The root of the breast. Rugen (ST-18) sits just below the nipple at the base of the breast and is the Stomach channel's dedicated point for all breast disorders — promoting lactation, resolving swellings and abscesses, and moving stagnant Qi and Blood (Xue) in the chest.
Name & story
The name 乳根 Rugen means simply "Root of the Breast" — 乳 (rǔ) is breast or milk, and 根 (gēn) is root. There is a quiet poetry in it: just as a root is the deepest, foundational part of a plant, this point sits at the very base of the breast, anchoring the channel's influence over the whole breast region. It is where the Stomach Meridian (ST) sends its Qi down into the breast — and where the practitioner reaches to address whatever has gone wrong there, whether milk will not flow, or heat and stagnation have caused pain and swelling.
Point family & character
Rugen (ST-18) belongs to the Stomach Meridian (ST). It does not hold a special classical category such as He-Sea or Xi Cleft, but its anatomical position and clinical focus make it the primary local point of the Stomach channel for all breast disorders.
Five-element dynamics
The Stomach Meridian (ST) belongs to the Earth element and to the yangming — the channel abundant in both Qi and Blood (Xue). In Chinese medicine, the nipples are ascribed to the Liver jueyin, while the breast itself is the territory where the yangming passes. This means that the breast sits at the meeting point of the Stomach yangming and the Liver jueyin. When either channel falls into disharmony — through Stomach Fire, or through the oppression and stagnation of Liver Qi — pain, swelling, abscess or blocked milk can follow. Rugen (ST-18), sitting at the root of this region, directly regulates the Qi and Blood (Xue) of the breast, clearing what is blocked, cooling what is heated, and opening what is closed.
Location
Find the nipple — it sits in the fourth intercostal space. Move one intercostal space lower: you are now in the fifth intercostal space, directly below the nipple. That is Rugen (ST-18). A useful landmark: first identify the second intercostal space (below the second rib), then count down three more spaces to reach the fifth. The point lies 4 Cun lateral to the midline.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the fifth intercostal space, directly below the nipple. The chest wall here is relatively thin, and lung tissue lies beneath.
Needling
The needle is inserted transversely or obliquely along the intercostal space — either laterally, medially, superiorly or inferiorly, following the direction of the space. A transverse-oblique insertion of 0.5 to 0.8 Cun is standard.
The golden tip
Nursing mothers experiencing breast tenderness or sluggish milk flow may gently massage the lower base of the breast — the area directly below the nipple — in slow, outward circles for a minute or two. Warmth (a warm compress) can also help when there is no active infection or abscess. However, for any breast lump, significant pain, heat or suspected infection, professional assessment is essential before home care.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.