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GV-15 Yamen (瘂門) — Mute's Gate
Depth
00.5–0.8 cun3.0
Perpendicular insertion
Precautions
CRITICAL HIGH RISK. Deep insertion or directing the needle superiorly is strictly forbidden. Puncture of the medulla oblongata may cause respiratory arrest and death.
Location (classical)
At the nape of the neck, on the posterior midline, 0.5 cun directly above the midpoint of the posterior hairline, in the depression below the spinous process of the first cervical vertebra (C1).
How to find it (practical)
Seated with the neck slightly flexed (Fig. 7.5), locate the point 0.5 cun above the hairline, on the posterior midline.
Anatomy
Nuchal ligament. Innervated by the third occipital nerve. The spinal cord and medulla oblongata lie deep to this point.
Needling
Perpendicular insertion, directed strictly toward the patient's lower jaw, 0.5–0.8 cun.
Etymology
Ya (啞), mutism; Men (門), gate. This point can treat mutism.
CLASSICAL SOURCESu Wen
Clinical Relations
Adjacent Points on the Meridian