The great heat-clearing point of the Spleen channel. Dadu (SP-2) releases fever, calms digestive fire and eases the overloaded stomach — when the body burns with excess and the digestion is in turmoil, this small point on the big toe does quiet, steady work.
Contraindications
Dadu (SP-2) is a safe and accessible point. As with all points on the toes and fingers, keep the insertion shallow and use clean technique. No special contraindications are noted in the classical or modern sources.
Name & story
The name 大都 Dadu means "Great Metropolis" or "Great Capital" — a place of busy activity and gathering. And that image fits the point beautifully: it sits right at the base of the big toe, the busiest junction of the Spleen channel's rising energy, where Qi surges upward like traffic entering a great city. It is also the place where Heat tends to collect and must be cleared before the channel can flow freely onward.
Point family & character
Dadu (SP-2) belongs to the Spleen Meridian (SP). In character it is the Ying-Spring point of the channel — the second point along the Spleen channel's course — and it carries the Fire element within the Spleen's Earth nature. Ying-Spring points as a group are classically associated with clearing Heat and febrile conditions, and Dadu (SP-2) is a fine example of that character.
Five-element dynamics
The Spleen is the Yin channel of the Earth element, and Dadu (SP-2) is its Fire point — Fire within Earth. In five-element thinking, Fire is the mother of Earth: here, at this point, the channel gathers warmth and momentum to nourish the Spleen's transforming function. But Fire can also become excess — and when the Stomach and Spleen are overloaded with heat, food stagnation or phlegm-heat, this is precisely the point to clear it. It drains the Fire that smoulders inside the Earth organ, restoring the quiet, steady warmth that healthy digestion needs.
Location
Find the joint where the big toe meets the foot — the large, round knuckle on the inner side. Dadu (SP-2) sits just in front of (distal to) that joint, at the border where the reddish skin of the sole meets the lighter skin of the top of the foot. It is a shallow, accessible point right at the toe joint.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the medial (inner) side of the big toe, over the first metatarsophalangeal joint.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly (straight in), shallowly. It can also be needled obliquely if needed for local toe conditions.
Safe depth
Shallow insertion — approximately 0.1 to 0.3 Cun.
The golden tip
Dadu (SP-2) is easy to find at home: feel for the large knuckle joint at the base of your big toe on the inner side, then move just slightly toward the tip of the toe. Press or rub this point firmly for one to two minutes when you feel bloated after a heavy meal, nauseous, or when your stomach feels uncomfortably hot and full. It is a small but handy point to know for digestive discomfort.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.