聽宮 : Tinggong : Palace of Hearing

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Exit point to Jingming Bl-1

Meetings:

Meeting of Small Intestine with San Jiao and Gall Bladder

Location:

With the mouth open, this point is located in the depression between the middle of the tragus and the condyloid process of the mandible. Locate by opening the jaw to reveal the depression.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun.
Needle with the mouth open. The patient can close their mouth following insertion.

Classical Needling:

"The Taiyang usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be bled.
"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
Calms the Shen

TCM Indications:

• Deafness, tinnitus, purulent discharge from the ear.
  
• Mania, epilepsy, loss of voice, fullness of the Heart and abdomen, toothache.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Auriculo-temporal nerve from posterior division of mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve (CN V3)

Dermatome Segment: CN V3 mandibular branch of trigeminal

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Striking this point is said to cause the brain to shut down the body but being well protected by bone the usual result is only headache and tinnitus. Striking fractionally lower, at Tinghui GB-2, is considerably more damaging with nausea, dizziness and even potential death if struck hard (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Deafness due to Qi obstruction:
    Tinggong SI-19 with Yifeng SJ-17; then needle Zusanli St-36 and Hegu LI-4
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Deafness and tinnitus:
    Tinggong SI-19 with Tianrong SI-17, Tinghui GB-2 and Zhongzhu SJ-3
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Deafness:
    Tinggong SI-19 with Zhongzhu SJ-3, Waiguan SJ-5, Erheliao SJ-22, Shangyang LI-1, Tinghui GB-2, Hegu LI-4 and Zhongchong Pc-9
    (Xu Jun, 許浚, 1611: Dong Yi Bao Jian, 東醫寶鑑, Precious Mirror of Oriental Medicine).
  
  
• Impaired hearing and deafness:
    Tinggong SI-19 with Ermen SJ-21, Fengchi GB-20, Xiaxi GB-43 and Tinghui GB-2
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Sadness below the Heart:
    Tinggong SI-19 with Pishu Bl-20
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).

Notes:

Ling Shu Ch. 5 places this point, described as the "centre of the ear", as the end of of Shaoyang with Qiao Yin GB-44 as the root. In cases of where the joints become weak and the patient sways the whole channel is to be examined for surplus and deficiency and the pathology removed. Ting gui GB-2 might seem a more obvious location, being at the other end of the foot Shaoyang meridian but both arm and leg Shaoyang meridians meet at this location.

Ling Shu Ch. 52, On the Wei Qi, considers this to be the tip of the foot Shaoyang meridian with the root being at Zuqiaoyin GB-44.

Ling Shu Ch. 75, On Piercing to Regulate True and Evil Qi, recommends this point as part of the "To Redeem Out of Ignorance" treatment. This opening is pierced and an effect is observed in the pupils and a sound is heard in the ears. To hear the sound the patient is then supposed to press the two nostrils and close the mouth (Unschuld, 2016) or lie on his back (Wu & Wu, 2010). It is supposed to "remove what the eyes cannot see" and is compared to an enlightenment of the spirit.

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