Tianchuang SI-16
Chinese: 天窗
Pinyin: Tiān Chuāng
Location
In the lateral aspect of the neck, on the posterior border of sternocleidomastoid muscle, lever with the Adam's apple.
How to locate
From the Adam's apple, draw a line to the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Tianchuang SI-16 is located directly at its posterior border.
Main actions
- Calms the Mind
- Subdues Rebellious Qi
- Expels Interior Wind
- Benefits ears
Needling
Vertically 0.5–1 cun.
The point is more visible and palpable by rotating the patient’s head in the opposite direction. But for actual needling, it is better to rotate the patient’s head back to its normal position.
Commentary for Tianchuang SI-16
As the Window of Heaven point of the Small Intestine Channel, Tianchuang SI-16's main function is to calms the Mind by regulating the Qi ascending and descending to and from the heat. Therefore, it is able to treat symptoms like manic behavior, manic depression or hallucination of 'Ghost'.
This Mind Calming feature is quite similar to Yanggu SI-5 of the same Channel. The Small Intestine's main function is to separate the clear Fluids from the turbid, therefore both points are able to discriminate between issues and help patients to make the right decision from several. Tianchuang SI-16 has even stronger effect due to its being one of the Window of Heavens.
On top of that, Tianchuan SI-16 can also subdue Rebellious Qi so as to treat cheek pain and feeling of Heat in the face.
It can expel Interior Wind with typical symptoms like lose of voice due to Wind-stroke, clenched teeth and headache.
Finally, it benefits ears and treats deafness, tinnitus and ear pain.