Jiache (ST6): The Jaw Point for an Aching, Clenched Jaw

Where Jiache Sits

The point sits on the lower part of the cheek, on the thick chewing muscle, about one finger-width up and forward from the corner of the lower jaw. To place it, find the angle of your jaw, the corner below and in front of the earlobe where the lower edge of the jaw turns upward toward the ear. From that corner, move one finger-width up and toward the nose, along the line that splits the corner in half. That is the area.

This is the sixth stop on a line that begins below the eye, comes down the cheek to the jaw, and turns back up in front of the ear. From there it runs down the neck, the chest and the belly, and down the front of the leg to the second toe. Vietnamese and Chinese texts call it the Stomach channel. This point and the one above it, in front of the ear, are its main stations on the jaw.

Under the skin is the masseter, the thick, square muscle that closes the jaw. It is one of the strongest muscles in the body for its size. Clench your teeth and you feel it harden into a ridge under your fingers. Let the teeth part and the ridge softens, leaving a slight dip. The World Health Organization's location manual uses exactly that test. The point is at the top of the bulge when the teeth are clenched, and in the dip you feel when they release.

The skin here is served by a nerve from the upper part of the neck (the great auricular nerve, from the second and third nerve roots of the neck). The muscle itself is supplied by a branch of the third division of the trigeminal nerve, the nerve that also carries feeling from the lower teeth. Thin branches of the nerve that moves the face cross over the muscle on their way forward. Behind and above the point sits the salivary gland in front of the ear. A little further forward along the lower edge of the jaw, you can feel the pulse of the facial artery where it crosses the bone.

Why This Spot

The muscle is the main reason. The masseter works every time you chew, and it also works when you are not eating: when you concentrate, brace against pain, lift something heavy or sleep with your teeth pressed together. Many people who live with chronic pain clench their teeth without knowing it, and many wake with a sore jaw or an ache along the side of the face. The point sits over the thickest part of that muscle, where the strain gathers.

The nerve supply helps explain the rest. The muscle is served by the same nerve trunk that carries feeling from the lower teeth and gums. That is one reason a tired, tight jaw and an aching tooth can feel alike, and why tenderness here often goes with a dull toothache. It also explains why the point turns tender when the jaw has been clenched for days.

In this tradition the name says what the point is for. The name means the jaw carriage, the part of the face that carries the lower teeth and does the work of the mouth. Vietnamese teachers call it Giáp Xa, the same characters. The point is used to loosen a jaw that is locked tight, to ease the teeth and gums, and to free the side of the face. Those are traditional descriptions, offered as such.

What the Old Texts Say About Jiache

This is one of the old channel points. It belongs to the points set down in the great early catalogues. The oldest that survives is the Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, compiled by Huangfu Mi in the third century, which arranged the points channel by channel. Its address on the jaw has stayed essentially the same since.

The Vietnamese reference we work from is Ngô Trung Triều's Huyệt vị kinh lạc cơ thể người (Points and Channels of the Human Body). It finds the point the same way the modern manual does. Clench the teeth, then look in front of the angle of the jaw, about one finger-width above the lower edge of the bone. There, a firm press brings an aching, full feeling. The same book offers a second quick method. Find the corner of the jaw directly below the earlobe, then take the point midway between that corner and the lowest point of the earlobe.

The same book lists toothache, cramping of the chewing muscles and a sore, stiff jaw joint among its uses. It also lists swelling of the salivary gland at the angle of the jaw and one further complaint of the face. Those last two belong with a doctor, not a fingertip. On this page we keep to the jaw and the teeth.

The World Health Organization's location manual of 2008 sets out the modern version. The point is one finger-width (the middle finger) up and forward from the angle of the jaw, on the line that divides the angle in half. When the teeth clench it sits on the bulge of the muscle, and when they release it sits in the dip.

We have not found a classical passage for this point that we can quote with confidence, so we will not invent one. What the record shows is long, steady use for the same complaints: an aching jaw, clenched teeth and toothache.

Points That Work With Jiache

The first partner is on the hand: the soft web between the thumb and the first finger. Press your thumb against the side of your hand and the muscle there bunches into a small mound; the point is at its highest part. In this tradition it is the main hand point for the face, the jaw and the teeth, and it is often pressed first, before working on the jaw itself. It carries its own caution in pregnancy, explained on its page.

The second is behind the earlobe, a short distance back from this point. Press the earlobe back against the head; where its tip lands, in the hollow between the bony bump behind the ear and the back edge of the jaw, is the spot. It is used when the ache sits under the ear and the jaw joint as well as in the cheek.

The third is at the temple. From the outer end of the eyebrow, move back about one finger-width into the soft hollow at the side of the head. The fan-shaped chewing muscle there works together with the cheek muscle, and when the jaw clenches, both ache. Working the temple and the cheek together follows the whole muscle.

How to Find and Press Jiache

Getting Into Position

Sit upright at a table with your elbows resting on it, so your hands reach your face without effort. Keep your head level. Let your teeth part and rest the tip of your tongue behind your lower front teeth; this keeps the jaw loose while you work.

How to Find It

Find the corner of your lower jaw with a fingertip, below and in front of the earlobe. From there, move about one finger-width up and forward, toward the nose. Clench your teeth for a moment. You will feel the thick muscle harden into a ridge. Now let the teeth part and feel the ridge soften into a slight dip.

Probe inside that dip with the tip of your thumb or a rounded-tip tool. Press, move a few millimetres up, down, forward and back, and press again. Most of the muscle feels like ordinary pressure, perhaps a little ropey. One spot will sting, a sharp, pinpoint tenderness clearly different from the muscle around it. That is the point. If you feel a buzz across the cheek, you are on a nerve branch; lighten up and move a little.

How to Press It

Use the tip of the thumb with the nail cut short, or a pressing tool with a smooth, rounded tip. Many people like to work both sides at once, with the thumbs on the points and the fingers resting along the cheekbones. Hold the tip straight into the cheek, toward the back teeth.

Once you have the stinging spot, rub in small circles, no wider than a grain of rice. Keep the tip in contact with the skin so the skin moves with it over the muscle. Keep the teeth apart the whole time. If you notice them coming together, stop, let the jaw drop a little, and carry on. Breathe out slowly as you rub.

How Much Pressure

A sharp sting under the tip is what you are looking for, and it is right. The jaw muscle is thick and can take a steady press, but more is not better. When you lift off, the sting should fade within a few seconds and the side of the face should feel looser. If the pain stays after you lift off, spreads, or the cheek turns swollen, hot or red, stop for the day. A buzz or numbness across the face means ease off at once. If you catch yourself clenching your teeth while you press, you are pressing too hard.

How Long

Rub each side for one to three minutes. Stay near one minute in the first sessions and build toward three as the days go on. Do both sides, even when one jaw hurts more than the other, because the two sides of the jaw work as one. Once or twice a day is plenty.

When to Do It

The afternoon suits it well. That is when jaw tension from a day of concentrating, talking or bracing against pain has built up. A short round before bed is especially useful for people who clench or grind at night. Loosening the muscle and noticing where the teeth sit is a calm way to end the day. Do not press in the middle of the night. If a sore jaw or tooth wakes you, change position, sip some water and wait for the morning.

What This Won't Do

It will not stop you clenching, and it will not mend a tooth. Clenching and grinding have their own causes: stress, pain elsewhere in the body, the way the teeth meet, broken sleep and some medicines. A worn or cracked tooth, a failing filling or gum disease will keep aching whatever you press. A point on the cheek sits downstream of all of that. See a dentist about the teeth, ask about a night guard if you grind, and notice when you clench by day. Then this point has something to add. On its own it is a comfort measure, and a useful one.

It will not replace a diagnosis either. Tooth or jaw pain with swelling of the face or gum, fever, a bad taste or difficulty opening the mouth needs a dentist or doctor promptly, because infection in the jaw can spread. Jaw pain that comes with chest pressure, breathlessness, sweating or nausea is an emergency; call for help at once and do not sit pressing your cheek. A jaw that locks, a new lump at the angle of the jaw, numbness of the lip or chin, or pain in the jaw when chewing that comes with a new headache at the temples after fifty also needs to be seen soon.

Safety First

Do not press on a cheek or gum that is swollen, hot or red, on broken or bruised skin, or over a lump. Leave the jaw alone after a recent injury, dental surgery or extraction until your dentist says it is fine. If you have a dental implant or recent jaw surgery on that side, ask first. If you take blood thinners or bruise easily, use lighter pressure and shorter sessions.

Stop at once if you feel a buzz, numbness or an electric sensation across the face, if the pain stays after you lift off or spreads, if the area turns swollen, hot or red, or if you feel dizzy. Nothing here requires you to push through pain. For the full list of cautions and situations where self-applied pressure is not appropriate, read the full safety guide before you begin.

Questions People Ask

Where is the Jiache (ST6) pressure point? Jiache (ST6) sits on the thick chewing muscle at the back of your cheek, about one finger-width up and forward from the corner of your lower jaw. Clench your teeth and you will feel the muscle bulge there. Relax the jaw, and the point is the one spot in the small dip that stings when you press.

How long should I press Jiache? One to three minutes on each side. Stay near one minute in the first sessions and build up as the days go on. Do both sides, one after the other or both at once with two hands. Once or twice a day is plenty.

Should my teeth be together or apart when I press? Apart. Clench only for a moment to find the muscle, then let the teeth part and keep them apart while you rub. A clenched muscle is hard and hides the point. Resting the tip of the tongue behind the lower front teeth helps the jaw stay loose.

Can I use Jiache for toothache? It is commonly used in this tradition for toothache, and many people find it a comfort while they wait to see a dentist. It does not deal with the tooth itself. Tooth pain with swelling of the face or gum, fever, or a bad taste needs a dentist promptly, because an infection can spread.

I feel a buzz across my cheek when I press. Is that normal? No, ease off. Branches of the nerve that moves the face cross this muscle, and a heavy press can send a buzz or tingle across the cheek. Lighten the pressure and move the tip a few millimetres. What you want is a sharp sting at one spot that fades when you lift off, not a current.

My jaw clicks. Can I still press this point? Usually, yes, if the jaw opens and closes freely and the clicking is not painful. Press gently and keep the teeth apart. If the jaw locks, will not open fully, or opens with pain, see your dentist or doctor before working on it yourself.

Other Points in This Library

Each of these sits within reach of the same hand. They are often worked in the same sitting.

This page shares general information about a traditional practice. It is not medical advice and does not replace what your doctor has given you. If you are pregnant, managing a health condition, or unsure whether this applies to you, check with your doctor first.

The whole inner edge of the foot, laid out on one page with photographs, is in The Foot Map — the free book. For every point in this library, see the full pressure point index.

(Point shown: ST6 · Jiache · Jaw Carriage · Giáp Xa.)