# GV17 Naohu (Brain Door) – Governing Vessel

腦戶 · nǎo hù

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.

Cautions: No specific contraindications.

Canonical page: https://acuiq.com/points/gv17

## Indications

An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

Aversion Wind Head, Aversion Wind Head, Benefit Eyes, Benefit Eyes, Calm Spirit Shen, Calm Spirit Shen, Chills, Psychological Disorder, Psychological Disorder, Dizziness, Epilepsy, Eyesight / Vision Dim, Dim Vision, Eyesight / Vision Myopia Short Sightedness, Myopia Short Sightedness Vision, Fever, Goiter, Stiff Neck, Immobility Neck, Jaundice, Jaundice Eyes, Jaundice Eyes, Lachrymation Excessive, Lachrymation Excessive, Pain, Bone Pain, Bone Pain, Eye Pain, Eye Pain, Facial Pain, Facial Pain, Head Pain, Head Pain, Neck Pain, Neck Pain, Facial Redness, Facial Redness, Heaviness Head Sensation, Heaviness Head Sensation, Muscle Spasms, Muscle Spasms, Sweating, Swelling, Tetanus, Tongue Root Bleeding, Tongue Root Bleeding, Voice Loss, Voice Loss, Wind, Wind Head, Wind Head

## Most often selected alongside GV17

Sourced protocols in the index pairing each point with this one. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

- GV20 (100 Convergences) – 11 protocols
- GV24 (Spirit Court) – 10 protocols
- GB19 (Brain Hollow) – 8 protocols
- LI04 (Junction Valley) – 8 protocols
- SP06 (Three Yin Intersection) – 6 protocols
- GB13 (Spirit Root) – 5 protocols
- GB20 (Wind Pool) – 5 protocols
- BL23 (Kidney Shu Point) – 4 protocols

## Protocols using GV17

| Symptoms | Points | Course | Source | Kind | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory Impaired, Cognitive Impairment Vascular, Cognitive Decline Executive Function, Processing Speed Reduced | SP06, HT07, GB20, GV17, GV20, GV24, GV26 | 56 days | doi:10.3233/JAD-201353 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| 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 | 28 days | doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1330054 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Depression, Vision Blurred, Visual Field Defect, Optic Nerve Injury | BL01, GB19, GV17 | 180 days | doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000042088 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Amblyopia Anisometropic, Vision Reduced | LI04, BL02, BL04, BL06, BL09, GB16, GB37, GV17, GV20 | 10 days | doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000046551 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder, Repetitive Behavior, Social Communication Deficit | ST08, GB13, GB19, GV17, GV24 | 60 days | doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014880 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Fatigue, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Headache, Insomnia, Shoulder Pain, Lumbar Pain, Cervical Pain, Limb Numbness | BL23, GB20, GB21, GV03, GV04, GV17 | 38 days | doi:10.3831/KPI.2021.24.3.122 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder, Social Communication Disorder, Stereotyped Behavior, Restricted Interests | GB13, GB19, GV17, GV20, GV24 | – | doi:10.1186/s44424-025-00042-y | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder | ST36, BL15, GB13, GB19, GV17, GV24 | 180 days | doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240911-k0001 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Amblyopia Anisometropic, Vision Reduced, Amblyopia | LI04, BL02, BL04, BL06, BL09, GB16, GB37, GV17, GV20, XH05 | 14 days | doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000046551 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Cognitive Impairment Vascular | SP06, HT07, GB20, GV17, GV20, GV24, GV26, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D, XH03 | 56 days | doi:10.3233/JAD-201353 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| 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 | 30 days | doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1330054 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| Amblyopia Anisometropic, Visual Acuity Reduced, Amblyopia | LI04, BL02, BL04, BL06, BL09, GB16, GB37, GV17, GV20, XH05 | – | doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000046551 | trial | Point selection reported in a published study. |
| 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 | 108 days | 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 | text | Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report. |
| Vomiting, Dysmenorrhea, Nausea, Cold Limbs, Abdominal Pain, Lumbar Pain | ST36, SP10, BL20, BL23, BL40, KD01, LV02, CV03, CV04, CV06, GV03, GV17, GV24 | 21 days | 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 | text | Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report. |
| 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 | 84 days | 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 | text | Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report. |
| 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. | text | Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report. |
| 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 | 7 days | 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. | text | Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report. |
| 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 | 20 days | 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. | text | Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report. |

---

AcuiQ-authored prose (symptom and meridian descriptions, the wiki, the auricular crosswalk) is licensed CC-BY-4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The assembled protocol compilation is not: build on it with attribution, but do not redistribute it whole as a dataset – https://acuiq.com/terms. The underlying findings are the cited sources' claims – each entry carries its citation; verify against the source before relying on it. Not medical advice: https://acuiq.com/terms