The quiet gatekeeper of the Liver channel. Zhongfeng (LR-4) clears stagnant Heat from the Liver, smooths the flow of Qi through the lower body, and brings relief to the urogenital region — a precise, focused point for when the Liver's energy turns inward and stagnates.
Contraindications
LR-4 is a safe point when needled at the stated depth. No special contraindications are noted in the sources.
Name & story
The name 中封 Zhongfeng means "Middle Seal" or "Sealed in the Middle". Picture a gate that has been closed and locked — Qi that should flow freely through the lower body is instead sealed up, trapped, unable to move. The point sits right at the ankle, in a neat hollow just in front of the inner ankle bone, like a small sealed doorway in the landscape of the foot. Needling it is, in a sense, breaking the seal — letting the Liver's Qi move again, releasing what has been held too tightly.
Point family & character
LR-4 belongs to the Liver Meridian (LR). In character it is the Jing-River point of the channel — the fourth of the five classical shu points, associated with movement and transition of Qi along the channel.
Five-element dynamics
The Liver belongs to the Wood element, and the Jing-River point of a channel carries the quality of Metal — so LR-4 holds a Wood-Metal dynamic. Metal, in Chinese medicine, has the quality of cutting through, descending and bringing order. Applied to the Liver's Wood energy, this creates a point with a particular gift: it does not simply move Liver Qi in a general way, but specifically clears stagnant Heat that has built up inside the channel, and helps regulate the lower Jiao where the Liver channel travels. It is less about building up and more about clearing and releasing.
Location
Find the inner ankle bone (medial malleolus). Extend (dorsiflex) the ankle by drawing the toes upward toward the shin — this makes the tendon of tibialis anterior stand out clearly. The point sits in the significant hollow just medial to that tendon, in front of the ankle bone. It is also described as lying midway between Shangqiu SP-5 and Jiexi ST-41. Classical sources place it either 1 or 1.5 Cun from the prominence of the medial malleolus — extend the ankle before locating it, as this is important for accuracy.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the depression just anterior to the prominence of the medial malleolus, medial to the tendon of tibialis anterior.
Needling
The needle can be inserted perpendicularly, or obliquely — directed medially toward Shangqiu SP-5, or laterally toward Jiexi ST-41.
Safe depth
Perpendicular insertion 0.3 to 0.5 Cun; oblique insertion as directed.
Functions
Spreads Liver Qi and regulates the lower Jiao. Clears Liver channel stagnant Heat.
Indications
Pain and retraction of the genitals; hypogastric pain; shan disorder (including cold shan disorder); seminal emission (including from deficiency-taxation and with dreams); difficult urination; the five types of painful urinary dysfunction; retention of urine. Pain and swelling of the lower abdomen; abdominal discomfort after eating; periumbilical pain. Difficult defecation.
Mind & spirit (Shen)
LR-4 does not act on the Shen in a broad or obvious way, but when Liver Qi is stagnated and sealed in the lower body — producing frustration, a sense of being blocked, or a tense restlessness that settles in the lower abdomen — this point quietly opens the gate. By clearing the stagnant Heat that accumulates when the Liver cannot move freely, it can ease the irritable, pent-up quality of feeling that goes along with such stagnation.
Point combinations
With LR-3 (Taichong) — to reinforce the spreading of Liver Qi and address stagnation in the lower Jiao. With SP-5 (Shangqiu) — adjacent point, sometimes used together for ankle and local channel disorders. With ST-41 (Jiexi) — the lateral neighbour, for combined channel work at the ankle.
Clinical spotlight
LR-4 is a focused, specialised point rather than a broad tonic. Its two core actions — spreading Liver Qi in the lower Jiao and clearing stagnant Heat from the Liver channel — make it especially valuable for urogenital complaints that arise from Qi Stagnation or Heat in the Liver channel: difficult, painful or retained urination, genital pain or retraction, and shan disorders. The instruction to dorsiflex the ankle before locating it is a practical detail that sets it apart — the hollow only becomes clearly palpable when the foot is drawn upward.
The golden tip
To find LR-4, sit comfortably and draw your toes upward toward your shin — you will feel a tendon stand out on the inner side of your ankle. The point is in the small hollow just in front of your inner ankle bone, beside that tendon. Gentle firm pressure with a fingertip for one to two minutes can help ease tension in the lower abdomen and groin area. It is safe for self-massage.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.