The 'Ear Gate' of Chinese medicine. Ermen (SJ-21) is the go-to local point for the ear — opening it when sound has grown muffled, quieting the roar of tinnitus, and clearing Heat and Wind that have lodged near the ear's doorway.
Name & story
The name 耳门 Ermen means simply 'Ear Gate' or 'Ear's Door'. The image is graceful and direct: the point sits right at the entrance to the ear, like a gate that can be opened or closed. When the ear is blocked — by Wind, by Cold, by Heat, by Phlegm — this gate has swung shut. Needling Ermen SJ-21 is, in a sense, pushing that gate open again: inviting sound back in, letting stagnant Heat out, and restoring the ear's natural clarity. It is the last point on the San Jiao channel, the final stop before the channel's energy disperses.
Point family & character
Ermen SJ-21 belongs to the San Jiao channel (SJ) and is its terminal point — the very last point on the channel. It lies in the family of local ear points, sitting close to its neighbours Tinggong SI-19 (Small Intestine Meridian) and Tinghui GB-2 (Gall Bladder Meridian), and the three are often combined for ear disorders.
Five-element dynamics
The San Jiao channel belongs to the Fire element, and the San Jiao itself is the great coordinator of the body's three burners — upper, middle and lower. But Ermen SJ-21, as a local point at the ear, draws most directly on the San Jiao's role in governing the passages and orifices of the body. The ear is one of those orifices. When Wind, Heat or Cold invade and block this gateway, or when internal Fire rises along the channel, the ear pays the price with ringing, pain or deafness. Ermen SJ-21 sits right at that threshold — it opens the gate, clears the obstructing pathogen and lets Qi and sound flow freely once more.
Location
Find the small notch just in front of the little raised flap of cartilage at the top of the ear opening (the supratragic notch). Directly in front of and just above the jaw's condyloid process — the rounded bony knob you can feel moving when you open and close your mouth. Ask the patient to open their mouth: the depression deepens and the point becomes easy to locate. It is needled with the mouth open.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the depression just in front of the supratragic notch, slightly above the condyloid process of the mandible. When the mouth opens, the condyloid process slides forward and the depression becomes clearly palpable.
Needling
Insert the needle with an inferior oblique angle, directed slightly posteriorly. The mouth should be open during needling; it can be closed afterwards.
Safe depth
0.5–1 Cun.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Classical sources caution against moxibustion at this point when there is purulent discharge from the ear. Outside of that situation, gentle local massage around the ear and pressing the point with a fingertip can offer simple daily relief for mild tinnitus or ear fullness.
Functions
Opens the ear and improves hearing; Clears Heat and Expels Wind and Cold; Clears the channels and invigorates the collaterals; Revives consciousness and improves brain function.
Indications
Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear); hearing impairment and deafness; ear pain and purulent ear discharge (otitis). Stiffness of the lips and jaw. Toothache and tooth decay of the upper jaw — particularly in combination with other points. Headache.
Mind & spirit (Shen)
The ear, in Chinese medicine, is the sense organ of the Kidney, but the San Jiao channel weaves through the region and when Fire or obstruction rises along it, the mind is disturbed too — a relentless ringing can exhaust the spirit, making it hard to rest, concentrate or find calm. Ermen SJ-21 clears that local Fire and opens the gate, so the incessant noise quiets and the Shen, freed from the constant distraction, can settle again.
Point combinations
With Tinggong SI-19 and Tinghui GB-2 — the classic trio for tinnitus, deafness and ear disorders. With Yifeng SJ-17 and Hegu LI-4 — for purulent ear sores with discharge (Great Compendium). With Fengchi GB-20, Xiaxi GB-43, Tinghui GB-2 and Tinggong SI-19 — for impaired hearing and deafness (Great Compendium). With Renying ST-9 first, then Ermen SJ-21 and Zusanli ST-36 — for tinnitus with lumbar pain (Secrets of the Celestial Star). With Sizhukong SJ-23 — for toothache (One Hundred Symptoms). With Duiduan DU-27, Muchuang GB-16 and Zhengying GB-17 — for stiffness of the lips and upper jaw toothache (Thousand Ducat Formulas).
Clinical spotlight
Ermen SJ-21 is one of the three great local ear points — the others being Tinggong SI-19 and Tinghui GB-2 — and in practice the three are almost inseparable: when one is chosen, the others are rarely far behind. What distinguishes Ermen SJ-21 is its position on the San Jiao channel, which gives it a particular affinity for clearing Heat and Wind from the ear region. A practical detail worth remembering: the point must be located and needled with the mouth open, as the crucial depression disappears when the jaw closes. Classical texts also give it an intriguing secondary role for stiffness of the lips and upper jaw toothache — a reminder of how local anatomy and channel pathways can extend a point's reach well beyond its obvious specialty.
The golden tip
For mild tinnitus or a feeling of fullness in the ear, try pressing gently in the small hollow just in front of the top of the ear opening — right where Ermen SJ-21 sits. Open your mouth slightly to find the depression more easily, then apply gentle circular pressure with a fingertip for a minute or two. It will not replace treatment, but many people find it brings a moment of relief. Keeping the ear region warm and protected from wind and cold is also sensible self-care when the ear is sensitive.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.