The Xi Cleft point of the San Jiao channel. Huizong (SJ-7) is a focused, powerful point for acute conditions — especially sudden deafness, pain in the arm, and seizures. It gathers and concentrates the channel's energy, making it the go-to point when something goes wrong sharply and suddenly along the San Jiao's path.
Name & story
The name 会宗 Huizong means something like "Assembly of the Ancestors" or "Gathering of the Clan". 会 (huì) means to meet, to assemble; 宗 (zōng) means clan, lineage, ancestral gathering. The image is of energy converging — many streams meeting at one place, like relatives gathering at the family hall. As a Xi Cleft point, it is precisely this: the place where the channel's Qi collects and deepens, ready to act swiftly when called upon.
Point family & character
SJ-7 belongs to the San Jiao channel (SJ). Its most important character is that it is the Xi Cleft point of the channel — the point where Qi and Blood (Xue) gather most deeply between the source and the elbow. Xi Cleft points are classically used for acute, painful and sudden conditions along their channel, and SJ-7 is no exception.
Five-element dynamics
The San Jiao channel belongs to the Fire element and the Shao Yang axis — the hinge between the interior and the exterior of the body. The San Jiao governs the movement and transformation of Qi through all three Burners, and its channel runs up the arm and into the head and ear. When something blocks that flow sharply — sudden deafness, acute arm pain, a convulsion — the Xi Cleft point is where the channel gathers its deepest reserve of Qi to break through the obstruction.
Location
On the dorsal (back) side of the forearm, 3 Cun above the dorsal wrist crease (SJ-4), on the ulnar side — that is, slightly to the little-finger side of the midline between radius and ulna. It sits one Cun toward the ulnar side from its neighbour Zhigou SJ-6, at the same level.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the dorsal forearm, between the radius and the ulna, in the region of the extensor muscles of the forearm.
Needling
Insert the needle perpendicularly (straight in). A local distending or aching sensation is typical.
Safe depth
0.5–1.0 Cun.
Functions
Activates the San Jiao channel and clears obstructions; Benefits the ear and opens sensory orifices; Calms Wind and stops convulsions; Relieves pain along the channel.
Indications
Deafness (especially sudden onset); pain in the arm preventing normal movement; seizures and convulsions. The point is also noted in older sources for conditions associated with ageing — confusion, senility, trembling, and Parkinson's-type tremor.
Mind & spirit (Shen)
There is an interesting psycho-spiritual note attached to SJ-7 in the teaching tradition: it is suggested for a person who doesn't know what to do or where to go — someone scattered, lost, unable to gather themselves. The image of the name says it all: when the clan assembles, there is direction, belonging, and rootedness. The point may help someone whose sense of orientation — inner and outer — has become fragmented.
Point combinations
As a Xi Cleft point, SJ-7 is most naturally combined with local or distal points along the San Jiao channel for acute presentations. For deafness and ear conditions it may be paired with other ear-area points. For convulsions and Wind conditions, it is used alongside points that calm Wind and open the orifices.
Clinical spotlight
Huizong (SJ-7) is one of those points that does not appear on every treatment plan, but when it is needed, nothing else quite replaces it. As the Xi Cleft of the San Jiao channel, it is the first choice for acute, sudden problems along the channel — especially sudden deafness, which is a classic Xi Cleft indication for this meridian. The additional traditional use for trembling, senility and Parkinson's-type symptoms in older patients makes it broader in scope than most Xi Cleft points, touching the more complex picture of declining Qi and Shen in ageing.
The golden tip
If you are looking for the point yourself: on the back of the forearm, about 3 Cun above the wrist crease, feel for the groove between the two forearm bones and move very slightly toward the little-finger side. A firm press or gentle circular massage here can be applied for arm tension or discomfort. For serious conditions such as sudden hearing loss, professional acupuncture treatment is essential.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.