What Xiaxi does
Xiaxi is treated here as a practical point rather than a curiosity: where it sits, how it is needled, what the tradition says it does, and the skin conditions in this database that name it.
Actions
- Subdues Liver Yang
- Expels Damp-Heat
Location
The written location is summarised from the classical record; use the landmark named there together with the diagram.
How to find it
Find the bony landmark first, then feel for the hollow or tender spot the location describes. The point is usually sensitive when pressed.
Deqi
De qi at this point is felt as local distension, heaviness or aching, and may travel a short way along the channel.
A cun is a proportional body measurement, not a fixed length: one cun is about the width of the thumb at the knuckle, 1.5 cun about two finger widths, and 3 cun about the width of four fingers. On an average adult one cun is roughly one inch, but it scales with the person, which is why the texts measure in cun rather than centimetres.
Technique
Needling
Angle: 90 degrees, perpendicular Depth: Standard depth half a to half a cun. Direction: Needle in the direction the location describes.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is used where the pattern is cold or deficient, in short sessions.
Skin uses
- Tinnitus Deafness Ear pain Headaches Dizziness Itchy ears Breast lumps Otitis media Swollen limbs Blurred vision Foot dorsum pain Migraine headache Foot dorsum swelling HypochondriaI distension
Point classifications
| Classification | Value |
|---|---|
| Five phase | Water-Shui |
| Transporting type | Spring-Ying Point |
| Mother-child role | Child (Reducing) |
Safety
Who should treat this point
Acupuncture and moxibustion are practitioner procedures. This page is educational and is not a guide to self-treatment.
Caution
Safety flags: blood vessels lie close to the point; a nerve runs in the deeper layer. Needle with care, adjust depth to the patient's build, and modify or avoid the point where a flag applies.
Deficiency and constitution
In a depleted patient the point is worked gently and briefly.
Before treatment
Educational reference only. Skin that is spreading, painful, blistering or accompanied by fever needs medical assessment.
Modern evidence and safety
General references for acupuncture safety and skin evidence. They are not specific to this point, and they are not a claim that needling it treats any condition.
- Acupuncture-related adverse events: systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective clinical studies. BMJ Open, 2021. PMID: 34489268.
- Acupuncture for atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 2024. PMID: 39638592.
- Manual acupuncture for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Surgery, 2025. PMID: 40696933.
- Acupuncture in Dermatology: An Update to a Systematic Review. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2021. PMID: 32955916.
Evidence note
No controlled trial of this treatment in skin conditions was identified for this entry. What is described here rests on the classical and later materia medica record and on traditional clinical use, not on controlled trial evidence, and it is not a prediction of benefit. Where skin-specific research does exist it is linked above.
Common questions
What does Xiaxi do in skin practice?
It is used where the skin picture includes tinnitus deafness ear pain headaches dizziness itchy ears breast lumps otitis media swollen limbs blurred vision foot dorsum pain migraine headache foot dorsum swelling hypochondriai distension, always as part of a combination chosen for the pattern.
How is it needled?
90° (Perpendicular) / 45° (Oblique). Standard depth 0.3 - 0.5 cun. De qi: Local distension, soreness, or numbness at the point location. Deqi may radiate along the dorsum of the foot toward the toes or proximally along the Gallbladder channel pathway.
Is it safe?
Avoid excessive stimulation in patients with significant blood deficiency. The interdigital area has digital arteries and nerves; use gentle technique. Standard hygiene precautions apply for this foot location.