A high point on the side of the head, Hanyan (GB-4) calms wind, clears the temples and relieves the kind of one-sided headache that throbs and pounds. When the Gallbladder channel overflows with Wind and Heat, this is one of the first places to look.
Name & story
The name 颔厌 Hanyan carries a quietly poetic image: 颔 (hàn) refers to the jaw or the side of the face just below the temple, and 厌 (yàn) suggests pressing, resting against, or being weighed down. Together the name paints a picture of heaviness and pressure at the side of the head — exactly the kind of sensation this point addresses. It is as if the point sits precisely where that oppressive, pressing pain lodges itself, ready to release it.
Point family & character
GB-4 belongs to the Gallbladder Meridian (GB) and is located on the temporal region of the head. It is a meeting point — a crossing point where the Gallbladder Meridian (GB) meets the Triple Burner Meridian (TB) and the Stomach Meridian (ST), which gives it a broader reach than a simple local point would have.
Five-element dynamics
The Gallbladder is the Yang channel of the Wood element, and Wood governs the free flow of Qi through the body. When Wood energy rises too strongly — through stress, anger, or internal Heat — it rushes upward along the Gallbladder channel, which sweeps over the side of the head. GB-4 sits right in that path, at the temple, and acts as a release valve: it subdues rising Yang, clears Wind and Heat from the channel, and brings the restless upward surge back under control.
Location
GB-4 is found on the side of the head, within the hairline of the temporal region. It sits one quarter of the distance along the curved line that runs from GB-7 (at the level of the ear apex) to GB-4, or more practically: at the corner where the hairline curves around the temple, roughly 0.5 Cun within the hairline, at the level of the outer corner of the eye.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the temporal region, over the temporalis muscle.
Needling
The needle is inserted horizontally, just beneath the skin, along the scalp.
Safe depth
0.3–0.5 Cun, subcutaneously.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Light massage or acupressure at the temples — pressing GB-4 gently with the fingertip in small circles — can bring quick relief during a headache. Because the nature of the imbalance here is usually one of rising Heat or Wind, warming moxa is generally not the first choice for this point.
Functions
Dispels Wind and clears Heat from the Gallbladder channel. Subdues rising Yang. Relieves pain in the temporal region and the side of the head. Benefits the eyes and ears.
Indications
One-sided (temporal) headache and migraine; pain, pressure or heaviness at the temples; eye pain, redness or visual disturbances; tinnitus and ear pain; toothache in the upper jaw; dizziness and vertigo. The point is particularly indicated when these complaints arise from Wind, Heat or rising Yang in the Gallbladder channel.
Mind & spirit (Shen)
The Gallbladder in Chinese medicine is linked not only to decision-making and courage, but also to the quality of the nervous system's resilience. When stress and frustration cause Qi and Yang to surge upward, the result is not just a headache — it is also irritability, a sense of pressure behind the eyes, difficulty thinking clearly, and a feeling of the head being about to burst. GB-4, by clearing the channel at the very top of its upward path, helps the mind step back from that edge of overwhelm and find a little calm space again.
Point combinations
With GB-8 (Shuaigu) and GB-20 (Fengchi) — for temporal headache and migraine, especially from Wind or rising Yang. With TB-5 (Waiguan) — to clear Wind-Heat from the Gallbladder and Triple Burner channels when headache comes with ear symptoms. With GB-14 (Yangbai) and local points — for frontal and temporal pain together.
Clinical spotlight
As a meeting point of the Gallbladder, Triple Burner and Stomach meridians, GB-4 has a wider sphere of influence than its small, precise location might suggest. In practice it is most valued as a targeted point for temporal headache — particularly the tight, throbbing, one-sided pain that worsens with stress, heat or bright light — where needling along the scalp can produce a surprisingly rapid easing of the pressure.
The golden tip
During a temple headache, find the tender spot at the hairline on the side of your head, level with the outer corner of the eye. Press gently but firmly with your fingertip or thumb and hold for one to two minutes, breathing slowly. Many people notice the throbbing begin to ease within a minute or two. If both temples are affected, work both sides.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.