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Alternate names: 窍阴（足） qiào yīn (zú), Orifice Yin (foot)

Channel: GB, foot lesser yáng (shào yáng) gallbladder channel

Modern location: An acupoint located a little more than 1 fēn below the base of the nail on the lateral side of the fourth toe.

Classical location: On the outer side of the toe next to the little toe, the width of a garlic chive leaf away from the corner of the nail. From The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (针灸大成 zhēn jiǔ dà chéng)

Local anatomy: The arterial and venous network formed by the dorsal digital artery and vein and plantar digital artery and vein. The dorsal digital nerve.

Action: Extinguishes wind and courses the liver and gallbladder; clears heat and drains fire.

Modern indications: Headache; painful red swollen eyes; deafness; painful swollen throat; febrile disease; insomnia; rib-side pain; cough counterflow; menstrual irregularities.

Classical indications: Cough; cramp in the limbs; eye pain; throat impediment (hóu bì); headache; heart vexation; dry curled tongue; deafness; menstrual irregularities; pain and swelling of the dorsum of the foot; pain in the outer canthus.

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.1‒0.2 cùn oblique insertion. Moxa: 2‒3 cones; pole 3‒5 min.

Point groups: Well (jǐng) (metal) point.

Point name meaning:

• 足 zú: foot, (lower) leg
• 窍 qiào: portal, orifice
• 阴 yīn: yīn, the complement of yáng

As was true with Head Orifice Yīn (GB-11), the name of this point may be a reference to its use in the treatment of diseases of the eyes, mouth, nose and tongue, which are the orifices of the five viscera (yīn). The word foot distinguishes this point from its namesake on the head.

This point is the opening to the foot jue yīn liver channel, where qì passes from the end of the gallbladder channel to the beginning of the liver channel during its daily cycle. Because the character 窍 (qiào) indicates an opening, and the liver channel is associated with yīn, the name of this point could also be rendered as Opening to Yīn. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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