ACUPUNCTURE
Zu Tong Gu: TCM Acupoint Guide
ZUTONGGU
Name
Zu Tong Gu (Zutonggu)
Location
On the lateral side of the foot, in the depression anterior and inferior to the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint, at the junction of the red and white skin.
Needling
- Perpendicular-oblique insertion towards the sole, 0.2 to 0.3 cun.
- Puncture perpendicularly, 0.2 to 0.3 cun.
- Moxibustion is applicable.
Command Functions
- Yin-spring point
- Water point
- Horary point
Actions
- Clears the head
- Descends lung and stomach qi
- Clears heat
- Removes obstruction from the channel
- Eliminates wind
Indications
- Heaviness of the head
- Neck pain
- Visual dizziness
- Redness of the eyes
- Epistaxis
- Sweating without aversion to cold
- Malaria
- Headache
- Neck rigidity
- Asthma
- Insanity
- Fear
- Dreams of falling
- Dreams of water
- Rhinorrhea
- Vomiting
- Undigested food in the stools
- Cough
- Dyspnea
- Fullness of the chest with congested fluids
- Mania
- Propensity to fright
- Blurred vision
- Vertigo
- Mental illness
- Acute cystitis
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of drowning
- Dreams of something falling on you
Notes
The primary function is to clear pathologically ascending qi from the head. It is particularly useful to clear bladder heat.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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