The meridian begins at the outer nail corner of the ring finger, travels up the back of the hand between the fourth and fifth metacarpals, crosses the wrist and follows the back of the forearm between radius and ulna. It passes at the tip of the elbow, runs along the outer aspect of the arm, reaches the shoulder and the clavicle, from which a branch descends towards the pericardium and the three burners. The superficial branch rises up the neck, curves behind the ear, crosses the cheek and ends at the outer end of the eyebrow.
The Triple Burner coordinates the three burners and ensures the passage of Qi and fluids between them: it is described as the water passages. Paired with the Pericardium, it belongs to Ministerial Fire and takes part in regulating the body's warmth. Its pathway makes it a first-line meridian for tinnitus, ear infections, deafness, temporal migraine and shoulder pain. Its distal points are used to release the exterior in febrile conditions.