Stomach

ST36

足三里 · Zusanli

Leg Three Miles

The leg point people learn for digestion and everyday energy.

He-sea · Earth point of the Stomach · Command point for the abdomen

System

Channel: Stomach (ST)
Element: Earth
Yin or yang: yang
Organ system: Stomach
Region: Hip and leg
Limb rule: Foot Yangming

Open the Stomach page

Where it is

Four finger-widths below the bottom of the kneecap, one finger-width lateral to the sharp edge of the shin bone, in the tibialis anterior muscle.

Nearby: Shin bone medially, muscle laterally. The fibular nerve is more lateral. Stay just off the tibia.

Traditionally said to

He-sea and earth point, command point for the abdomen, and a lower he-sea of the Stomach. The point almost every tradition cites for digestion, stamina, and recovery. “Tonify qi” here is a teaching phrase, not a measured boost.

What people look up

Digestion Energy and fatigue Immunity and colds Nausea Pain relief Cold limbs Joints

Acupressure

Sit with the foot relaxed. Press the muscle just beside the shin for 45–90 seconds. A dull ache is the usual feel.

When not to press: Skip a swollen calf, a hot knee joint, or pain that is really bone pain on the shin.

About 30–90 seconds is the usual window, unless the step above is shorter. Stop if pain, dizziness, or anything unusual shows up.

Licensed practice only

Needle depth, angle, electroacupuncture

Textbook language for students. Not instructions. A cun is a body-inch on that person, not a ruler inch. Do not needle yourself.

Depth

Common textbook range: about 1–1.5 cun perpendicular. Larger legs are needled differently; this is not a target depth for home use.

Angle

Perpendicular, or slightly toward the tibia.

Electroacupuncture

Some pain studies have used low-frequency stimulation on this point, often near 2 Hz or a dense-disperse pattern such as 2/100 Hz, at a gentle muscle twitch. Protocols disagree, and the numbers are not a setting to reproduce. No milliamp dose is listed.