San Jiao Jiu Triangle Moxiustion

What does San Jiao Jiu do?

San Jiao Jiu warms the Lower Burner and disperses cold — a moxibustion-only set of three points on the lower abdomen, whose very name means “Triangle Moxibustion”.

• Warms the Lower Burner and disperses cold — the point’s defining action, delivered by moxa (heat), for cold in the lower abdomen
• Regulates qi and relieves cold-type hernia (shan qi) — especially inguinal hernia; traditionally moxaed on the side opposite the affected side
• Warms the uterus and Kidney yang — for infertility due to uterine cold, often with Zi Gong (EX-CA-1) and REN-04 Guan Yuan
• Alleviates cold-type periumbilical pain and intestinal spasm; regulates the intestines to stop diarrhoea

A heat point, by definition. San Jiao Jiu is treated by moxibustion only — never needled (see below). Its whole purpose is to deliver warmth to a cold lower abdomen: the classical picture of cold hernia, cold uterus (a cause of infertility), and cold abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Historically it is recorded as a “hernia point” and a “beside-the-navel point” for abdominal disorders — its two core classical uses.

On the name. “San Jiao Jiu” means Triangle Moxibustion — san jiao a triangle (three corners), jiu moxibustion. The three points form a triangle, and moxa is the method. (Note: this is unrelated to the San Jiao / Triple Burner channel — the shared syllables are coincidental.)

Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (extra-point action, location and translation records queried against our own data), cross-referenced against multiple online sources including classical hernia-point references.

What is San Jiao Jiu used for?

San Jiao Jiu is used for cold-type hernia, infertility due to uterine cold, cold abdominal and periumbilical pain, intestinal spasm, and diarrhoea.

• Cold-type hernia (shan qi), especially inguinal hernia
• Infertility due to uterine cold
• Cold periumbilical and abdominal pain; intestinal spasm
• Diarrhoea with hyperactive (rumbling) bowel sounds

Cold of the lower abdomen, throughout. Every indication is a cold pattern of the lower burner — which is why the treatment is moxa (warmth) rather than needling. The hernia and infertility uses are the best documented.

An honest and necessary note. A hernia requires medical assessment; a hernia that becomes hard, painful or irreducible is a surgical emergency (strangulation). Infertility deserves medical investigation of both partners — there are many treatable causes, and moxa is at most a traditional adjunct, not a treatment. Persistent or severe abdominal pain requires assessment, and persistent diarrhoea causes dehydration. This record documents classical use only.

How it is combined. With REN-04 Guan Yuan and REN-06 Qi Hai (moxaed) for warming the lower jiao, Zi Gong for the uterus, and LIV-01 Da Dun for hernia. All held here.

Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (extra-point indication and action records; the LIV-01, REN-04 and REN-06 records queried from our own data), cross-referenced against multiple online sources.

Where is San Jiao Jiu located?

San Jiao Jiu is three points on the lower abdomen forming an equilateral triangle, with its top corner at the navel and its sides as long as the width of the patient’s own smile.

• The apex (top corner) is the umbilicus (REN-08 Shen Que, the navel)
• The sides equal the width of the patient’s mouth when smiling — a proportional, patient-specific measure
• The two lower corners of the triangle, below and to each side of the navel, are the treated points

A patient-measured triangle. The “smile-width” measurement — using the patient’s own mouth width as the side length — is a charming and genuinely traditional way to size the triangle to the individual. The apex is fixed at the navel; the two base corners are where the moxa is applied.

A documented alternative. A minority of modern sources instead place San Jiao Jiu at points 1 cun lateral to REN-9 and REN-7, rather than a smile-width triangle from the navel. Our location follows the majority (Deadman-consistent) description and is left unchanged; the alternative is noted for completeness.

On the name. “San Jiao Jiu” — Triangle Moxibustion, as noted above.

Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (extra-point location and translation records, retained unchanged including the location discrepancy; the REN-08 reference queried from our own data).

• A Manual of Acupuncture (p. 575): On the lower abdomen. Construct an equilateral triangle of which the apex is the umbilicus (Shenque REN-8), and the sides are equal to the length of the patient’s smile. These points are located at the three points of the triangle.

How is San Jiao Jiu treated — and why is it never needled?

Our own record is explicit: these points are treated by moxibustion only, never by needling. What follows is a neutral record of what the reference literature documents. It is not instruction, and this page does not teach technique.

• Moxibustion only: the points are warmed with moxa — whether indirect (over sliced ginger, crushed garlic, or an aconite cake) or by cones placed directly on the skin. There is no needling method for this point; the warmth is the treatment.
• Why moxa, not needle: the whole indication is cold of the lower abdomen, and moxa supplies the warmth that a needle cannot. The point exists as a moxa point.
• Regional anatomy: the lower abdominal wall over the small intestine; in pregnancy the uterus rises into the region — a reason for caution with heat over the lower abdomen in pregnancy.

Hazard, stated proportionately. Moxa carries a burn risk — direct cones especially — so it is applied carefully, and direct scarring moxa is used sparingly and with consent. Heat over the lower abdomen is used with caution in pregnancy. There is no needle and so no needling hazard; our record carries no arterial caution.

What is not claimed. No needling depth applies — there is no needling. No case report was located.

Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (extra-point treatment record, retained unchanged — moxibustion only, against our own data), cross-referenced against multiple online sources; regional anatomy from standard anatomical description.

Is there research on San Jiao Jiu, and what should a reader know?

No trial isolates San Jiao Jiu. Where it appears it is one component of a warming protocol, and a study that includes a point in a protocol is not evidence about that point.

What this page can state with confidence. San Jiao Jiu (“Triangle Moxibustion”, EX-CA-6) is a moxibustion-only set of three lower-abdominal points, forming a triangle apexed at the navel with smile-width sides, used to warm the lower burner and disperse cold — for cold hernia, uterine cold and infertility, and cold abdominal pain and diarrhoea. It is never needled; the warmth is the whole treatment. (Unrelated to the San Jiao / Triple Burner channel.)

A safety note. A hernia and infertility are matters for medical care; this page records classical use and says so.

A note on searching for it. Coded EX-CA-6 (also EX-CA-23 / M-CA-23 in older schemes). The name’s overlap with the San Jiao channel makes plain searches noisy. Any claim should be checked against what a study actually used.

Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (extra-point action, indication and location records queried, against our own data).