A focused point on the side of the head, Xuanlu (GB-5) targets pain and Heat in the temporal region — one of the Gallbladder channel's most direct tools for relieving fierce one-sided headaches and facial discomfort.
Contraindications
Standard scalp needling precautions apply. Avoid forceful or deep insertion in this bony region.
Name & story
The name 悬颅 Xuanlu carries a quietly poetic image: 悬 (xuán) means "suspended" or "hanging", and 颅 (lú) means "skull" or "cranium". Together the name conjures something hanging at the side of the skull — which is precisely where the point lives, tucked along the temporal hairline as if suspended there. The name quietly describes the point's address: a place resting at the side of the head, like a lantern hung at the temple.
Point family & character
GB-5 belongs to the Gallbladder Meridian (GB). It sits on the head portion of the channel, in a cluster of points that run along the temporal hairline. It is also a crossing point (meeting point) of the Gallbladder Meridian (GB), the Stomach Meridian (ST), the Large Intestine Meridian (LI) and the Triple Burner Meridian (TB) — a convergence that gives it reach over several channels in the head and face.
Five-element dynamics
The Gallbladder belongs to the Wood element, the element of movement, rising and spreading. When Wood energy becomes excessive or blocked — whether from Liver Fire blazing upward or Wind-Heat invading the head — it often manifests as fierce, throbbing pain precisely at the temples, where the Gallbladder channel travels. GB-5 sits right in that corridor of rising Yang, and its action is to clear the Heat and disperse the pain that accumulates there, drawing down what has risen too high.
Location
GB-5 is found on the side of the head, within the hairline of the temporal region. It lies on the curved line connecting GB-4 and GB-7, one quarter of the way between GB-4 (Hanyan) and GB-8 (Shuaigu) — or more simply, between GB-4 and GB-6 along the temporal hairline, following the natural arc of the Gallbladder channel across the side of the skull.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the temporal region, within the temporalis muscle. The superficial temporal artery and vein, as well as branches of the auriculotemporal nerve and the zygomaticotemporal nerve, are present in the local area.
Needling
The needle is inserted horizontally (transversely), threading along the scalp beneath the skin, following the direction of the channel.
Safe depth
0.5–0.8 Cun, subcutaneously (transverse insertion along the scalp).
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Local massage or gentle acupressure along the temporal hairline can help relieve tension headaches between treatments. Because this point addresses excess Heat and rising Yang, warming therapies such as Moxa are generally not appropriate here.
Functions
Clears Heat and disperses Wind-Heat from the head and face; Relieves pain in the temporal and lateral head region; Disperses Qi Stagnation along the Gallbladder Meridian (GB) in the head; Calms rising Yang.
Indications
One-sided (temporal) headaches and migraines; pain radiating from the outer corner of the eye to the outer corner of the mouth; facial pain and swelling; toothache in the upper teeth; redness and pain of the outer canthus of the eye; fever with headache.
Mind & spirit (Shen)
In Chinese medicine, the Gallbladder and Liver are deeply connected to emotional balance — particularly to the smooth flow of Qi that keeps frustration, irritability and tension from building up. When Liver and Gallbladder Heat or Qi Stagnation rises into the head, it can bring not only physical pain but also a hot, pressured, agitated state of mind. By clearing the Heat and unblocking the channel at the temple, GB-5 can ease that sense of inner pressure — the feeling of a tight band around the head that colours everything with irritability and tension.
Point combinations
With GB-4 (Hanyan) and GB-6 (Xuanli) — its immediate neighbours along the temporal hairline — for temporal headaches and migraine; with GB-8 (Shuaigu) for one-sided head pain; with GB-43 (Xiaxi) to clear Heat from the Gallbladder Meridian (GB) and relieve temporal headache from Fire or Wind-Heat.
Clinical spotlight
GB-5 is a point with a narrow but precise clinical focus: it excels at temporal headaches, particularly those driven by Heat, rising Yang or Wind-Heat in the Gallbladder Meridian (GB). What makes it particularly interesting is its status as a meeting point of four channels — GB, ST, LI and TB — all converging at the side of the head. This multi-channel gathering explains why it can address pain that spreads across the face, eye, cheek and teeth, not just the scalp. In practice it is often used together with its immediate neighbours GB-4 and GB-6 as a local cluster for stubborn temporal migraines.
The golden tip
If you feel a tension headache building at the temple — that tight, throbbing pressure on one side of the head — find the temporal hairline and gently massage the area in small circles along the side of the skull, following the hairline from front to back. A few minutes of firm, steady pressure in this zone can help ease the build-up. Keep the area relaxed, avoid heat or spicy food that can fan rising Yang, and rest in a cool, quiet space.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.