The fire point of the Gallbladder channel and a master point for clearing heat and stagnation along the entire course of that channel. Yangfu (GB-38) moves what is stuck, cools what is hot, and relieves pain from head to lower limb — especially along the lateral lines of the body.
Contraindications
No specific contraindications are indicated in the classical sources for this point. Use standard clean needling technique and observe the stated depth.
Name & story
The name 阳辅 Yangfu means "Yang Splint" or "Yang Support" — a reference to the fibula, the slender supporting bone of the lower leg on whose outer surface the point sits. The fibula is sometimes called the "assistant bone", quietly propping up the leg alongside the great tibia. The point draws its name from that very bone, speaking to its role along the outer, Yang side of the body. There is something fitting in this image: a supporting strut that holds the structure together, just as the point itself helps to clear blockages and restore free flow along the Gallbladder's long lateral pathway.
Point family & character
Yangfu GB-38 belongs to the Gallbladder Meridian (GB). In character it is the Jing-River point of the channel — the fourth in the classical sequence of five Shu points — and it is also the Fire point of this Wood channel. A classic instruction from the Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion states plainly: "when the Gall Bladder is excess, reduce Yangfu GB-38."
Five-element dynamics
The Gallbladder Meridian (GB) belongs to the Wood element, and Yangfu GB-38 is its Fire point — Wood producing Fire, the child point of the channel. In the Five Element tradition, reducing the child drains excess from the mother, which makes this point the natural choice when the Gallbladder is too full, too hot, or too stuck. Fire here represents the heat and stagnation that can accumulate when the Liver and Gallbladder are blocked — and GB-38's role is to clear that heat and restore the free, smooth movement that Wood craves.
Location
On the lateral side of the lower leg, 4 Cun above the tip of the lateral malleolus, slightly anterior to the fibula. It lies between GB-37 (above) and GB-39 (below), on the outer surface of the lower leg.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the lateral side of the lower leg, in the region of the fibula, among the structures of the peroneal muscle group.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly, or slightly oblique in a posterior direction.
Safe depth
The golden tip
For lateral lower leg tension or a nagging one-sided headache, you can locate Yangfu GB-38 on the outer side of the lower leg, about 4 Cun above the outer ankle bone, just in front of the fibula. Firm acupressure with a thumb or knuckle for 1–2 minutes can help ease tension along the outer leg and head. Because this point works primarily by clearing rather than tonifying, it is especially relevant during periods of stress, heat or stagnation rather than fatigue and weakness.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.