What has the bladder meridian channel ever done for me?

Chinese meridians. The bladder channel is in purple. Click to enlarge. Image source: Wikipedia.

The Channels, or the Jing Luo as they are known in Chinese, traverse the body connecting the organs, muscles, joints, tissues, and skin. They are energetic pathways along which Qi, blood, and other fluids travel.

The bladder organ and its channel have the same function in Chinese Medicine as it does in Western medicine; the storage and release of urine. However, in Chinese medicine it is thought to influence so much more.

The bladder meridian channel is the longest of the 12 channels. It starts at the eye, runs over the top of the head, flows along your spine and down the back of the legs before finishing at the smallest toe. It has 67 acupuncture points in all.

It is the front line of defence that protects you from illness. You know that sensation when you’re out in the cold and wind and you feel a shiver up your spine? That’s the bladder channel trying to protect you. When you develop chills, fever, body aches, neck stiffness, or headache, this may be due to blocked Qi in the bladder channel. 

The bladder channel nourishes the muscles and tendons of the body. It has an energetic influence that sends Qi and blood where they need to go taking away pain and stiffness, helping your body move freely and without pain.

Sandra Tracy doing acupuncture on the bladder channel at the backs of the legs

The bladder channel sends Qi into the brain, promoting its function and stabilising emotions. Who doesn’t want their brain to work better? Symptoms of dysfunction in the channel are brain fog and mental fatigue. It also distributes Qi to the sense organs, eyes, and nose. Issues such as sinusitis and glaucoma may indicate a blockage in the bladder channel.

Finally, if we think about how easy it is to pee, except when it’s not. In Chinese medicine we think of this as unbeneficial urination. This can run the whole gambit from peeing too much, to getting the signal you need to pee, and then you have to wait. Or the flow stops and starts, or you go and then you have to go again. In any case its unbeneficial. An acupuncture treatment incorporating points from the bladder channel can really help 

The Bladder channel is one of the 12 main channels that traverse the body, making up a complex web of communicating and shifting elements of Qi, blood and body fluids, like an original World Wide Web (i.e. the internet). Maybe think about an acupuncture session and see what your bladder channel can do for you.

To book a Chinese Medicine appointment with Sandra please either book online via our website or contact us on 03 5959 1900.

Sandra Tracy doing acupuncture on the bladder channel at the spine