GV-18 - Unyielding Space

强间 - Qiāng jiān

Point Region: Head

GV

Governing Vessel

督脉 - Dū mài

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the head, on the midline, 4 cun above the hairline at the back of the head. It lies 1.5 cun above GV-17.

Distances are in cun, a unit that scales with each person's body. As a guide, the width of your thumb at its joint is 1 cun, and your four fingers held together, measured across the middle joints, are 3 cun.

How to Locate:

  1. Find GV-17, just above the bump at the back of the skull
  2. Move two finger-widths up the midline
  3. The point is in the hollow there
GV-18 (Unyielding Space) acupressure point location: On the head, on the midline, 4 cun above the hairline at the back of the head.

How to Apply Pressure

After you locate GV-18, use a light fingertip touch and avoid any injured skin. Do not press during severe head trauma or an acute psychiatric episode; stop if a headache or dizziness worsens.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Insomnia
  • Mental disorders
  • Neck stiffness
  • Amnesia

Related Health Concerns

HeadacheFeeling FaintInsomniaNeck and Shoulder Pain

Select a point to see its location, how to find it, and its traditional uses.

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Severe head trauma
  • Acute psychiatric episodes

Take care:

  • Use light pressure only
  • Avoid during severe headaches
  • Monitor for increased dizziness