Xiaguan (ST7): The Point in Front of the Ear for an Aching Jaw and Teeth Grinding

Where Xiaguan Sits

This point sits on the side of the face, in front of the ear, in the hollow right below the cheekbone. It is found with the mouth closed.

The line it belongs to starts beside the nose, runs down past the corner of the mouth to the angle of the jaw, and then climbs up in front of the ear to the corner of the forehead. From the face it drops down the neck, over the chest and belly, down the front of the thigh and shin, and ends at the second toe. Vietnamese and Chinese texts call it the Stomach channel. This is its seventh stop, on the climb from the jaw to the temple. The line from the side of the head, the Gallbladder channel, meets it here.

The old texts place it in the hollow in front of the ear, below the arch of the cheekbone. The World Health Organization's 2008 standard puts it more exactly: in the dip between the middle of the lower edge of the cheekbone arch and the notch of the lower jaw. That notch is the U-shaped gap between the two upper ends of the jawbone: the rounded head of the jaw, which sits in the joint, and the thin blade in front of it. With the mouth closed, the notch sits right under the cheekbone and leaves a soft hollow. With the mouth open, the head of the jaw slides forward and fills it.

Underneath, the point lies over the deep part of the big chewing muscle (the masseter), and, deeper still, the small muscle that pulls the jaw forward and helps it open (the lateral pterygoid). Both work hard in people who clench. The skin here is served by branches of the trigeminal nerve, the large nerve of feeling for the face, and branches of the facial nerve, which moves the muscles of expression, cross the area. The salivary gland in front of the ear lies a little behind and below. That is why the point is felt so clearly, and why gentle pressure is all it needs.

Why This Spot

On the anatomical side, this is the busiest corner of the jaw. The jaw joint sits right behind it, and the muscles that close and steady the jaw lie under it. Clenching in the daytime, grinding at night, chewing on one side, and holding tension in the face all load these muscles. They can stay tight long after the day is over, and the ache often spreads into the teeth, the cheek, the temple and the ear. Pressing here works on those muscles at the place where they are easiest to reach.

In this tradition the point is described as the gate of the lower jaw, where two lines meet: the Stomach channel, which runs through the jaw and the teeth, and the Gallbladder channel, which circles the ear and the side of the head. That is why teachers use it for problems that sit across both: toothache, a stiff, aching jaw, pain across the side of the face, and some complaints of the ear. The name says where it sits. The cheekbone arch was seen as a joint or gate; this point is below it, and its partner is above it.

What the Old Texts Say About Xiaguan

The Lingshu, the Spiritual Pivot, a Han-dynasty text, gives one of the oldest pieces of practical advice about this spot. In its chapter on the root points, it contrasts this point with the one above the cheekbone arch. The upper point is found with the mouth open, it says; this lower one is found with the mouth closed, since opening the jaw shuts the hollow. That instruction is still the way the point is taught today.

The Vietnamese handbook of points and channels by Ngo Trung Trieu, published by Hong Duc, lists it for toothache, nerve pain across the face, and inflammation of the jaw joint. The theme is plain: almost everything on the list sits at the jaw, the teeth and the face around the point itself.

The handbook's finding method is easy to follow. The point lies right below the middle of the curve of the cheekbone, in the deepest part of the hollow in front of the ear. Press there with a fingertip, it says, and both the upper and the lower teeth will feel it. That is the method used on this page, and many people notice the same spread of feeling into the teeth.

In the wider tradition, this point is the one teachers reach for first when the jaw itself hurts: a joint that aches after chewing, a face tight from clenching, a toothache with no dentist nearby. That reputation comes from long use rather than trials. It tells you the point was trusted, over many generations, for jaw pain that often grows with age, worn teeth and years of tension.

Points That Work With Xiaguan

The first partner is lower on the same line, on the jaw muscle. Clench your teeth and feel the muscle bulge above and in front of the corner of the jaw; the point is at the top of that bulge, about a finger's width above and in front of the corner. It is commonly paired with this one for clenching and an aching jaw, and the two are worked one after the other.

The second is on the hand. Bring the thumb against the side of the first finger; the point is on the top of the muscle that bulges in the web between them. In this tradition it is the main distant point for the face, teeth and jaw. If you are pregnant, skip that hand point.

The third is behind the earlobe. Fold the earlobe back against the head; the point is in the hollow where its tip lands, between the bone behind the ear and the back of the jaw. It is used with this one when jaw pain spreads into the ear, or comes with ringing.

How to Find and Press Xiaguan

Getting Into Position

Sit upright in a chair with your elbows resting on a table, so your arms do not tire. Keep the lips closed and the teeth slightly apart, not touching. Let the tongue rest on the floor of the mouth. If you clench without noticing, a slow breath out through the nose helps the jaw drop a little.

How to Find It

Put a fingertip on the small flap of cartilage in front of the ear hole. Slide it forward about a finger's width, staying under the lower edge of the cheekbone. You will feel the bone above you and a soft hollow beneath your fingertip. Now open your mouth slowly. A rounded bone slides forward under your finger and fills the hollow. Close your mouth and the hollow comes back. The area is that hollow, with the mouth closed.

Now probe it gently with a rounded-tip pressing tool, or the tip of your thumb with the nail cut short. Move slowly in small steps around the hollow. Most of it will feel like firm muscle. One spot will sting: a small, sharp, pinpoint tenderness, often with a dull spread into the teeth on that side. That spot is the point. If the hollow disappears, your mouth has opened; close it and start again.

How to Press It

Keep the tip of the tool or thumb on the stinging spot and rub in small circles, about the size of a fingernail, roughly one each second. Aim the pressure straight in toward the centre of the head, not up into the cheekbone or back toward the ear. You can work one side at a time, or both sides together with the two thumbs. Keep the tip on the same spot; do not let it slide over the bone. Keep your mouth closed and the jaw relaxed.

How Much Pressure

Gentle. The face needs much less force than the leg or the foot. Sharp under the tool is right, and a dull spread into the teeth is common, but the point should never throb. The test comes when you lift off: the sting should fade within moments. If the pain stays after you lift the tool, spreads into the ear or the head, or the area turns swollen, hot or red, stop and leave it for several days. If you are clenching your teeth or holding your breath while you press, you are pressing too hard. Ease off until you can breathe slowly and the teeth stay apart.

How Long

Work each side for one to three minutes. In the first sessions keep to about one minute, because a tight jaw is often very tender at the start. As the days go on, add a little time, up to three minutes. Do both sides, even when only one aches, since the jaw moves as a pair. Once or twice a day is plenty. Pressing longer does not add benefit; it mostly adds soreness.

When to Do It

Morning suits a jaw that is stiff and sore on waking, which often follows grinding in the night. Late afternoon suits clenching that builds through a busy or worrying day. Before bed is a good time too, as part of winding down, to let the jaw drop before sleep. Do not press in the middle of the night. If an aching jaw or grinding wakes you, pressing then tends to wake you further. Keep the pressing for the day and the evening.

What This Won't Do

It will not stop you grinding in your sleep, repair worn teeth, or rebuild a worn jaw joint. Grinding and clenching are tied to stress, sleep, some medicines, snoring and the way the teeth meet, and a dentist may suggest a night guard, a change in a filling, or exercises for the jaw. A point in front of your ear cannot out-argue any of that. Pressing works best alongside the plain things: soft food on bad days, no chewing gum, warm compresses, keeping the teeth apart in the daytime, and noticing when you clench.

It will not replace a diagnosis either. A toothache that is sharp, throbbing, worse with hot or cold, or keeps you awake needs a dentist. A swollen face or gum, or a fever with face pain, needs prompt care. A jaw that locks open or shut needs to be seen. Pain in the jaw that comes on with effort, or with tightness in the chest or breathlessness, is an emergency; call for help. Sudden weakness or drooping of one side of the face also needs emergency care. Sharp, electric pain across the face that comes in brief attacks needs a doctor's assessment.

Safety First

Do not press over skin that is broken, burned, infected, badly bruised or rashy, or over a cold sore or a swelling in front of the ear. Leave the area alone with a recent fracture of the face or jaw, after recent dental surgery on that side until your dentist says it is fine, or with unexplained swelling. Skip this point if the jaw is locked. If you take blood thinners, bruise easily, or have a bleeding disorder, use lighter pressure, keep sessions short, and talk to your doctor first.

Stop at once if the pain stays after you lift off, spreads, or if the area becomes swollen, hot or red. Nothing here requires you to push through pain. For the full list of cautions and the situations where pressing on yourself is not appropriate, read the full safety guide before you begin.

Questions People Ask

Where is the Xiaguan (ST7) pressure point? Xiaguan (ST7) sits on the side of the face, in front of the ear, in the hollow right below the cheekbone. Keep your mouth closed and put a fingertip there; when you open your mouth, a bone slides forward and fills the hollow. In English it is called Below the Joint; in Vietnamese, Hạ Quan.

How long should I press Xiaguan? One to three minutes on each side. Keep the first sessions to about a minute, then add a little as the days go on, up to three. Once or twice a day is enough. Work both sides, since the jaw always moves as a pair.

Why must my mouth be closed? With the mouth closed, the hollow is open and the point lies in it. When you open your mouth, the head of the lower jaw slides forward into that space and covers it. The old texts make the same point, and it is the easiest way to know you are in the right place.

Can it help with grinding my teeth at night? In this tradition it is commonly used for clenching and grinding, and many people find the jaw feels looser after a gentle session before bed. It does not stop grinding during sleep. A dentist can check the teeth for wear and may suggest a night guard; stress, some medicines and snoring can play a part too.

My teeth ache when I press it. Is that normal? A mild ache spreading into the upper and lower teeth on that side is common here; the Vietnamese handbook describes it. A sharp, lasting toothache, a tooth that hurts to bite on, or a swollen gum is different. That needs a dentist, not pressure.

My jaw clicks. Can I still press this point? A click without pain is common and usually harmless, and gentle pressure is fine. If the jaw locks, catches so you cannot open or close it, or the clicking comes with pain that is getting worse, leave the point alone and see a dentist or doctor first.

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: ST7 · Xiaguan · Below the Joint · Hạ Quan.)