The quiet drainer of the inner leg. Lougu (SP-7) is a gentle but capable point on the Spleen Meridian (SP) — its specialty is moving what has stagnated: Dampness, fluid, and sluggish Qi in the lower body. When the legs feel heavy and waterlogged, or digestion has gone damp and slow, this is a point worth remembering.
Contraindications
SP-7 is a safe and straightforward point with no special contraindications noted in the classical or clinical literature. Use standard clean needling technique and observe the recommended depth.
Name & story
The name 漏谷 Lougu means "Draining Valley" or "Leaking Valley" — 漏 (lòu) means to leak or drain, and 谷 (gǔ) means valley. Picture a quiet valley where water that has pooled too long finally finds a way to flow out and drain away. That image captures the point perfectly: it helps the body release what has accumulated — fluids, Dampness, stagnant Qi — especially in the lower leg and abdomen. The valley is the hollow along the inner shin where the point sits, and the draining is its quiet, steady work.
Point family & character
Lougu (SP-7) belongs to the Spleen Meridian (SP). It is a regular channel point without a special classical category such as He-Sea or Xi Cleft, but it is a valued local point on the inner lower leg, lying between the well-known SP-6 (Sanyinjiao) below and SP-9 (Yinlingquan) above.
Five-element dynamics
The Spleen is the Yin organ of the Earth element — the body's great transformer of food and fluid into Qi and Blood (Xue). When the Spleen's transforming and transporting function falters, fluids stop moving and Dampness accumulates. SP-7 sits along the Spleen Meridian (SP) on the inner leg and acts like the valley's drainage channel: it helps the Spleen push stagnant fluid and Dampness downward and outward, relieving the heaviness and swelling that Dampness tends to create in the lower body.
Location
On the inner side of the lower leg, 6 Cun above the tip of the medial malleolus (the inner ankle bone), just behind (posterior to) the medial border of the tibia. It sits between SP-6 (Sanyinjiao, 3 Cun above the ankle) and SP-9 (Yinlingquan, at the knee), roughly midway up the lower leg on its inner face.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the inner surface of the lower leg, on the medial aspect of the tibia, between the tibia and the gastrocnemius / soleus muscle group.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly, straight into the inner lower leg.
Safe depth
1–1.5 Cun.
The golden tip
If your lower legs feel heavy or puffy at the end of the day, try finding SP-7 on the inner shin, about halfway between your inner ankle and the inside of your knee, just behind the shin bone. Press or massage the area firmly for one to two minutes on each side. Keeping the legs elevated and staying warm can also support the Spleen's fluid-moving work.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.