郄門 (Xìmén) — Cleft Gate
Pericardium channel · point 4
Traditionally used for
- Nose & throat
- Cough & breathing
- Digestion
- Menstrual & women's health
- Mood & calm
- Nerves & recovery
- Heart & circulation
Location
On the palmar aspect of the forearm, 5 cun proximal to the wrist crease, between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.
How to locate: With the arm stretched forward and palm up, make a fist and flex the wrist slightly to raise the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis tendons; the point is between them, 5 cun above the wrist crease (1 cun distal to the midpoint of the line from the wrist crease to the elbow crease). If palmaris longus is absent, the point is on the ulnar side of the flexor carpi radialis tendon.
Regional anatomy: Beneath the skin, subcutaneous tissue and antebrachial fascia the needle passes between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis, through flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus to the interosseous membrane; the median nerve lies in its path.
Distances are in cun, a proportional unit — how to measure.
3D view
The 3D view is not available on this device. The 2D maps above show the same point.
Drag, or focus the model and use the arrow keys, to rotate; + and − to zoom; 0 to reset; Esc to close.
Needle diagram for the marked point — a schematic section through the skin, not the model.
3D anatomy: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (licence). Subset, simplified and recoloured by Verscienta — changes and licence details.
Approximate placement, carried over from our 2D body map onto a single adult male model (BodyParts3D) and checked against the point's location text. Shown on one side of the body. Locate the point on your patient by the location text and palpation, not by this model.
- Cun on this part of the body
- From the cubital crease to the wrist crease: 12 B-cun (WHO 2008, General Guidelines, Proportional Bone (Skeletal) Measurements, p. 12). On the model, the cubital crease = line between the humeral epicondyles. On the model, the wrist crease = line between the radial and ulnar styloid tips.
- Needle angle and depth
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- Perpendicular (90° to the skin), 0.5–1 cun. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 373
- Oblique (45° to the skin), 1–1.5 cun, proximal. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 373
3D anatomy: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (licence). Subset, simplified and recoloured by Verscienta — changes and licence details.
Needling
Cited needling
Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:
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Perpendicular insertionDepth 0.5–1 cunskindeeper
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Oblique insertion — proximalDepth 1–1.5 cunskindeeper
Depths describe average adult habitus in the cited population, never a single safe number for the patient in front of you. Palpate and adjust.
Sources (1)
- Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 373 Supports: techniques (names this point)
Site notes · not cited
Functions
- Invigorates the blood, dispels stasis and relieves acute Heart pain
- Nourishes the blood
- Cools the blood and stops bleeding
- Calms the spirit
- Activates the channel
Indications
Balance Method partners
Under Dr. Tan's six systems, PC4 at the forearm balances these channels at the regions its segment images.
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1. Same Chinese nameLiver channelLower leg, Calf · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Thigh · Reversed mirrorChest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/footUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Liver channel →
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2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong)Stomach channelLower leg, Calf · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Thigh · Reversed mirrorChest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/footUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Stomach channel →
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3. Interior–exterior pairTriple Energiser channelForearm · Same segment, opposite sideChest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/footUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Triple Energiser channel →
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4. Chinese clock oppositeStomach channelLower leg, Calf · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Thigh · Reversed mirrorChest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/footUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Stomach channel →
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5. Chinese clock neighbourKidney channelLower leg, Calf · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Thigh · Reversed mirrorChest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/footUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Kidney channel →
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6. Same channelPericardium channelForearm · Same segment, opposite sideChest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/footUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Pericardium channel →
Clinical Notes
Combinations Using This Point
Sources
- World Health Organization. WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2008. (Location.)
- Focks C, ed. Atlas of Acupuncture. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2008. (Locating method and actions.)
📝 Notes
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