Pucan (BL61)
Pucan (BL61), “Subservient Visitor”, is a point on the Bladder meridian. It is point 61 of the 67 on the channel. Strengthens the heel and leg and frees the channel.
Location
On the lateral aspect of the foot, distal to BL60, lateral to the calcaneus, at the border between the red and white skin.
Functions according to tradition
Strengthens the heel and leg and frees the channel.
Traditional indications
- Heel pain
- Leg weakness
- Muscular atrophy
- Ankle pain
Indications described by tradition; they do not amount to proven clinical effectiveness for each one.
What its classification means
At this point the channel crosses the Yang Heel Vessel (Yang Qiao Mai, 阳跷脉), one of the eight extraordinary vessels.
Precautions
No specific precautions are described beyond the general ones for acupuncture. Needling must always be performed by a trained professional.
Points on other channels with similar indications
They share several traditional indications with this point. Comparing them helps understand why one or the other is chosen.
- GB39 Xuanzhong (Gallbladder): Ankle pain, Leg weakness
- KI4 Dazhong (Kidney): Heel pain
Point profile
- Code
- BL61
- Pinyin name
- Pú Cān
- Characters
- 仆参
- Translation
- Subservient Visitor
- Meridian
- Bladder
- Element
- Water
- Classification
- Yang Qiao Mai
- Topics
- Heel, Foot, Weakness
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
