THE GALLBLADDER IS A MUSCULAR GREEN SAC LOCATED ON THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE LIVER. IT STORES THE BILE PRODUCED BY THE LIVER, SQUEEZING IT INTO THE SMALL INTESTINE WHEN FOOD COMES FROM THE STOMACH AND ENTERS THE DUODENUM. ITS PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO BREAK DOWN FATS AND FAT-DIGESTION PRODUCTS.

THE GALLBLADDER IS ONE OF THE LONGEST MERIDIANS, COVERING THE BODY FROM HEAD TO TOE. THE ROUTE OF THIS MERIDIAN MAKES IT EASY TO SEE WHY PROBLEMS LIKE SCIATICA AND HEADACHES ARE RELATED TO THE GALLBLADDER. THE NEI CHANG ATTRIBUTES TO THE GALLBLADDER "THE POSITION OF AN IMPORTANT AND UPRIGHT OFFICIAL WHO EXCELS THROUGH HIS DECISION AND JUDGEMENT", AND THUS, A PERSON'S DECISION-MAKING ABILITY CAN REFLECT THE CONDITION OF THE GALLBLADDER. BECAUSE OF ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE LIVER IT IS VERY INFLUENTIAL IN BREAKING DOWN AND RIDDING THE BODY OF TOXINS, THUS PROMOTING A MORE BALANCED STATE.

PATHWAY: THE FOOT SHAO YANG GALLBLADDER CHANNEL STARTS FROM THE OUTER CANTHUS OF THE EYE, TRAVERSES THE TEMPLE TO TB 22, THEN RISES TO THE CORNER OF THE FOREHEAD WHERE IT INTERSECTS WITH THE FOOT YANG MING STOMACH CHANNEL AT ST 8. DESCENDING BEHIND THE EAR, IT PASSES DOWN THE NECK IN FRONT OF THE HAND SHAO YANG TRIPLE BURNER CHANNEL AND MEETS THE HAND TAI YANG SMALL INTESTINE CHANNEL AT SI 17. AFTER REACHING THE SHOULDER IT TURNS BACK AND RUNS BEHIND THE TRIPLE BURNER CHANNEL TO INTERSECT WITH THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 14. IT THEN MOVES PARALLEL WITH THE SHOULDER LINE OUTWARDS TO INTERSECT WITH THE HAND TAI YANG SMALL INTESTINE CHANNEL AT SI 12 BEFORE CROSSING OVER TO ST 12 IN THE SUPRAVACULAR FOSSA.

A BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE MAIN CHANNEL BEHIND THE EAR AND INTERSECTS THE HAND SHAO YANG TRIPLE BURNER CHANNEL AT TB 17 BEFORE ENTERING THE EAR. IT EMERGES IN FRONT OF THE EAR, MEETING SI 19 ON THE HAND TAI YANG SMALL INTESTINE CHANNEL AND ST 7 ON THE FOOT YANG MING STOMACH CHANNEL BEFORE TERMINATING AT THE OUTER CANTHUS OF THE EYE.

ANOTHER BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE OUTER CANTHUS AND RUNS DOWNWARDS TO ST 5 ON THE MANDIBLE. TURNING UPWARDS, IT CROSSES THE HAND SHAO YANG TRIPLE BURNER CHANNEL AND ASCENDS TO THE INFRAORBITAL REGION BEFORE TRAVELLING DOWN THE CHEEK INTO THE NECK, WHERE IT JOINS THE MAIN CHANNEL AGAIN AT ST 12 IN THE SUPRAVACULAR FOSSA. FROM THERE IT SUBMERGES IN THE CHEST, INTERSECTS PC 1 OF THE HAND JUE YIN PERICARDIUM CHANNEL, AND PASSES THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM BEFORE CONNECTING WITH THE LIVER AND HOMING TO THE GALLBLADDER. IT THEN FOLLOWS THE INSIDE OF THE FALSE RIBS TO EMERGE IN THE QI THROUGHFARE IN THE INGUINAL REGION, WHERE IT SKIRTS ROUND THE GENITALS AND SUBMERGES INTO THE HIP AT GB 30.

ANOTHER BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE MAIN CHANNEL AT THE SUPRAVACULAR FOSSA AT ST 12, DESCENDS INTO THE AXILLA AND RUNS DOWN THE LATERAL JUE YIN LIVER CHANNEL AT LV 13 BEFORE TURNING BACK TO THE SACRAL REGION TO CROSS THE FOOT TAI YANG BLADDER CHANNEL AT B 31 AND B 34. FROM THERE IT PASSES LATERALLY OVER TO GB 30 ON THE HIP JOINT, DESCENDING DOWN THE LATERAL ASPECT OF THE THIGH AND KNEE, AND PASSES ALONG THE ANTERIOR ASPECT OF THE FIBULA TO ITS LOWER EXTREMITY. IT CROSSES IN FRONT OF THE LATERAL MALLEOLUS AND RUNS OVER THE DORSUM OF THE FOOT, TRAVELLING BETWEEN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH METATARSAL BONES BEFORE TERMINATING AT THE LATERAL SIDE OF THE TIP OF THE FOURTH TOE AT GB 44.

ANOTHER BRANCH SEPARATES ON THE DORSUM OF THE FOOT AT GB 41 AND RUNS BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND METATARSAL BONES TO THE END OF THE GREAT TOE AND CROSSES UNDER THE TOENAIL TO JOIN WITH THE FOOT JUE YIN LIVER CHANNEL AT LV 1.