The meeting point of the three Yang arms. Sanyangluo (SJ-8) opens blocked channels, restores the voice, benefits the ears, and relieves pain along the arm — a quiet but powerful crossroads on the forearm where three great Yang pathways converge.
Name & story
The name 三阳络 Sanyangluo means "Three Yang Luo" — the connecting network of the three Yang channels of the arm. The San Jiao channel (SJ) runs between the Large Intestine Meridian (LI) and the Small Intestine Meridian (SI) on the back of the arm, and all three Yang currents are said to gather and weave together at this point. The name also carries a vivid image: the San Jiao channel sitting in the middle, like a bridge linking its two Yang neighbours into one unified network. Where the channels meet, the point gains extra reach — it can influence all three pathways at once.
Point family & character
Sanyangluo (SJ-8) belongs to the San Jiao channel (SJ). Its special character is that it is the meeting point of the three hand Yang meridians — the San Jiao Meridian (SJ), the Large Intestine Meridian (LI), and the Small Intestine Meridian (SI). This gives it a broader influence than most local forearm points. It first appeared in the Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhenjiu Jia Yi Jing).
Five-element dynamics
The San Jiao channel belongs to the Fire element, and SJ-8 sits on the outer arm where Yang energy is most active. Because all three hand Yang channels — each one associated with the upper body and the sensory orifices — converge here, the point has a particular ability to unblock stagnation in the upper Yang pathways. When Qi stops flowing through these channels, the sensory orifices suffer first: hearing dims, the voice falters, and pain settles in the arm. By opening the three Yang networks at once, Sanyangluo (SJ-8) restores the free movement that keeps the senses bright and the channels clear.
Location
On the back of the forearm, 4 Cun above the dorsal wrist crease (above Yangchi SJ-4), in the groove between the two forearm bones (radius and ulna). A practical landmark: divide the distance between Yangchi SJ-4 and the tip of the elbow into three equal parts — SJ-8 sits at the junction of the lower third and the middle third. It lies approximately one finger's width to the ulnar side of Zhigou SJ-6.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies between the radius and the ulna, on the radial side of the extensor digitorum communis muscle, in the depression of the interosseous space.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly, or slightly oblique toward the ulnar side, or obliquely proximal or distal toward the elbow or wrist. A deeper oblique insertion toward PC-4 (Ximen) of about 2–3 Cun produces numbness and distending sensation that can spread to the fingertips. With perpendicular insertion, local soreness and a distending sensation may spread toward the elbow.
Safe depth
Perpendicular insertion: 0.5–1 Cun. Oblique insertion toward PC-4: up to 2–3 Cun.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Moxa is appropriate at this point. Classical guidance suggests 3–5 cones of cone moxibustion, warming needle Moxa for about 20 minutes, or a moxa stick held over the point for 5–10 minutes. Moxa suits the point particularly when Cold or Dampness is blocking the channels of the arm.
Functions
Clears the San Jiao channel and benefits the sensory orifices; Unblocks the channels and invigorates the collaterals; Clears Heat and Dispels Dampness and Fire; Reduces Wind Heat; Revives consciousness and restores the voice; Sedates pain along the arm and forearm.
Indications
Sudden loss of voice (aphasia, sudden muteness); deafness and tinnitus; lower toothache; eye disorders and other five sensory organ problems; pain in the forearm and arm that limits movement; lassitude (from Qi stagnation in the three Yang channels); epilepsy and seizures; post-operative pain associated with pneumonectomy.
Mind & spirit (Shen)
The sources note SJ-8 for old people's confusion, senility, trembling, and Parkinson's disease — conditions where the Yang channels of the upper body lose their free flow and the mind grows uncertain. There is also a poignant note for the person "who doesn't know what to do or where to go" — the image of a person at a crossroads, stuck and unable to move forward. In this sense, the three Yang channels meeting at SJ-8 are like three paths converging into one clear direction: the point helps Qi find its way again, and with it, perhaps, a sense of orientation in body and spirit alike.
Point combinations
With Huizong SJ-7 and Waiguan SJ-5 — for impaired hearing and deafness (Thousand Ducat Formulas). With Huizong SJ-7, Yifeng SJ-17, and Xiaguan ST-7 — for deafness (Systematic Classic).
Clinical spotlight
Sanyangluo (SJ-8) is one of those forearm points that earns its place through specificity rather than fame. Its defining feature — gathering all three hand Yang meridians — gives it a broader reach than neighbouring SJ points: it can influence not just the San Jiao channel but the entire Yang network of the arm and, through that, the sensory orifices of the head. Clinically, it is most valued for two striking presentations: sudden loss of voice (aphasia or acute muteness) and sudden deafness. The deeper oblique needling technique toward PC-4, which sends sensation all the way to the fingertips, is a vivid reminder of how far a single well-placed needle can travel through the body's connected pathways.
The golden tip
To find Sanyangluo (SJ-8), place your palm face-down, measure 4 finger-widths (4 Cun) above the wrist crease on the back of the forearm, and find the groove between the two forearm bones. Firm acupressure or gentle circular massage here for 1–2 minutes on each arm can help when the arm feels heavy and achy, or when you feel a sudden drop in energy and the muscles feel unresponsive. Warming the area with a moxa stick or warm pack for a few minutes is particularly soothing when the arm pain feels worse in the cold.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.