Tongli (HT5): The Inner Wrist Point for a Restless, Unsettled Feeling

Where Tongli Sits

This point sits on the inner side of the wrist, one thumb-width above the wrist crease, on the little-finger side, right beside the firm tendon you can feel there.

The line this point belongs to is short. It starts in the hollow of the armpit, runs down the inner side of the upper arm and the inner elbow, then down the little-finger side of the inner forearm to the wrist. It crosses the palm and ends at the inner corner of the nail of the little finger. Vietnamese and Chinese texts call it the Heart channel. In this tradition the name refers to a set of functions, chiefly calm and settled sleep, rather than to the organ in your chest. This is its fifth stop, one thumb-width above the wrist.

The old texts place it in the dip one body inch behind the wrist. A body inch here means the width of your own thumb at its widest. The World Health Organization standard of 2008 describes it the same way: on the inner forearm, one body inch above the wrist crease, on the thumb side of the tendon that bends the wrist toward the little finger.

That tendon is your guide. Make a light fist and bend your wrist a little toward you, and a firm cord stands out on the little-finger edge of the inner wrist. It belongs to the muscle that bends the wrist and tilts it toward the little finger. The point sits on the thumb side of that cord, in the narrow groove between it and the tendons that bend the fingers.

Underneath, a nerve and an artery run down toward the little finger, partly tucked under that tendon. The nerve serves feeling in the little finger and half the ring finger, and many of the small muscles of the hand. The skin over the point is served by a branch from the inner side of the forearm, fed mainly by the first thoracic and eighth cervical roots.

Why This Spot

On the anatomical side, the inner wrist is easy to reach and easy to work in a calm way. You can rest the forearm on a table or on your lap, palm up, and press without straining anything. The skin here is thin and the tendons are close to the surface, so you find the groove quickly. Many people already rest a thumb on the inside of the wrist when they feel uneasy. This point gives that habit a precise place.

In this tradition the point is the connecting point of its channel, where a branch leaves to link with its partner channel on the outer side of the arm. That is the meaning behind its name. Because the Heart, in this tradition, is said to house the mind, the old books turn to points on this line for a mind that will not settle: a restless, fluttery, anxious feeling, trouble winding down, and sleep that is light and easily broken. These are traditional descriptions, not statements about the organ in your chest.

The name describes that link. Penetrating means passing through; the interior is the inside. The idea is a point where the channel passes through to its partner and reaches inward. Its Vietnamese name, Thông Lý, carries the same idea.

What the Old Texts Say About Tongli

The Lingshu, the Spiritual Pivot, a Han-dynasty text, describes the connecting branch of this channel as leaving the main line one body inch above the wrist. It adds a short, striking note: when this branch is too full, the person feels a propping fullness below the chest; when it is empty, the person cannot speak. That note is the root of a long-held use of this point for a voice that suddenly fails and a tongue that feels stiff.

The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the Jiayi Jing, from the third century, and later bronze-figure manuals of the Song dynasty all place it in the dip one body inch behind the wrist. That placement has not changed since.

The Vietnamese handbook of points and channels by Ngo Trung Trieu, published by Hong Duc, lists it for pain in the wrist and arm, a fluttery, unsettled feeling, poor sleep, a stiff tongue and a sudden loss of voice. The same book gives the way to find it used in this page: in the groove between the tendon on the little-finger side and the tendons that bend the fingers, one body inch above the crease point, with the hand closed and bent toward the forearm so that the groove stands out.

In the wider tradition the point is one teachers reach for when a person feels unsettled in themselves, with sleep that does not come easily. That reputation comes from long use rather than proof. It tells you the point was trusted for the kind of restless evenings many people in their sixties describe.

Points That Work With Tongli

The first partner sits on the wrist crease itself, in the hollow at its little-finger end, on the thumb side of the same tendon. In this tradition it is commonly paired with this one in the evening, and the two are worked one after the other, moving down the same line.

The second sits in the middle of the inner forearm. From the wrist crease, measure three finger-widths up toward the elbow, between the two tendons in the centre of the forearm. It is used with this one for an unsettled feeling with a queasy stomach.

The third sits a little higher on the same central line, four finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the same two tendons. It is used with this one when restlessness keeps you from winding down in the evening, and the three can be worked in one short sitting.

How to Find and Press Tongli

Getting Into Position

Sit at a table and rest your forearm on it, palm up, with a folded towel under the wrist if that is more comfortable. Let your fingers curl loosely. Keep your shoulders down. You can also sit in an armchair with the forearm resting on the arm of the chair.

How to Find It

Look at the inner wrist and find the crease where the hand meets the forearm. At its little-finger end, feel for a small hollow beside a firm tendon. If the tendon is hard to feel, make a light fist and bend the wrist toward you; it will stand out. Now slide your fingertip one thumb-width up from the crease toward the elbow, keeping it on the thumb side of that tendon, in the narrow groove. That is the area. Relax the hand again before you press.

Now probe the groove with a rounded-tip pressing tool, or the tip of your thumb with the nail cut short. Move slowly in small steps, a little up and down. Most of it will feel like ordinary tissue. One spot will sting: a small, sharp, pinpoint tenderness. That spot is the point. If instead you feel tingling running into the little finger, you are on the nerve under the tendon. Lift off, move a little toward the thumb side, and use less force.

How to Press It

Keep the tip of the tool or thumb on the stinging spot and rub in small circles, about the size of a fingernail, roughly one each second. Aim the pressure straight down into the wrist. Hold the back of the wrist with the fingers of the pressing hand, so your thumb works against them like a clip. Keep the tip on the same spot; do not let it slide onto the tendon.

How Much Pressure

Sharp under the tool is right. That small sting tells you that you are on the point. The test is what happens 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. Stop at once for tingling or numbness in the little finger. The inner wrist has little padding, so start lighter than you would on the leg. 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 wrist for one to three minutes. In the first sessions keep to about one minute, because the point is often most tender at the start. As the days go on, add a little time, up to three minutes. Do both wrists. Once or twice a day is plenty. Pressing longer does not add benefit; it mostly adds soreness.

When to Do It

Before bed is the natural time for this point, as part of winding down: lights low, screen off, breathe slowly while you press. Late afternoon suits the unsettled, fidgety feeling that can build toward evening. Do not press in the middle of the night. If you wake and lie restless, pressing then tends to wake you further. Keep the pressing for the day and the evening, and mention regular night waking to your doctor.

What This Won't Do

It will not remove the reason you feel restless or sleep poorly. Common reasons include pain that flares at night, needing to pass water during the night, worry, low mood, too much caffeine or alcohol, daytime naps, a bedroom that is too warm or light, some medicines, and breathing problems during sleep. A point on your wrist will not out-argue any of that. Pressing works best alongside the plain things: regular hours, a cool and dark bedroom, no caffeine after midday, and a calm half hour before bed.

It will not replace a diagnosis either. Chest pain or pressure, especially if it spreads to the arm, jaw or back, or comes with sweating or breathlessness, needs emergency services straight away. A racing, pounding or very irregular pulse, fainting or feeling faint needs a doctor promptly. So does restlessness with weight loss you cannot explain, heat intolerance or a tremor. Snoring with pauses in breathing, or waking gasping, belongs with a doctor. If low mood, worry or thoughts of not wanting to go on are keeping you awake, please talk to your doctor or someone you trust; that matters far more than any point.

Safety First

Do not press over skin that is broken, burned, infected, badly bruised or rashy. Leave the wrist alone with a recent fracture or sprain, unexplained swelling, or a hot, swollen joint. If you have numbness or tingling in the little finger, or weakness in the hand, have it checked before pressing here. If you take blood thinners, bruise easily or have a bleeding disorder, use lighter pressure, keep sessions short, 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. Stop too for any tingling into the fingers. 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 Tongli (HT5) pressure point? Tongli (HT5) sits on the inner side of your wrist, one thumb-width above the crease, on the little-finger side. Feel for the firm tendon running down to the little-finger edge of the wrist; the point is right beside it, on the thumb side. Probe until one spot stings. In English it is called Penetrating the Interior; in Vietnamese, Thông Lý.

How long should I press Tongli? One to three minutes on each wrist. 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 wrists.

How is it different from the point on the wrist crease? The point on the crease sits in the hollow at the little-finger end of the crease itself. This one is one thumb-width higher on the same line. Many people press the two one after the other in the evening, starting here and finishing on the crease.

My chest hurts or my pulse is racing. Should I press this? No. Chest pain or pressure, a racing or very irregular pulse, shortness of breath, fainting or feeling faint needs a doctor straight away, and chest pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back needs emergency services. Pressing a point is not for these situations.

I feel tingling into my little finger. Is that normal? No. Stop and lift off. A nerve that serves the little finger runs close by, under the tendon. Move your tool a little toward the thumb side and press more gently. The sensation you want is a small sting under the tip, nothing that travels.

Can I press it in bed if I wake up? Press it in the daytime and before bed, not in the middle of the night. Pressing when you wake tends to wake you further. Make it part of your evening routine instead.

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: HT5 · Tongli · Penetrating the Interior · Thông Lý.)