Pucan (BL61): The Outer Heel Point for a Sore Heel and Tired, Weak Legs

Where Pucan Sits

This point sits on the outer side of the heel. It is straight below the hollow between the outer ankle bone and the heel cord, low on the side of the heel bone, at the edge where the thinner skin of the side of the foot meets the thicker skin of the sole.

The line it belongs to is the longest in the body. It starts at the inner corner of the eye, climbs over the top of the head, runs down the back of the neck and down both sides of the spine. It crosses the buttock, runs down the back of the thigh to the crease behind the knee, through the calf, and comes round behind the outer ankle bone. It ends at the outer corner of the little toenail. Vietnamese and Chinese texts call it the Bladder channel. This point is its sixty-first stop, on the outer heel.

The landmarks are the ankle bone, the heel cord and the heel bone. The neighbour point above sits in the hollow between the outer ankle bone and the thick cord at the back of the heel (the Achilles tendon). The World Health Organization's 2008 standard places this point below that hollow, on the outer side of the heel bone (the calcaneus), at the junction of the red and white skin, the line where the darker skin of the side of the foot meets the paler skin of the sole. The Vietnamese handbook by Ngo Trung Trieu puts it the same way: find the upper edge of the outer face of the heel bone, and the point is close to it, straight down from the hollow behind the ankle bone.

Underneath, there is little muscle. You are pressing onto the outer face of the heel bone, through skin, a little padding and tough connective tissue. A little above and in front, the two tendons that turn the foot outward pass on their way to the foot. The skin is served by the sural nerve, which runs down the back of the calf and round the outer ankle to the outer edge of the foot. It comes from the first sacral root, which also serves the outer edge of the foot and the little toe.

Why This Spot

On the anatomical side, the heel takes the first blow of every step. Its padding thins with age, the tissues around the heel bone stiffen, and many people in their sixties and seventies feel the heel ache after standing, walking on hard floors, or getting out of bed. The outer side of the heel is easy to reach with the foot crossed over the knee, and the bone gives you something firm to press against.

In this tradition the point has two roles. It is a meeting place of the Bladder channel with the Yang Heel vessel, one of the extra channels that, in the old picture, starts at the heel and runs up the outer side of the leg and body. That vessel is linked with standing, walking and the strength of the legs, which is why this point appears for weak, tired legs as well as for the heel itself.

The name has puzzled translators. Pu is a servant; can is to visit or pay respects. One common reading is that when a servant knelt to greet a visitor, the heel turned up toward the sky, showing this spot. The Vietnamese name, Bộc Tham, carries the same two words.

What the Old Texts Say About Pucan

The point is recorded under this name in the Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing, compiled by Huangfu Mi in the third century. That book placed it in the hollow below the heel bone and counted it as one of the points where the Yang Heel vessel meets the Bladder channel. Later writers kept both the place and the role.

The Vietnamese handbook of points and channels by Ngo Trung Trieu, published by Hong Duc, gives a short list: heel pain and weakness of the lower limbs. Both entries are about the leg and foot. This is a point the old writers used for the place it sits on, and for the strength of the leg above it.

The same handbook gives the practical method this page follows. Find the upper edge of the outer face of the heel bone; the point is close to it, straight down from the hollow behind the ankle bone. The red-and-white skin line that the modern standard adds is a useful second check, because almost everyone can see where the sole skin begins.

In the wider tradition, teachers often work this point with its neighbour behind the ankle bone and the point right below the ankle bone, as a small group for an aching heel and an ankle that feels weak. That habit comes from long use rather than proof. It tells you the point was trusted by many hands, over many generations, for the sore heels and tired legs that come with years of standing and walking.

Points That Work With Pucan

The first partner sits right above, in the hollow between the outer ankle bone and the heel cord. In this tradition it is commonly used with this one for heel and ankle pain, and the two lie on one line, so you can slide from one to the other.

The second sits right below the outer ankle bone, in the small dip under its tip. It is used with this one when the ankle feels weak or unsteady, or when the outer side of the foot aches.

The third sits on the inner side of the ankle, in the hollow between the inner ankle bone and the heel cord, almost opposite the first partner. It is used with this one for a sore heel and tired legs, and the two can be held at the same time with thumb and finger on either side of the heel.

How to Find and Press Pucan

Getting Into Position

Sit on a firm chair and rest one foot across the opposite knee, so the outer side of the foot faces up. If crossing the leg is hard, rest the foot on a low stool and lean forward, or sit on the bed with the knee bent and the foot turned out. Let the foot hang loose.

How to Find It

Find the outer ankle bone. Behind it, between the bone and the thick heel cord, is a soft hollow. Place your fingertip in that hollow and slide straight down onto the side of the heel bone. Keep going until you reach the edge where the thinner skin of the side of the foot meets the thicker skin of the sole. Around that edge, on the bone, is the area.

Probe it with a rounded-tip pressing tool, or the tip of your thumb with the nail cut short. Move in small steps along the bone. Most of it will feel firm and dull. One spot will sting: a small, sharp, pinpoint tenderness. That spot is the point. If you feel a tingle along the outer edge of the foot toward the little toe, ease off a little.

How to Press It

Keep the tip on the stinging spot and rub in small circles, about the size of a fingernail, roughly one each second. Aim the pressure straight in, against the heel bone. Hold the front of the foot with your other hand to keep it still. Keep the tip on the same spot; do not let it slide over the bone.

How Much Pressure

The heel bone is firm, so steady pressure is fine, but build it slowly. Sharp under the tool is right; that small sting tells you that you are on the point. When you lift off, the sting should fade within moments. If the pain stays after you lift the tool, if it spreads, or if the area turns swollen, hot or red, stop and leave it for several days. If you are holding your breath, you are pressing too hard. Ease off until you can breathe slowly through the sting.

How Long

Work each foot for one to three minutes. In the first sessions keep to about one minute. As the days go on, add a little time, up to three minutes. Do both feet, even when only one heel complains. Once or twice a day is plenty. Pressing longer does not add benefit; it mostly adds soreness.

When to Do It

Morning suits a heel that hurts with the first steps, before you stand up if you can reach it, or soon after. Late afternoon suits a heel and legs that ache after walking and standing. Before bed is a good time too, as part of winding down with the feet up. Do not press in the middle of the night. If an aching heel or leg wakes you, pressing then tends to wake you further. Keep the pressing for the day and the evening.

What This Won't Do

It will not remove the reason your heel hurts. With heels, the reason is often strain where the band under the sole meets the heel bone, a tight calf, thinning of the heel pad, worn shoes, or long hours on hard floors. Weak, tired legs have their own reasons: less activity, stiff joints, low levels of some vitamins, or a medicine. A point on the heel will not undo any of that. Pressing works best alongside the plain things: calf and sole stretches, cushioned, supportive shoes, a little less time on hard floors, and gentle strengthening.

It will not replace a diagnosis either. A heel that is suddenly hot, red and swollen needs to be seen, especially with a fever. So does heel pain after a fall or a jump, which can mean a crack in the bone, or a sudden snap at the back of the heel, which can mean a torn heel cord. Heel pain that wakes you every night, numbness or burning in the sole, or an open sore on the foot belongs with a doctor or podiatrist. If the feeling in your feet is reduced, or the circulation is poor, have your feet checked regularly whether or not they hurt.

Safety First

Do not press over skin that is broken, cracked, burned, infected, badly bruised or rashy, and never over an ulcer or a sore on the foot. Leave the area alone with a recent fracture, a fresh sprain, unexplained swelling, or a plate, pin or implant under the skin. If you take blood thinners, bruise easily, have a bleeding disorder, or have reduced feeling in your feet, use lighter pressure, keep sessions short, check the skin afterwards, and talk to your doctor first.

Stop at once if the pain stays after you lift off, spreads, or if the area becomes swollen, hot or red. Nothing here requires you to push through pain. For the full list of cautions and the situations where pressing on yourself is not appropriate, read the full safety guide before you begin.

Questions People Ask

Where is the Pucan (BL61) pressure point? Pucan (BL61) sits on the outer side of the heel. Find the hollow between the outer ankle bone and the heel cord. Slide straight down from it onto the side of the heel bone, to the edge where the skin of the sole begins. In English it is called the Subservient Visitor; in Vietnamese, Bộc Tham.

How long should I press Pucan? One to three minutes on each foot. Keep the first sessions to about a minute, then add a little as the days go on, up to three. Once or twice a day is enough. Work both feet, even if only one heel hurts.

Will Pucan help pain under my heel in the morning? In this tradition Pucan (BL61) is commonly used for a sore heel. Sharp pain under the heel with the first steps of the morning is often strain where the band under the sole meets the heel bone. Pressing can sit alongside stretching the calf and the sole, supportive shoes and rest, and a doctor or podiatrist can check it if it lasts.

The skin on my heel is thick. How hard should I press? Use a rounded tip and press steadily against the heel bone. Thick skin dulls the feeling, so move slowly and wait for the small sting rather than pushing harder. If the skin is cracked or has an ulcer, leave the heel alone.

How is it different from the point behind the ankle bone? Kunlun (BL60) sits in the hollow between the outer ankle bone and the heel cord. Pucan (BL61) sits straight below it, lower on the side of the heel, near the sole. They are neighbours on the same line and are often worked one after the other.

My feet are numb. Can I press it? Talk to your doctor first. With reduced feeling in the feet you may not notice bruising or broken skin. If you are cleared to press, use light pressure, keep sessions short, and check the skin of the heel afterwards.

Other Points in This Library

Each of these sits within reach of the same hand. They are often worked in the same sitting.

This page shares general information about a traditional practice. It is not medical advice and does not replace what your doctor has given you. If you are pregnant, managing a health condition, or unsure whether this applies to you, check with your doctor first.

The whole inner edge of the foot, laid out on one page with photographs, is in The Foot Map — the free book. For every point in this library, see the full pressure point index.

(Point shown: BL61 · Pucan · Subservient Visitor · Bộc Tham.)