Small Intestine Channel

Quanliao SI-18

Chinese: 颧髎

Pinyin: Quán Liáo

Location

Directly below the outer canthus, in the depression on the lower border of zygoma. 

How to locate

Draw an imaginary vertical line from the outer canthus of the eye to the lower border of the zygomatic bone. Quanliao SI-18 is located in a depression on the anterior border of the masseter muscle, approximately on the level of the lateral border of the ala nasi. 

Main actions

  1. Expels Wind
  2. Clears Heat and resolves swelling

Indications

Red face Face pain Facial tic Lip abscess Eye deviation Swollen cheek Mouth deviation Facial paralysis Eyelids twitching Trigeminal neuralgia

Needling

0.3–0.5 cun vertically or 1–1.5 cun transversely in the direction of Wangu ST-4, Zhizheng ST-7 and Yingxiang LI-20.

Commentary for Quanliao SI-18

The typical manifestation of Wind in the face is deviation of eye and mouth, twitching of eyelids, facial paralysis and tic or trigeminal neuralgia. Quanliao SI-18 is mostly used to expel Wind there. 

In additional to that, it also clears Heat and resolves swelling. Therefore, it treats facial pain, cheek swelling, abscess of lid and red face.