TB21 Ermen (Ear Gate)

Location

In the depression the anterior to the supratragic notch and behind posterior border of the condyloid process of the mandible; point is located with mouth open.

Indications

Conditions for which TB21 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

TCM actions

What classical sources say TB21 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using TB21

The 50 best-sourced of 63, ranked by strength of evidence. The count above is the full figure.

• Trigeminal Neuralgia – LI19, LI20, ST02, ST04, ST05, ST06, ST07, SI18, SI19, BL02, TB21, TB23, GB02, GB14, GB20, CV24 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(10)60018-0 ↗)
• Cerebral Palsy, Motor Dysfunction, Posture Abnormalities – LI04, LI11, ST02, ST25, ST36, ST40, ST44, SP06, HT07, SI19, BL01, BL17, BL18, BL23, BL40, BL60, BL62, KD01, KD03, KD06, PC06, PC08, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB13, GB14, GB19, LV03, CV06, CV10, CV12, CV13, CV14, CV23, GV17, GV20, GV24 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(09)60074-1 ↗)
• Neuralgia Trigeminal, Facial Trigeminal Pain – LI04, LI20, ST02, ST03, ST07, ST36, ST44, ST45, SI18, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV03, GV26 (doi:10.1590/S1807-59322009001200014 ↗)
• Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural, Ear Fullness – SI19, KD01, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000004062 ↗)
• Headache, Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural, Ear Fullness, Hearing Loss Sensorineural Sudden, Otalgia – SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB08, GB20, GV20, GV24 (doi:10.1177/2050313X17711861 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss Sensorineural Sudden – LI04, ST07, ST36, SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000013742 ↗)
• Tinnitus – SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1155/2019/1318639 ↗)
• Tinnitus – ST36, ST40, SP06, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, GB34, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.1155/2019/1318639 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Vertigo, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Hearing Loss Sensorineural Unilateral – LI04, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB17, TB18, TB21, LV03, CV04, CV06 (doi:10.1016/j.jams.2019.04.003 ↗)
• Tinnitus Unilateral – TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV02 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-97 ↗)
• Dizziness, Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Ear Pain, Barotrauma Ear, Pressure Ear – SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000025674 ↗)
• Headache, Temporomandibular Pain, Muscle Mastication Pain, Restriction Mandibular-movement, Joint-noise – LI04, ST06, ST36, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB34 (doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32075 ↗)
• Facial Pain, Temporomandibular Pain, Jaw Restricted Movement, Muscle Tension Masticatory – LI04, ST06, ST07, SI18, TB17, TB21 (doi:10.5935/1806-0013.20160076 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective, Tinnitus Non-pulsating, Tinnitus Idiopathic – LI04, ST36, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB18, TB19, TB20, TB21, TB22, GB02, GB08, GB20 (doi:10.5114/pq.2021.108662 ↗)
• Tinnitus – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, GV20 (doi:10.16305/j.1007-1334.2020.1906035 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Kidney-liver Deficiency – SI19, BL23, KD03, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, CV04, GV20 (doi:10.16305/j.1007-1334.2020.1906035 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss Sudden – SI17, SI19, BL23, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, GB37, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.27282/d.cnki.gsdzu.2020.000863 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss – SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV03 (doi:10.27465/d.cnki.gzzyc.2020.000515 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus Idiopathic – ST36, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB12, GB20, GB43, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000037107 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss – ST36, SI19, BL23, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, LV03 (doi:10.1159/000538236 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Vertigo, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – LI04, ST36, SP06, KD03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB44, LV03 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
• Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, BL10, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB12, GB20, GV16 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB40, LV03 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
• Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB10, GB11, GV20, XH03 (doi:10.1089/acu.2024.0004 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Deafness, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – LI04, SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV03 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1689472 ↗)
• Hearing Loss, Conductive Hearing Loss – LI04, ST07, ST36, SI16, SI19, TB16, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2026.29.2.233 ↗)
• Jaw Pain, Temporomandibular Disorder, Myofascial Craniomandibular Pain – LI04, ST06, ST36, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB34, XH05 (doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32075 ↗)
• Jaw Pain, Temporomandibular Disorder, Temporomandibular Disorder Chronic – ST06, ST07, TB17, TB21 (doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091424 ↗)
• Facial Pain, Neuralgia Trigeminal, Orofacial Neuropathic Pain – LI04, ST02, ST06, ST07, SI18, PC06, TB21, CV24 (doi:10.22514/jofph.2025.044 ↗)
• Mouth Pain, Tongue Pain, Burning Mouth Syndrome – LI04, ST05, ST06, SI01, TB01, TB21, CV24 (doi:10.22514/jofph.2025.044 ↗)
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, Facial Pain, Myofascial Pain, Masticatory Muscle Pain, Limited Mouth Opening – LI04, ST06, ST07, ST36, SI03, SI19, TB21, GB20, GB34, GV20, XH03 (doi:10.1055/s-0040-1716631 ↗)
• Allergic Rhinitis, Nasal Congestion, Sneezing, Rhinorrhea, Itching Nasal, Itching Eye – LU07, LU09, ST36, SI03, SI19, BL13, BL20, BL23, BL62, KD03, KD06, TB17, TB21, GB02, CV04, CV12, GV04, GV12 (doi:10.4103/abr.abr_49_22 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss – LI04, SI19, KD03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB03 (doi:10.1177/19336586251363176 ↗)
• Paralysis Facial, Bell Palsy – ST01, ST02, ST03, ST04, ST05, ST06, SI19, TB21, GB02, GV20, XH03, XH04 (doi:10.7759/cureus.112675 ↗)
• Myofascial Pain, Temporomandibular Disorder – LI04, ST06, ST07, ST36, SI03, SI19, TB21, GB20, GB34, GV20, XH03 (doi:10.1055/s-0040-1716631 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sudden – SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20200913-k0001 ↗)
• Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural – LI04, ST07, ST36, SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000013742 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective – LI04, LI11, ST25, ST36, SP06, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB18, TB19, TB20, TB21, TB22, GB02, GB08, GB20, GB28, CV04, CV09, CV12 (doi:10.51507/j.jams.2023.16.1.11 ↗)
• Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural – TB17, TB21, GB02, GB10, GB11, GV20, XH03 (doi:10.1089/acu.2024.0004 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Ear Fullness – LI04, ST07, ST36, SI16, SI19, TB16, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2026.29.2.233 ↗)
• Cancer Head And Neck, Quality Of Life Reduced – LU05, LU09, LI04, LI11, ST03, ST04, ST05, ST06, ST07, ST36, SI19, KD03, KD05, PC03, TB21, GB02, GV20, XH03 (doi:10.3390/cancers18132132 ↗)
• Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, KD01, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000004062 ↗)
• Trigeminal Neuralgia – LI04, LI20, ST02, ST03, ST07, ST36, ST44, ST45, SI18, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV03, GV26, CVC02, TF10 (doi:10.1590/S1807-59322009001200014 ↗)
• Tinnitus Idiopathic – SI19, TB17, TB21, GB02, GV20, MS11 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2018.04.007 ↗)
• Tinnitus – LI04, ST08, SI19, TB17, TB21, GB20, GV20 (doi:10.3390/audiolres16050130 ↗)
• Tinnitus, Vertigo, Labyrinthitis – LI04, SI19, KD03, PC06, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB08, GB20, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.19184/ams.v7i2.23803 ↗)
• Dizziness, Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural – SI19, TB17, TB20, TB21, GB02, GB03, XH05 (doi:10.56986/pim.2026.02.008 ↗)
• Tinnitus – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB08 (doi:10.1016/J.WJAM.2018.09.005 ↗)
• Hearing Loss Sensorineural – ST09, SI19, KD03, KD16, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, CV04, CV06, GV19, GV24 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)

Most often selected alongside TB21

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with TB21. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• GB02Hearing Convergence52 protocols
• SI19Palace Of Hearing48 protocols
• TB17Hurricane47 protocols
• LI04Junction Valley27 protocols
• GB20Wind Pool21 protocols
• ST36Leg Three Miles21 protocols
• GV20100 Convergences19 protocols
• KD03Great Stream18 protocols
• TB03Central Islet18 protocols
• LV03Great Surge17 protocols
• TB05Outer Gate16 protocols
• ST07Below The Arch14 protocols

Other points on the Triple Burner Meridian