角孫 : Jiaosun : Minute Angle

Location Guides:

Meetings:

Meeting of San Jiao with Small Intestine and Gall Bladder

Location:

On the side of the head, directly level with the apex of the ear when the ear is folded forwards.

Needling:

Transverse insertion in any direction towards symptom or to connect with other points 0.5 - 1.5 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Shaoyang usually has little Blood and much Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"The hand Yin and Yang receive their Qi via nearby paths so their Qi arrive swiftly. The depth of piercing must not exceed 2 fen and must not remain inserted for longer than one exhalation" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen and is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Benefits the ears
Benefits the gums, teeth and lips
Clears Heat

TCM Indications:

• Tinnitus, deafness, discharge of pus from the ear, redness and swelling of the back of the ear, redness and swelling of the auricle.
  
• Toothache, tooth decay, swelling and pain of the gums with inability to masticate, stiffness of the lips, dryness of the lips, Superficial Visual Obstruction, stiffness of the nape of the neck with inability to turn the head.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Greater auricular nerve, from the cervical nerve plexus (branches from C2 - C3)

Dermatome Segment: C2

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.

Major Combinations:

• Pain of the gums:
    Jiaosun SJ-20 with Xiahao SI-8
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Inability to chew:
    Jiaosun SJ-20 with Jiache St-6
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).

Notes:

Ling Shu Ch. 21, On Cold and Heat Diseases, mentions this point in relation to tooth decay of the upper jaw. The disease is to be removed from the points at the nose and in front of the cheek bones (Suliao Du-25, Yingxiang LI-20, Juliao St-3 and/or Quanliao SI-18) and if the pulse abounds the channel drained, if it is weak then it is to be supplemented. Unschuld's (2016) translation give no indication to use this point, while Wu & Wu (2010) say it should be pricked as well as the others.

Ling Shu Ch. 52, On the Wei Qi, considers this point or Sizhukong SJ-23 to be the tip of the hand Shaoyang meridian with the root being at Yemen SJ-2.

Among the Gall Bladder points of the head, there appear to be some that indicate they are special points for influencing the Zangfu and Channels, similar to the Front or Back Shu points. This point connects with the Gall Bladder and Small Intestine channels and has a number of indications for Taiyang symptoms of stiffness of the neck and clearing Heart Heat causing swelling and redness of the gums, which would make it a suitable candidate for the head-Shu for the Small Intestine.

Reference Notes:

Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.

For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here