What Zhigou does
Zhigou is a Triple Burner point on the forearm. Below are its position, its needling, the actions tradition gives it, and the skin cases in this compendium that name it.
Actions
- Regulates Qi and removes Qi Stagnation.
- Clears Heat in Large Intestine
- Clears Heat in the head
- Expels Wind-Heat from skin
- Removes obstructions from the Channel
Location
Three cun proximal to Yangchi, in the joint space on the back of the wrist, between the radius and ulna.
How to find it
Locate the wrist landmark first, then measure the distance given above and feel for the hollow the location names; the point is usually tender.
Deqi
De qi is a numbness, distension and soreness at the point that often travels down to the fingers or up to the elbow, following the San Jiao 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 one and a half cun. Direction: Needle in the direction the location describes.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion carries the same restrictions here as needling.
Skin uses
- Fever Hives Red face Red eyes Eye pain Arm pain Urticaria Chest pain Elbow pain Throat pain Axilla pain Hand tremor Heat on face Eye swelling Constipation Loss of voice Shoulder pain Arm paralysis Hand numbness Herpes zoster Abdominal pain Swollen throat Red skin rashes Lateral costal region pain Feeling of oppression of the chest
Point classifications
| Classification | Value |
|---|---|
| Five phase | Fire-Huo |
| Transporting type | River-Jing Point |
| Mother-child role | Child (Reducing) |
Classical record
For febrile disease without sweating, swelling of the neck and throat, heavy and sore shoulders and arms, acute pain in the ribs and axilla, inability to raise the four limbs, scabies, inability to turn the neck - Zhigou masters these; for sudden loss of voice, Zhigou masters it.
Classical citation for this point.
Treats febrile disease without sweating, sore and heavy shoulders and arms, pain in the ribs and axilla, inability to raise the four limbs, cholera-like vomiting, lockjaw.
Classical citation for this point.
Safety
Who should treat this point
Acupuncture and moxibustion are practitioner procedures. The material here is educational, not a self-treatment guide.
Caution
Pregnancy is the main restriction here, because the point moves qi strongly. Needle with care, set the depth by the patient's build, and change or leave out the point where that applies.
Deficiency and constitution
Where the patient is depleted, work the point gently and briefly.
Before treatment
Educational material only. Skin that is spreading, painful or blistering, or that comes with a 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 Zhigou do in skin practice?
In this skin collection it appears where wind-heat sits on the surface: hives and red rashes that come and go, a red face, red or painful eyes, a swollen throat and a lost voice, with the constipation and abdominal pain of heat in the large intestine. It is always one part of a combination chosen for the pattern.
How is it needled?
The needle is placed perpendicular at 90 degrees or obliquely at 45 degrees, to a standard depth of 0.5 to 1.5 cun. Expect a numbness, distension and soreness at the point that often travels down towards the fingers or up towards the elbow, following the San Jiao channel.
Is it safe?
Because the point moves qi strongly, it is used with caution in pregnancy. Ask the patient to keep the arm and fingers still while the needle is retained, or the needle may bend and the treatment become uncomfortable.