The point of the "Brain Hollow" — Naokong (GB-19) sits at the back of the skull, where the Gallbladder Meridian (GB) reaches deep into the head. It clears Wind, awakens the mind and relieves some of the most stubborn headaches, dizziness and sensory disturbances that come from the head and neck.
Contraindications
No special contraindications are noted in the classical sources for this point. Observe standard safe needling practice and keep to the recommended transverse insertion — do not needle perpendicularly into this area of the skull.
Name & story
The name 脑空 Naokong tells a quiet story in two characters: Nao means "brain", and Kong means "hollow" or "empty space". The point sits in the bony region at the back of the skull, above the great Wind Pool of Fengchi GB-20 — as if it opens into a hollow chamber within the head itself. There is even a famous tale recorded in the Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: the legendary physician Hua Tuo treated a general suffering from "head wind, confused mind and visual dizziness" — and needled Naokong GB-19. The general was cured. The point's name reminds us that sometimes the head needs to be opened and cleared, like a room with the windows thrown wide.
Point family & character
Naokong GB-19 belongs to the Gallbladder Meridian (GB), the foot Shaoyang channel. It is an intersecting point — a meeting place of the foot Shaoyang Gallbladder channel and the Yangwei Mai (Yang Linking Vessel), which makes it especially suited to conditions that involve Wind and the Yang aspect of the head.
Five-element dynamics
The Gallbladder and Liver belong to the Wood element — and Wood, when it stirs upward as Wind, can flood the head with pain, dizziness and confusion. Naokong GB-19 sits at the very top of the channel's path across the head, close to the brain itself. When Wind — whether it blows in from outside the body or rises up from within — disturbs the head and its orifices, this point helps to scatter and resolve it, restoring quiet to the "hollow" of the brain.
Location
Find the bony protuberance at the back of the skull — the external occipital protuberance. Naokong GB-19 sits at the level of its superior (upper) border, directly above Fengchi GB-20. It is 1.5 Cun posterior to Chengling GB-18 on the head.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the depression of the occipital region, on the outer surface of the skull, roughly over the occipital bone, in the area where the scalp muscles attach.
Needling
The needle is inserted transversely (horizontally along the scalp). A local sensation of soreness and distension can spread to the back of the head.
The golden tip
If you suffer from tension or wind-type headaches at the back of the head, you can gently press or massage the area just above the base of the skull, on either side — roughly above where Fengchi GB-20 sits. A few minutes of firm but gentle circular pressure, or simply resting warm hands on the occiput, can help ease discomfort. For Wind-Cold headaches, warmth in this area — a warm pack or gentle moxa — is especially comforting.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.