GV21 Qianding (Before The Vertex)

Location

3.5 thumb widths directly above the midpoint of the anterior hairline 1.5 thumb widths anterior to the GV20.

Indications

Conditions for which GV21 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

TCM actions

What classical sources say GV21 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using GV21

• Weakness, Insomnia, Poor Memory, Fatigue Cancer-related, Fatigue Mental, Fatigue Physical – ST36, BL07, PC06, GV19, GV20, GV21 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000015659 ↗)
• Limb Pain, Spasticity Post-stroke, Spasm Limb, Contracture Joint – LI04, LI11, SP09, BL40, LV03, CV12, GV20, GV21, GV22 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000020368 ↗)
• 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 ↗)
• Tinnitus Unilateral – LI20, SI19, BL02, TB12, TB17, TB22, GB02, GB07, GB12, GB20, GV14, GV15, GV16, GV20, GV21 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-97 ↗)
• Vertigo Cervical, Dizziness Cervicogenic – GB20, GB21, LV03, GV13, GV14, GV21 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2018.21.027 ↗)
• Paralysis Upper-limb, Motor-impairment Hemiplegia, Stroke Cerebral-infarction, Sensory-disorder – GB06, GB07, GV20, GV21, MS06, MS07 (doi:10.3390/brainsci10020087 ↗)
• Bradykinesia, Paralysis Motor, Postural Instability, Stroke Ischemic Bilateral Basal Ganglia, Impaired Self-care – GB06, GV21, MS06 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1604342 ↗)
• Anxiety, Tremor, Parkinson Disease – SP06, HT07, GV19, GV20, GV21, GV24, XH03 (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.32133 ↗)
• Headache Migraine, Migraine Without Aura – GB04, GB06, GV20, GV21, GV24, XH03 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20201203-k0007 ↗)
• Spasticity, Spasticity Post-stroke – GV20, GV21, GV22 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20210506-k0001 ↗)
• Parkinson's Disease, Anxiety Parkinson's Disease – SP06, HT07, GV19, GV21, GV24, XH03 (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.32133 ↗)
• 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 ↗)
• Prostatitis Chronic, Pelvic Pain – BL06, BL07, BL28, BL32, CV03, CV04, GV20, GV21, GV22, GV24 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2016.12.006 ↗)
• Parkinson's Disease, Motor Dysfunction – LI04, LI11, ST36, SP06, KD03, GB05, GB06, GB34, LV03, GV21 (doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101814 ↗)
• Constipation, Parkinson's Disease – LI04, LI11, ST25, ST36, ST37, SP06, SP14, KD03, GB05, GB06, GB34, LV03, GV21 (doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101814 ↗)
• Vertigo, Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency – BL09, BL10, GB07, GB08, GV20, GV21 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Rhinitis Allergic Perennial – GV20, GV21, GV23, GV24 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Cognitive Impairment Post-stroke – BL05, BL06, BL07, BL08, GV18, GV19, GV20, GV21, GV22, GV24 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Constipation, Parkinson's Disease – ST25, ST37, CV04, GV19, GV21, GV24, XH03 (doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1126080 ↗)
• Somnambulism – GB19, GV17, GV20, GV21, GV23, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D (Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994)
• Stroke, Limb Weakness, Speech Slurred – LU07, LI04, BL07, TB06, GB20, GB39, LV03, GV19, GV20, GV21 (Zhu Bing, Wang Hongcai (eds). Case Studies from the Medical Records of Leading Chinese Acupuncture Experts. London: Singing Dragon, 2011)

Most often selected alongside GV21

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with GV21. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• GV20100 Convergences14 protocols
• GV24Spirit Court9 protocols
• GV19Behind The Vertex8 protocols
• LV03Great Surge7 protocols
• LI04Junction Valley6 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection6 protocols
• GB06Suspended Tuft5 protocols
• LI11Pond At The Bend5 protocols
• XH03Hall Of Impression Or Seal Hall5 protocols
• BL07Reaching Heaven4 protocols
• CV04Original Qi Gate4 protocols
• GB34Yang Mound Spring4 protocols

Other points on the Governing Vessel