A quiet but capable point high on the scalp, Wuchu (BL-5) sits where the Bladder Meridian begins its long journey over the crown of the head. It clears Wind and Heat from the head, calms the Shen, steadies the eyes, and eases the kind of headache that feels like pressure building behind the forehead.
Contraindications
Wuchu BL-5 is a scalp point and is generally safe. Keep the needle horizontal and superficial, as is appropriate for all points needled through the galea of the scalp. Use standard clean-needle technique.
Name & story
The name 五处 Wuchu means roughly "Fifth Place" or "Place of the Five" — the fifth point along the Bladder Meridian (BL), counting up from the inner corner of the eye. There is something quietly poetic in that: after four points that hug the inner face and brow, the channel arrives here, stepping onto the open plain of the skull, and this is its fifth dwelling. Simple, honest, positional — as many scalp points are named.
Point family & character
Wuchu BL-5 belongs to the Bladder Meridian (BL). It sits on the inner line of Bladder points that travel over the crown of the head, alongside its neighbours Meichong BL-3 just ahead and Chengguang BL-6 just behind. It lies lateral to the governing vessel point Shangxing GV-23, and the two are close enough that their influences — especially on the head, nose and eyes — naturally complement each other.
Five-element dynamics
The Bladder Meridian (BL) belongs to Water and to Yang — it is the longest channel in the body, running from the eye to the little toe. At the top of the head it carries the quality of Water's Yang: cool, clarifying, able to sweep Heat and Wind upward and then disperse them. Wuchu BL-5, seated on the crown, is ideally placed for exactly this work. When Wind invades the head, or when internal Heat rises and disturbs the upper orifices — the eyes, the nose, the mind — this point helps the Bladder channel do what it does well: move, clear, and open.
Location
Find the front hairline, then move straight back 0.5 Cun. From the midline of the head, go 1.5 Cun to either side. The point sits there on the scalp, level with Shangxing GV-23 on the midline and just ahead of Chengguang BL-6.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the scalp, passing through the galea aponeurotica — the tough fibrous sheet that covers the top of the skull. Beneath it are the branches of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves, and the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery and vein.
Needling
The needle is inserted horizontally — gliding flat just beneath the skin along the galea — as is standard practice for all scalp points. It can be directed forward toward the hairline or backward toward the crown depending on the intention.
The golden tip
If you feel a frontal headache building, or your eyes feel strained and hot, try this: place your fingertips just behind your front hairline, about 1.5 Cun (roughly one and a half finger-widths) to either side of the midline. Apply gentle, firm circular pressure for one to two minutes. You can also try slow, sweeping strokes from the front hairline backward over the crown — following the line the Bladder Meridian (BL) travels — to help move stagnant Qi and ease tension in the head.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.