GV17 Naohu (Brain Door)

Location

2.5 thumb widths directly above the midpoint of the posterior hairline 1.5 thumb widths directly above the GV16 in the depression on the upper border of the external occipital protuberance.

Indications

Conditions for which GV17 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

Protocols using GV17

• Memory Impaired, Cognitive Impairment Vascular, Cognitive Decline Executive Function, Processing Speed Reduced – SP06, HT07, GB20, GV17, GV20, GV24, GV26 (doi:10.3233/JAD-201353 ↗)
• Fatigue, Anxiety, Constipation, Drooling, Parkinson's Disease, Tremor Hand, Stiffness Neck, Dry Mouth, Bradykinesia, Dysphagia, Rigidity, Tremor Limb, Stiffness Back, Cramp Foot – LI04, LI10, LI11, ST25, ST37, SP06, SP09, BL40, BL57, GB19, GB34, GB39, LV03, CV04, GV04, GV08, GV14, GV17, GV19, GV20, GV21, GV24 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1330054 ↗)
• Depression, Vision Blurred, Visual Field Defect, Optic Nerve Injury – BL01, GB19, GV17 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000042088 ↗)
• Amblyopia Anisometropic, Vision Reduced – LI04, BL02, BL04, BL06, BL09, GB16, GB37, GV17, GV20 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000046551 ↗)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder, Repetitive Behavior, Social Communication Deficit – ST08, GB13, GB19, GV17, GV24 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014880 ↗)
• Fatigue, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Headache, Insomnia, Shoulder Pain, Lumbar Pain, Cervical Pain, Limb Numbness – BL23, GB20, GB21, GV03, GV04, GV17 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2021.24.3.122 ↗)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder, Social Communication Disorder, Stereotyped Behavior, Restricted Interests – GB13, GB19, GV17, GV20, GV24 (doi:10.1186/s44424-025-00042-y ↗)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder – ST36, BL15, GB13, GB19, GV17, GV24 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240911-k0001 ↗)
• Amblyopia Anisometropic, Vision Reduced, Amblyopia – LI04, BL02, BL04, BL06, BL09, GB16, GB37, GV17, GV20, XH05 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000046551 ↗)
• Cognitive Impairment Vascular – SP06, HT07, GB20, GV17, GV20, GV24, GV26, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH03 (doi:10.3233/JAD-201353 ↗)
• Constipation, Tremor, Parkinson's Disease, Dysphagia – LI04, LI10, LI11, ST25, ST37, SP06, SP09, BL40, BL57, GB19, GB34, GB39, LV03, CV04, GV04, GV08, GV14, GV17, GV19, GV21, GV24, XH03 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1330054 ↗)
• Amblyopia Anisometropic, Visual Acuity Reduced, Amblyopia – LI04, BL02, BL04, BL06, BL09, GB16, GB37, GV17, GV20, XH05 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000046551 ↗)
• Cerebral Palsy, Motor Dysfunction, Posture Abnormalities – LI04, LI11, ST02, ST25, ST36, ST40, ST44, SP06, HT07, SI19, BL01, BL17, BL18, BL23, BL40, BL60, BL62, KD01, KD03, KD06, PC06, PC08, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB13, GB14, GB19, LV03, CV06, CV10, CV12, CV13, CV14, CV23, GV17, GV20, GV24 (Yu Hai-bo, Liu Yong-feng & Wu Li-xiong. Acupuncture Combined with Music Therapy for Treatment of 30 Cases of Cerebral Palsy. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2009, 29(4): 243-246)
• Vomiting, Dysmenorrhea, Nausea, Cold Limbs, Abdominal Pain, Lumbar Pain – ST36, SP10, BL20, BL23, BL40, KD01, LV02, CV03, CV04, CV06, GV03, GV17, GV24 (Guo Aisong, Meng Qingyi. Acupuncture Combined with Spinal Tui Na for Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea in 60 Cases. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2009, 29(3): 234-236)
• Bedwetting, Restlessness, Mental Retardation, Slow Reaction, Glossolalia, Salivation, Feeble Neck – LI04, ST04, ST36, ST40, SP06, SP09, HT07, BL10, BL15, BL18, BL20, BL23, PC06, GB13, GB20, LV03, CV04, CV06, CV12, CV23, GV14, GV15, GV17, GV20 (Tian Yong-ping et al. Acupuncture for Promoting Intelligence of Children — An Observation on 37 Cases with Mental Retardation. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2010, 30(3): 176-179)
• Aphasia Cerebral Disease – GV15, GV16, GV17 (Sun Youzhi, Xue Steve An, Zuo Zhengyun. Acupuncture therapy on apoplectic aphasia rehabilitation. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2012; 32(3): 314-321.)
• Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Cervical Spondylosis Vertebral Artery Type Dizziness, Cervical Spondylosis Vertebral Artery Type Headache – ST08, GB08, GB19, GB20, GB21, GV15, GV17, GV20, GV24, XH03, XH05 (Ding Quanmao, Yan Mingru, Zhou Ji, Yang Lu, Guo Jiang, Wang Jun, Shi Zhiyong, Wang Yixi, Zhao Hongsheng. Clinical effects of innovative tuina manipulations on treating cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type and changes in cerebral blood flow. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2012; 32(3): 388-392.)
• Paralysis Spastic Post-stroke Hemiplegia – LI04, LI10, SI03, KD06, TB05, TB10, TB14, GB29, GB31, GB34, GB39, GB40, GV01, GV03, GV05, GV08, GV09, GV14, GV17, GV20 (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 GV17

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with GV17. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• GV20100 Convergences11 protocols
• GV24Spirit Court10 protocols
• GB19Brain Hollow8 protocols
• LI04Junction Valley8 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection6 protocols
• GB13Spirit Root5 protocols
• GB20Wind Pool5 protocols
• BL23Kidney Shu Point4 protocols
• BL40Middle Of The Crease4 protocols
• CV04Original Qi Gate4 protocols
• GV14Great Vertebra4 protocols
• HT07Spirit Gate4 protocols

Other points on the Governing Vessel