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POINT: SJ-5 (SAN JIAO-5)

NAME: WAIGUAN

English: Outer Pass
Also Known As: Outer Frontier Gate
External Gate
Outer Gate
Outer Barrier
Outer Border Gate

LOCATION:

  • 2 cun above the transverse crease of the dorsal surface of the wrist, between the ulna and the radius.
  • 2 cun proximal to SJ-4 Yangchi, between the radius and ulna.
  • 2 cun proximal to the dorsal crease of the wrist on the line connecting SJ-4 Yangchi and the tip of the olecranon, between the radius and ulna.
  • 2 cun proximal to SJ-4 Yangchi, in the depression between the radius and the ulna, on the radial side of the extensor digitorum communis tendons, close to the border of the radius.

NEEDLING:

  • Straight insertion, 1 to 1.5 cun or join through the arm to PC-6 Neiguan. Sensation: local distention and soreness, sometimes extending to the fingertips.
  • Slanted insertion with the needle pointed up the arm 1.5 to 2 cun, for diseases of the trunk. Sensation: distention and soreness extending up the arm.
  • Puncture perpendicularly 0.5 to 1 cun.
  • Moxibustion is applicable.
  • Slightly oblique insertion towards the ulnar side or oblique proximal or distal towards the elbow or the wrist respectively, 0.5 to 1.5 cun.
  • Joined by through-needling to PC-6 Neiguan.
  • Caution: moving the patient's hand or arm after insertion can result in a bent needle.

COMMAND FUNCTIONS:

  • Connecting point
  • Master point of the Yangwei channel
  • Coupled point of the Dai channel

ACTIONS:

  • Expels Wind
  • Releases the Exterior
  • Clears Heat
  • Facilitate circulation of Qi
  • Removes obstruction from the channel
  • Benefits the head and ears
  • Subdues Liver Yang
  • Opens the Yang Wei channel
  • Activates the channel
  • Alleviates pain
  • Invigorates the Luo Mai
  • Relaxes the tendons

INDICATIONS:

  • Deafness
  • Headaches
  • Violent fear
  • Fingers painful and unable to grasp objects
  • Pain in the chest and ribs
  • Ulcers
  • Hypotension
  • Hypertension
  • Making connections with the outside world
  • Warming up
  • Hand tremors
  • Swollen throat
  • Constipation
  • Wind predominant Bi
  • Trigeminal neuralgia due to Wind-Heat
  • Upper body atrophy syndrome
  • Infantile paralysis
  • Convulsions
  • Alternating fever and chills
  • Unilateral or occipital headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Hypochondriac pain
  • Shoulder pain and stiffness
  • Severe abdominal pain with cramps
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Impaired hearing
  • Ear pain
  • Redness, pain and swelling of the root of the ear
  • Redness, pain and swelling of the eyes
  • Cold and pain of the eyes
  • Superficial visual obstruction
  • Lachrymation on exposure to Wind
  • Cold lachrymation
  • Abdominal pain
  • Oppression and tightness of the chest
  • Pain of the lateral costal region
  • Hematemesis
  • Knotting of Heat in the five Zang and six Fu
  • Swelling and redness of the arm
  • Coldness, numbness and pain of the hands and feet
  • Pain of the hundred joints
  • Writer's cramp
  • Influenza
  • Difficulty closing the hand
  • Pain in the fingers
  • Cramp in the elbow
  • Difficulty bending the arm
  • Common cold
  • High fever
  • Pneumonia
  • Parotitis (mumps)
  • Tinnitus
  • Migraine headache
  • Enuresis
  • Stiff neck
  • Hemiplegia
  • Pain in the joints of the upper limb
  • Paralysis
  • Numbness, contracture or pain of the forearm, wrist or fingers
  • Hand tremors
  • Pain in the cheek
  • Motor impairment of the elbow and arm
  • Ear infection due to Wind-Heat
  • Injury by Cold
  • Sweating with Heat on the Exterior
  • Thunder head Wind
  • Kidney Deficiency headache
  • Pain of the vertex
  • Frontal headache
  • Pain of the nape
  • Dizziness
  • Phlegm-Inversion dizziness
  • Wind dizziness
  • Swelling of the cheek
  • Stiffness of the tongue with difficulty speaking
  • Toothache
  • Ulceration of the mouth
  • Cracked lips
  • Epistaxis
  • Scrofula (adenitis)
  • Flaccidity of the elbow
  • Soreness and heaviness of the elbow and wrist
  • Redness, swelling and pain of the ankle
  • Pain of the toes
  • Finger neuralgia or sprains
  • Forearm neuralgia
  • Enuresis
  • Leukoma
  • Cataract
  • Placenta does not descend

COMBINATIONS:

PC-6 joined through the arm
Neiguan
SI-6
Yanglao

DU-20
Baihui
LI-4
Hegu
LU-7
Lieque

GB-2
Tinghui

or

SJ-7
Huizong

Lumbar pain

Common cold

Impaired hearing and deafness

SI-3
Houxi

SJ-3
Zhongzhu
LI-1
Shangyang
SJ-22
Erheliao
GB-2
Tinghui
SI-19
Tinggong
LI-4
Hegu

SI-16
Tianchuang

Head and eye pain

Deafness

Deafness and tinnitus

PC-7
Daling

SJ-6
Zhigou
PC-7
Daling

SJ-6
Zhigou
LIV-13
Zhangmen

Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain and constipation

Pain of the lateral costal region

SJ-3
Zhongzhu
LI-11
Quchi
LI-10
Shousanli

SJ-10
Tianjing
LI-11
Quchi

SJ-6
Zhigou
GB-22
Yuanye
GB-41
Zulinqi

Inability to bend the elbow and fingers

Atrophy disorder

Numbness of the arm

Saber lumps of the axilla

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

NOTES:

  • This is the most important distal point of the San Jiao channel.
  • This point normalizes Excess gonadoptropin.
  • This point controls a tremendous lack of warmth, both physical and emotional warmth.
  • This is a key point for shoulder problems.
  • This is a major point to release Wind-Heat and must nearly always be used when there are symptoms of fever, sore throat, slight sweating, aversion to Cold and a Superficial and rapid pulse.
  • It is a main point to regulate the Shao Yang.
  • Some sources say that this point can expel all six pathogenic factors, Wind, Heat, Cold, Dampness, Dryness and Fire.
  • It is a general point for Wind predominant Bi.