SI18

Quanliao

Star

顴髎 (Quánliáo) — Cheekbone Bone-Hole

Small Intestine channel · point 18

Not yet clinically reviewed

Meeting point of the Small Intestine and Triple Energiser channels

Traditionally used for

Eye health
Teeth & mouth
Nerves & recovery
Skin

Location

On the face, directly below the outer canthus, in the depression at the lower border of the zygomatic bone.

How to locate: Drop a vertical line from the outer canthus to the lower border of the zygomatic bone; the point is in the depression there at the front edge of the masseter, which is easy to feel when the patient clenches, roughly level with LI20 beside the nostril.

Distances are in cun, a proportional unit — how to measure.

Body map, front: SI18 · Head & face — Fig. — SI18 · Head & face After Albinus, 1747

The skull, from the front — Gray's Anatomy plate — The skull, from the front Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

3D view not available for this point: its position on the 3D model couldn't be checked against its location text, so it is not shown. The 2D maps above show it.

Needling

Cited needling

Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:

Transverse insertion — joined to points such as Dicang ST4, Xiaguan ST7, Yingxiang LI20, Jiache ST6 etc
Perpendicular insertion

Depth 0.5–0.7 cun

skindeeper

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. 247 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

Depth: 0.3–0.5 cun

Angle: Perpendicular, or oblique for facial paralysis

Functions

Expels wind, clears heat and relieves facial pain
Reduces swelling and benefits the face

Indications

Facial paralysis and twitchingtrigeminal neuralgiatoothache of the upper jawswelling of the cheekyellowing of the eyes

Clinical Notes

A key local point in facial paralysis and in trigeminal neuralgia affecting the maxillary division.

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.)

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