TRADITIONALLY, THE BLADDER MERIDIAN IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLUID BALANCE AND ENERGY LIKE IT'S PARTNER, THE KIDNEY. THE INNER BRANCH OF THE BLADDER MERIDIAN CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON ALL THE OTHER MERIDIANS THROUGH THE "YU POINTS". JIN SHIN POINTS 15, 16, 17 AND 18 ARE LOCATED ON THE OUTER BRANCH. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT IF YOU CAN BALANCE THIS MERIDIAN YOU CAN BALANCE THE BODY.

THE BLADDER MERIDIAN IS THE LONGEST AND MOST YANG OF ALL THE MERIDIANS. IT RUNS OVER HEAD, DOWN THE NECK, DOWN THE BACK TWICE AND DOWN THE BACK OF THE LEGS. THESE AREAS ARE ASSOCIATED NOT ONLY WITH FLEXIBILITY, BUT ALSO WITH PROTECTING OR ARMORING THE BODY.

THE URINARY BLADDER IS LOCATED JUST BEHIND THE PUBIC JOINT WHEN EMPTY. WHEN FULL, IT CAN EXTEND INTO THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. IT IS USED FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE OF URINE.

IF THE BLADDER DOESN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY THE BODY CAN BECOME VERY TOXIC AS THE WASTE PRODUCTS ACCUMULATE. IN ADDITION, THE BLADDER INFLUENCES AND MAINTAINS THE NORMAL LEVEL OF FLUID IN THE BODY. IF TOO MUCH URINE IS EXCRETED DEHYDRATION CAN OCCUR, IF TOO LITTLE THEN EDEMA (SWELLING) RESULTS. THE BLADDER ADAPTS WITH EASE TO BEING EMPTY OR FULL. ADAPTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLADDER MERIDIAN.

PATHWAY: THE FOOT TAI YANG BLADDER CHANNEL STARTS AT THE INNER CANTHUS OF THE EYE, TRAVELS UPWARDS OVER THE FOREHEAD, INTERSECTING THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 24 AND THE FOOT SHAO YIN GALLBLADDER CHANNEL AT GB 15. IT TRAVELS ON UP TO THE VERTEX AND AGAIN MEETS THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 20.

A BRANCH SEPARATES AT THE VERTEX AND GOES DOWN TO THE AREA JUST ABOVE THE EAR, MEETING THE FOOT SHAO YANG GALLBLADDER CHANNEL AT GB 7,8,10, 11 AND 12.

A VERTICAL BRANCH ENTERS THE BRAIN FROM THE VERTEX TO MEET THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 17 AND REEMERGES TO RUN DOWN THE NAPE OF THE NECK AND THE MUSCLE OF THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE SCAPULA, MEETING THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 13 AND 14. IT CONTINUES DOWNWARD PARALLEL TO THE SPINE, TO THE LUMBAR REGION. HERE THE CHANNEL SUBMERGES, FOLLOWS THE PARAVERTEBRAL MUSCLES AND CONNECTS WITH THE KIDNEY BEFORE HOMING TO THE BLADDER.

A BRANCH SEPARATES IN THE LUMBAR REGION AND RUNS DOWN THE BUTTOCKS AND POSTERIOR MIDLINE OF THE THIGHS TO THE POPLITEAL FOSSA, BEHIND THE KNEE. A FURTHER BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE MAIN CHANNEL AT THE NAPE OF THE NECK, DESCENDING LATERAL TO THE PARAVERTEBRAL BRANCH ALONG THE MEDIAL BORDER OF THE SCAPULA AND DOWN TO THE GLUTEAL REGION, WHERE IT CROSSES THE BUTTOCKS AND INTERSECTS THE GALLBLADDER CHANNEL AT GB 30. IT THEN PASSES DOWN THE POSTEROLATERAL ASPECT OF THE THIGH TO MEET THE OTHER BRANCH OF THE SAME CHANNEL IN THE POPLITEAL FOSSA. THE CHANNEL CONTINUES DOWNWARD THROUGH THE GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE, EMERGES POSTERIOR TO THE LATERAL MALLEOLUS, AND THEN RUNS ALONG THE LATERAL MARGIN OF THE FIFTH METATARSAL BONE, CROSSING THE TUBEROSITY, TO THE LATERAL TIP OF THE LITTLE TOE OF B 67.

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