LI10, BL24, BL58, TB04, GB33 (doi:10.1002/mds.70343 ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – ST35, SP06, SP10, KD03, GB33, LV08, XL05A (doi:10.1186/s12906-025-04985-w ↗)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – ST34, ST35, ST36, SP10, BL18, BL23, GB33, GB34, XL05A (doi:10.1186/s12984-025-01692-y ↗)
- Osteoarthritis Knee – ST34, ST35, SP10, GB33, GB34 (MENG Chang-rong, FAN Li, FU Wen-bin, LI Yong. Clinical Research on Abdominal Acupuncture plus Conventional Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2009, 29(4): 249-252)
- Osteoarthritis Knee – ST26, ST34, ST35, SP10, SP15, GB33, GB34, CV04, CV06, CV12 (MENG Chang-rong, FAN Li, FU Wen-bin, LI Yong. Clinical Research on Abdominal Acupuncture plus Conventional Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2009, 29(4): 249-252)
- Hemiplegia, Motor Dysfunction, Ischemic Stroke, Neurological Impairment – LI04, LI11, ST36, SP06, GB20, GB33, GB39, GV20 (Wu P, Zeng F, Li YX, Li J, Qiu LH, Qin W, Luo L, Yin CX, Xiong Y, Bai Y, Wang D, Zhou YM, Liang FR. Effect of acupuncture plus conventional treatment on brain activity in ischemic stroke patients: a regional homogeneity analysis. J Tradit Chin Med. 2017; 37(5): 650-658.)
- Knee Osteoarthritis – ST35, ST36, SP09, SP10, BL40, GB33, GB34 (Combined Effect of Laser Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04188925)
- Post-stroke Depression – LU04, LI04, LI06, LI07, LI10, LI11, LI12, LI13, LI15, ST02, ST32, ST33, ST34, ST36, ST37, ST39, ST40, ST44, SP06, SP10, SP11, HT05, BL15, BL20, BL23, BL61, BL64, KD02, KD03, PC02, PC03, PC06, TB03, TB06, TB07, TB09, TB12, TB14, GB20, GB31, GB33, GB43, LV02, LV03, LV05, LV14, GV20, GV23, GV26 (Acupuncture for Ischemic Post-stroke Depression. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02472613)
- Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee – ST34, ST35, ST36, SP06, SP09, SP10, GB33, GB34 (于世超郑建强. 基于文献分析探究针灸治疗膝关节骨性关节炎的选穴规律. 中国中医药现代远程教育 ., 2023 [CNKI])
- Paralysis Spastic Post-stroke – LI04, LI11, LI15, SP06, SP09, HT01, HT03, BL60, KD01, KD03, PC06, PC07, PC08, TB04, TB05, GB30, GB31, GB33, GB34, GB39, LV03, LV08 (Liu Xiafei, Bao Chunling, Dong Guirong. Using acupoint-to-acupoint penetrative needling to treat poststroke spastic paralysis: a clinical progress review. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2014 October 15; 34(5): 609-615.)
- Muscle Hypertonia Post-hemorrhagic Stroke – LU05, LI04, SP05, SP06, SP09, HT01, SI03, KD01, KD10, PC03, PC06, PC07, TB05, GB33, GB34, GB39, GB40, LV03, GV20, XH05 (Liu Xiafei, Bao Chunling, Dong Guirong. Using acupoint-to-acupoint penetrative needling to treat poststroke spastic paralysis: a clinical progress review. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2014 October 15; 34(5): 609-615.)
Most often selected alongside GB33
How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with GB33. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.
- ST35Calf's Nose20 protocols
- SP10Sea Of Blood19 protocols
- GB34Yang Mound Spring18 protocols
- ST36Leg Three Miles17 protocols
- ST34Ridge Mound15 protocols
- LV08Spring At The Bend14 protocols
- SP09Yin Mound Spring14 protocols
- SP06Three Yin Intersection13 protocols
- KD03Great Stream10 protocols
- XL05AMedial Eye Of The Knee7 protocols
- BL60Kunlun (Mountains)6 protocols
- LI04Junction Valley6 protocols
