EXT-7 - Obscured Clarity

翳明 - Yì míng

Point Region: Head

EXT

Extra Points

其他穴位 - Qítā Xuéwèi

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the posterior border of the mastoid process, at the junction of the neck and occiput.

Extra points have no international location standard, and Chinese texts number and place some of them differently. This location follows common teaching.

How to Locate:

  1. Feel behind your ear for the bony prominence (mastoid process)
  2. Trace downward to where your neck meets the base of your skull
  3. Find the depression just behind and below the ear
  4. This point is at the junction of neck and skull
(Illustration coming soon)

How to Apply Pressure

Once you have located EXT-7 behind the mastoid, rest a fingertip lightly on the soft hollow and never press toward the spine; stop immediately with any dizziness. Avoid it after neck trauma or with cervical instability, and get medical care for hearing loss or new neck pain.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Night blindness
  • Tinnitus
  • Deafness
  • Insomnia
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Neck stiffness

Related Health Concerns

Tinnitus (Ringing in the Ears)InsomniaHeadacheFeeling FaintNeck and Shoulder Pain

Select a point to see its location, how to find it, and its traditional uses.

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Neck trauma
  • Severe neck pain
  • Cervical instability

Take care:

  • Avoid excessive pressure on neck structures
  • Be gentle with elderly patients