Xingjian LR-2 location
LR-2

Xingjian LR-2

Moving Between · 行间 · Xíng jiān
Liver Meridian
Fire-Huo Spring-Ying Point

Needle Depth

0.5–0.8 cun

Needle Angle

45° (Oblique), 90° (Perpendicular)

Body Area

Foot — Dorsum, Toes

Location

Between the first and second toe, on the dorsum of the foot, 0.5 cun proximal to the interdigital fold.

Previous on channel

Dadun LR-1

Next on channel

Taichong LR-3

Main Actions

  • Clears Liver Fire and subdues Liver Yang
  • Clears Interior Wind
  • Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
  • Calms the Mind
  • Resolves Damp-Heat in the genitourinary system

Commentary

Xingjian LIV-2 is mostly used for Excess Liver patterns, especially for draining Liver Fire, subdue Liver Yang and clear Liver Wind. Therefore, this point can be used for the following associated symptoms: 

  • Liver Fire: bitter taste, thirst, a red face, headaches, dream-disturbed sleep, scanty dark urine, constipation, red eyes, a Red tongue with thick yellow coating and a Rapid-Wiry pulse.
  • Liver Yang: migraine headaches.
  • Liver Wind: Wind stroke, deviation of eye and mouth, tetany, epilepsy, loss of consciousness and convulsions of children. 

Liver Fire or Liver Yang may give rise to Blood Heat, so that the Blood become reckless and leak out of vessels. Therefor LIV-2 can be used to cool Blood so as to stop bleeding, regulate heavy menstruation as well as cough and vomiting blood.  

Liver Fire may also cause cough and breathlessness accompanied by rib pain. In some severe cases, the patients feel strong fullness and swelling in the rib area that they even fail to turn the body. It is because the Liver Fire invades and obstructs the Lungs. Phlegm often presents in these cases and make the obstruction worse in the chest. 

Like Dadun VIV-1, it also resolves Damp-Heat in the genitourinary system so as to repair urinary function and external genitalia disharmony. The typical symptoms it can treat are: Shan disorder, abdominal distention, excessive vaginal discharge, swelling, itchiness and pain of the genitalia, pain in the penis, retention of urine, bloody or turbid urine as well as difficult as well as painful and frequent urination. 

Finally, it calms the Mind as well, so as to treat symptoms like outburst of anger, sadness, fright, manic behavior, insomnia, palpitations and propensity to see 'ghost'. 

Classical Sources

Ling Shu (灵枢·本输): "肝出于大敦……流于行间，行间，足大指间也，为荥" - "The Liver emerges at Dadun... flows to Xingjian, Xingjian is between the big toes, it is the Ying point."

Ling Shu Chapter 24 (灵枢·厥病): "厥心痛，色苍苍如死状，终日不得太息，肝心痛也，取之行间、太冲" - "For reversal heart pain, when the complexion is ashen like death, unable to sigh deeply all day, this is Liver heart pain, treat at Xingjian and Taichong."

Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (针灸大成): Lists extensive indications including "vomiting, diarrhea, urinary retention, excessive thirst, irritability, fullness of the limbs, spasms, chest and hypochondriac pain, abdominal swelling, coughing blood, lower back pain, pediatric acute fright wind."

Tong Xuan Zhi Yao Fu (通玄指要赋): "行间治膝肿目疾" - "Xingjian treats knee swelling and eye diseases."

Yi Zong Jin Jian (医宗金鉴): "行间穴治儿惊风，更刺妇人血蛊症；浑身肿胀单腹胀，先补后泻自然平" - "Xingjian treats pediatric fright wind, and treats women's blood stagnation; for whole body or abdominal swelling, first tonify then reduce and it will naturally resolve."

How to Locate

Locate LIV-2 0.5 cun proximal to the interdigital fold between the first and second toes.

Caution

The area between the toes can be sensitive; use gentle insertion technique. This is a strong reducing point - use caution with patients who are constitutionally weak or deficient. As a Fire point on a Wood channel, it has strong draining properties and should be used carefully in patients with Liver Blood or Yin deficiency. For bloodletting, classical texts recommend "cold conditions should be pricked to bleed or tonified with moxa; hot conditions should use reducing technique."

Needle Angle

45° (Oblique) / 90° (Perpendicular)

Depth Category

Shallow

Standard Depth

0.5–0.8 cun

Needling Directions

0.3-0.5 cun vertically or obliquely toward the heel.

Expected Deqi Sensation

Local distension and soreness, often radiating toward the dorsum of the foot. Some patients may feel the sensation spreading proximally along the Liver channel. The area between the toes is relatively sensitive, so patients may experience a sharper needle sensation initially.

Moxibustion

Recommended

Duration: 5–10 minutes

Cupping

Questionable

Bloodletting

Recommended

Gua Sha

Questionable

Five Element & Transporting Classification

Five Phase

Fire-Huo

Transporting Type

Spring-Ying Point

Mother-Child Role

Child (Reducing)

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