Acupuncture Points for Cholelithiasis

6 sourced protocols, each with its citation.

Each card names its evidence kind. What these labels mean

Protocol (4 points)

100%

BL19 · GB24 · GB34 · LV13

BL19Gallbladder Shu Point

BL19 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽俞 (dǎn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV07 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Palpitations, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting

GB24Sun And Moon

GB24 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 日月 (rì yuè)

🎯 Location: Directly below nipple in the 7th intercostal space 4 thumb widths lateral to the anterior midline.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; risk of pneumothorax.

🛡️ Treats: Jaundice, Vomiting, Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Upper Stomach Pain

GB34Yang Mound Spring

GB34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陽陵泉 (yáng líng quán)

🎯 Location: In the depression the anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Knee Pain, Jaundice, Constipation, Vomiting

LV13Bright Gate

LV13 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Liver Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 章門 (zhāng mén)

🎯 Location: On the lateral side of the abdomen below free end of the 11th rib.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; caution with spleen.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Shortness of Breath, Jaundice

Study-reported

Thread embedding · 4 sessions over 8 weeks

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001487 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. BL19, GB24, GB34 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗

Protocol (5 points)

100%

BL19 · GB24 · GB34 · LV13 · XL06

BL19Gallbladder Shu Point

BL19 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽俞 (dǎn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV07 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Palpitations, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting

GB24Sun And Moon

GB24 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 日月 (rì yuè)

🎯 Location: Directly below nipple in the 7th intercostal space 4 thumb widths lateral to the anterior midline.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; risk of pneumothorax.

🛡️ Treats: Jaundice, Vomiting, Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Upper Stomach Pain

GB34Yang Mound Spring

GB34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陽陵泉 (yáng líng quán)

🎯 Location: In the depression the anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Knee Pain, Jaundice, Constipation, Vomiting

LV13Bright Gate

LV13 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Liver Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 章門 (zhāng mén)

🎯 Location: On the lateral side of the abdomen below free end of the 11th rib.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; caution with spleen.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Shortness of Breath, Jaundice

XL06Gall Bladder Point

XL06 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Extra Points: Lower limbs

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽囊穴 (dǎn náng xué)

🎯 Location: Between 1 & 2 thumb widths distal to the yanglingquan gb-34 on the right leg. palpate to the find the area of the maximum tenderness.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid in acute cholecystitis.

🛡️ Treats: Heat, Damp, Rib Pain, Costal Lateral Bloating, Leg Numbness

Study-reported

Thread embedding · 4 sessions over 8 weeks

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001487 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. BL19, GB24, GB34, XL06 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗

Protocol (7 points)

100%

ST21 · BL18 · BL19 · GB24 · GB34 · LV14 · XL06

ST21Ridge Gate

ST21 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 梁門 (liáng mén)

🎯 Location: 4 thumb widths above the umbilicus 2 thumb widths lateral to the CV12.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid in acute abdominal conditions.

🛡️ Treats: Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Qi Deficiency, Vomiting, Abdominal Bloating

BL18Liver Shu Point

BL18 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 肝俞 (gān shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV08 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 9th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Chest Pain, Dizziness, Coughing Blood, Jaundice

BL19Gallbladder Shu Point

BL19 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽俞 (dǎn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV07 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Palpitations, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting

GB24Sun And Moon

GB24 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 日月 (rì yuè)

🎯 Location: Directly below nipple in the 7th intercostal space 4 thumb widths lateral to the anterior midline.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; risk of pneumothorax.

🛡️ Treats: Jaundice, Vomiting, Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Upper Stomach Pain

GB34Yang Mound Spring

GB34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陽陵泉 (yáng líng quán)

🎯 Location: In the depression the anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Knee Pain, Jaundice, Constipation, Vomiting

LV14Qi Cycle Gate

LV14 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Liver Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 期門 (qī mén)

🎯 Location: Directly below nipple in the 6th intercostal space 4 thumb widths lateral to the anterior midline.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; risk of pneumothorax.

🛡️ Treats: Heat Chest, Cough, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Jaundice

XL06Gall Bladder Point

XL06 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Extra Points: Lower limbs

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽囊穴 (dǎn náng xué)

🎯 Location: Between 1 & 2 thumb widths distal to the yanglingquan gb-34 on the right leg. palpate to the find the area of the maximum tenderness.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid in acute cholecystitis.

🛡️ Treats: Heat, Damp, Rib Pain, Costal Lateral Bloating, Leg Numbness

Study-reported

Electroacupuncture

Did better than another treatment

Point selection reported in a published study.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
Corroborated by a second study. BL19, GB24, GB34, XL06 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001487 ↗

Protocol (2 points)

90%

LI04 · PC06

LI04Junction Valley

LI04 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Large Intestine Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 合谷 (hé gǔ)

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the hand between 1st & 2nd metacarpal bones approximately in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Tinnitus, Release Exterior, Absent Periods, Wind

PC06Inner Gate

PC06 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Pericardium Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 內關 (nèi guān)

🎯 Location: 2 thumb widths above the transverse crease of the wrist between tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in severe deficiency conditions.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Dizziness, Spleen Qi Deficiency

Text or case report

Needling · 1 session

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Acupuncture for Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05975385
Not substantiated. Studies in the index cover this search, and none of their protocols use any of these points.
Press Needles
2 needles for this course · 1 box, $19.99

Protocol (8 points)

90%

CVC06 · CVC09 · CYC01 · CYC08 · CYC09 · CYC10 · IAC03 · TF10

CVC06Spleen

CVC06 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 脾 (pí)

🎯 Location: At the midpoint of a line from Stomach to the notch between Antihelix and Antitragus.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Constipation, Indigestion, Menorrhagia, Lumbago, Gastroptosis

CVC09San Jiao

CVC09 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 三焦 (sān jiāo)

🎯 Location: At the middle area from the inferior and lateral edge of the hole of the External Auditory Canal to the Nervous Subcortex. This is where the mixed branches of the Facial nerve, Vagus nerve and Glossopharyngeal nerve exit.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Tinnitus, Constipation, Toothache, Edema, Facial Spasm

CYC01Stomach

CYC01 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 胃 (wèi)

🎯 Location: At the area where Helix Crus disappears.

⚠️ Cautions: Adjunctive only – haematemesis, melaena or unremitting epigastric pain needs urgent medical assessment. Strict asepsis: perichondritis of the auricular cartilage is the significant risk with ear needling.

🛡️ Treats: Vomiting, Toothache, Nausea, Belching, Gastritis

CYC08Liver

CYC08 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 肝 (gān)

🎯 Location: In the lateral inferior area of the Cymba Conchae.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in acute hepatitis.

🛡️ Treats: Dizziness, Neurosis, Hypertension, Vertex Headache, Facial Spasm

CYC09Pancreas

CYC09 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 胰腺 (yí xiàn)

🎯 Location: Between Kidney and Liver on the LEFT ear.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in acute pancreatitis.

🛡️ Treats: Indigestion, Lethargy, Diabetes, Pancreatitis, Spleen Deficiency

CYC10Gallbladder

CYC10 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽 (dǎn)

🎯 Location: Between the Kidney and Liver on the RIGHT ear.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in acute cholecystitis.

🛡️ Treats: Deafness, Migraine, Herpes Zoster, Abdominal Distention, Excessive Acid Reflux

IAC03Sympathetic

IAC03 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 交感 (jiāo gǎn)

🎯 Location: On both ears, at the end of the upper edge of the lower Crus of the Antihelix.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Etc, Over Secretion Diseases, Internal Organ Pain, Autonomic Nerve Disorders, Spasms

TF10Shenmen

TF10 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Auricular Points

🇨🇳 Chinese: 神門 (shén mén)

🎯 Location: At the midpoint between Pelvis and Hepatitis.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Pain, Inflammation, Restless Spirit, Emotional And Mental Disorders

Text or case report

Acupressure · a 57-day course

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Chen Jirui, Nissi Wang (eds). Acupuncture Case Histories from China. Seattle: Eastland Press, 1988
Not substantiated. Studies in the index cover this search, and none of their protocols use any of these points.
Press Needles
1 box, $19.99

Protocol (3 points)

90%

SP11 · BL19 · GB24

SP11Winnower Gate

SP11 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 箕門 (jī mén)

🎯 Location: 6 thumb widths above the SP10 on the line drawn from SP10 to the SP12.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Heat, Pain, Damp, Urinary Retention, Bedwetting

BL19Gallbladder Shu Point

BL19 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽俞 (dǎn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV07 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Palpitations, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting

GB24Sun And Moon

GB24 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 日月 (rì yuè)

🎯 Location: Directly below nipple in the 7th intercostal space 4 thumb widths lateral to the anterior midline.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep needling; risk of pneumothorax.

🛡️ Treats: Jaundice, Vomiting, Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Upper Stomach Pain

Text or case report

Electroacupuncture · 3 sessions

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Henry C. Lu. Clinical Cases of Acupuncture
Substantiated by a study. BL19, GB24 also appear in a study-reported protocol for the same search. That study did not test this prescription. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001487 ↗
AcuiQ Self-Treatment Guide
Acupressure you can do at home, every protocol traced to a trial. – $12.99, free updates for life

Related symptoms

Often treated alongside Cholelithiasis:

Points cited for Cholelithiasis

How often each point appears across the 6 entries ranked highest for Cholelithiasis. Citation frequency, not a recommendation.

  • BL19Gallbladder Shu PointBladder Meridian4 of 6
  • GB24Sun And MoonGallbladder Meridian4 of 6
  • GB34Yang Mound SpringGallbladder Meridian3 of 6
  • LV13Bright GateLiver Meridian2 of 6
  • XL06Gall Bladder PointExtra Points: Lower limbs2 of 6
  • BL18Liver Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 6
  • CVC06SpleenAuricular Points1 of 6
  • CVC09San JiaoAuricular Points1 of 6
  • CYC01StomachAuricular Points1 of 6
  • CYC08LiverAuricular Points1 of 6
  • CYC09PancreasAuricular Points1 of 6
  • CYC10GallbladderAuricular Points1 of 6

Registered, results not reported

These trials registered a protocol for Cholelithiasis and have not reported results. They are not counted above.

How the studies delivered it

What the 2 studies behind the entries above ran, counted once per study. A record of the trials, not a recommendation.

  • Thread embedding1 of 2
  • Electroacupuncture1 of 2

After a treatment: what large safety surveys recorded, and which reactions need a doctor.

Disclaimer: The acupoint information provided is for educational purposes only.