Rangu (KI2): The Inner Arch Point for Aching Feet and Hot, Restless Soles

Where Rangu Sits

This point sits on the inner edge of the foot, right below the bony bump in the middle of the arch, on the line where the paler skin of the sole meets the skin of the top of the foot. It is easy to reach sitting down, and most people find it on the first try.

It belongs to the line that Vietnamese and Chinese texts call the Kidney channel. That line begins on the sole, in the dip near the front of the foot. It comes out along the inner edge of the arch, circles behind the inner ankle bone, and then runs up the inner side of the leg and the front of the trunk to the collarbone. This is its second stop, the first one you meet after the sole.

The old texts place it below the Rangu bone, the old name for the bump in the arch. That bump is the navicular bone, a small boat-shaped bone in the middle of the foot, and its inner end stands out as a knob you can feel. The standard from the World Health Organization describes the point in the same way: on the inner border of the foot, below the knob of the navicular bone, at the border between the red and white skin. Red and white skin is the old way of describing the line where the thicker, paler skin of the sole meets the thinner skin of the top of the foot.

To find the knob, start at the round inner ankle bone. Slide your finger forward and down, about two thumb-widths, toward the big toe. You will meet a firm bump in the middle of the arch. Drop right below it to the edge of the sole. Under the skin is the muscle that pulls the big toe away from the others (the abductor hallucis), which runs along the whole inner edge of the foot and helps hold up the arch. Deeper, a nerve that serves the inner sole passes close by (the medial plantar nerve). The skin itself is served by the fourth lumbar root, the same root that serves the inner shin and the inner knee.

Why This Spot

On the anatomical side, the inner arch is where the foot takes much of the shock of each step. The muscle under this point and the thick band beneath the sole hold the arch up. With years of walking, extra weight, or shoes that give little support, the arch can sag and these tissues tire. The result is the familiar ache along the inner foot after a long day standing, or the soreness under the arch and heel first thing in the morning. This point sits right on that working edge.

In this tradition, it is the spring point of its channel. Each channel has a set of points along the hands and feet named after flowing water: a well, a spring, a stream, a river, and the place where it enters the sea. The spring point is where the flow first gathers and begins to move. Spring points are associated with clearing heat. That is why this one is turned to for feet that feel hot and restless in the evening, and for a dry, sore throat.

The name says the same thing. Ran means to burn, or blaze; gu means valley. The valley is the hollow under the arch bone, and the blaze speaks of the heat the point is used to cool. The Vietnamese name Nhiên Cốc carries both ideas.

What the Old Texts Say About Rangu

The Lingshu, the Spiritual Pivot, a Han-dynasty text, lists the water points of each channel in its second chapter. For the Kidney channel, it says the flow pours from the well on the sole and runs to this point, below the Rangu bone, which is the spring. That short line has kept the point's role and place steady for some two thousand years, and it explains the old name of the bone itself.

The Vietnamese handbook of points and channels by Ngô Trung Triều, published by Hồng Đức, places it in the hollow below the large bone in front of the inner ankle. To find it, the handbook says, look right at the middle of the lower edge of the navicular bone, on the line where the skin of the sole meets the skin of the top of the foot. It lists the point for pain in the joints of the foot and for a sore throat. It also lists complaints of the bladder and of the monthly cycle, which belong with a doctor rather than with home care.

In the wider tradition, this point is valued for its gentleness. It sits on the foot, far from anything delicate, and it is easy to reach. Teachers often give it to people who feel worn out and overheated at the end of the day, who sleep lightly, or whose feet ache after standing. That reputation comes from long use, not proof. It tells you that many people, over a long time, found the spot worth pressing.

Points That Work With Rangu

The first partner sits on the sole. Curl your toes and a small dip appears near the front of the sole, about a third of the way from the base of the toes to the heel. In this tradition the two are worked together for hot, tired feet in the evening, one after the other.

The second sits behind the inner ankle, in the hollow between the inner ankle bone and the heel tendon. It is the main point of the same channel and is often pressed right after this one for an aching foot and heel.

The third sits in the small dip right below the tip of the inner ankle bone. It is used with this one when the evenings feel restless and the throat dry, and the two are easy to reach in one sitting.

How to Find and Press Rangu

Getting Into Position

Sit on a firm chair. Lift one foot and rest it across the opposite knee, so the inner edge of the foot faces up toward you. If that is hard on the hip, put the foot on a low stool and lean forward, or sit on a bed with the foot drawn toward you. Let the foot relax and the toes hang loose.

How to Find It

Find the round inner ankle bone. Slide your fingertip forward and down, toward the big toe, until you meet a firm bump in the middle of the arch. That is the arch bone. Drop right below it, toward the sole, until you feel the line where the paler, thicker skin of the sole begins. That stretch of the inner edge is the area.

Probe it with a rounded-tip pressing tool, or the tip of your thumb with the nail cut short. Move slowly, in small steps, along and around that line. Most of it will feel like plain pressure on the edge of the foot. One spot will sting: a small, sharp, pinpoint tenderness. That spot is the point. It often sits a little further back, toward the heel, than people expect.

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 up into the foot, toward the bone above, not straight sideways. Hold the top of the foot with your other hand to keep it still. Keep the tip on the same spot; do not let it slide along the arch.

How Much Pressure

A sharp sting under the tip is right. When you lift off, it should fade within moments. If the pain stays after you lift off, spreads, or the area turns swollen, hot or red, stop and leave it for several days. If you are holding your breath or curling your toes, 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 aches. Once or twice a day is plenty. Pressing longer does not add benefit; it mostly adds soreness.

When to Do It

Morning suits an arch that is stiff and sore with the first steps out of bed. Late afternoon and early evening suit feet that ache after standing or walking, or that start to feel hot. Before bed is a good time too, as part of winding down. Do not press in the middle of the night. If your feet burn or ache in the night, cool them, move them gently, and keep the pressing for the day and evening.

What This Won't Do

It will not change the shape of your foot or the reason it hurts. Arch and heel pain usually come from strain on the thick band under the sole, a fallen arch, worn shoes, extra weight or long hours on hard floors. A point on the inner edge cannot rebuild an arch. Good shoes, supportive insoles, calf stretches and a gentle walking routine do more. Pressing can ease tired, tender tissue and give your feet a few kind minutes each day, and that is worth having.

It will not explain burning or numb feet either. Feet that burn, tingle or go numb, especially at night, can come from damaged nerves, low vitamin levels or medicines, and should be checked by a doctor. See someone promptly for a foot that is red, hot and swollen, for a sore that does not close, for a change in the colour of the toes, or for pain after a fall or a twist that will not take your weight. People who already have nerve damage in the feet should have their feet checked regularly by a professional.

Safety First

Do not press over skin that is broken, cracked, infected, blistered or rashy, or over a corn or wart. Leave the area alone with a recent fracture or sprain, or unexplained swelling. If you have numb feet, poor circulation in the legs, take blood thinners or bruise easily, use only light pressure, check the skin after each session, and ask your doctor or foot specialist first.

Stop at once if the pain stays after you lift off, spreads, or the area turns swollen, hot or red. Nothing here asks 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 Rangu (KI2) pressure point? Rangu (KI2) sits on the inner edge of the foot. Find the bony bump in the middle of the arch, in front of and below the inner ankle bone. The point is right below that bump, on the line where the paler skin of the sole meets the skin of the top of the foot. In Vietnamese it is called Nhiên Cốc.

What is Rangu (KI2) used for? In Vietnamese traditional medicine it is commonly used for an aching arch, sore soles and heels, and feet that feel hot and restless in the evening. The old texts call it the spring point of its channel, a place associated with cooling heat. It is a gentle, easy point to add to any routine for tired feet.

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

Can I press Rangu if I have plantar fasciitis? Many people with an aching arch and heel find this spot tender, and gentle pressure can bring some relief. It does not change the strain on the band under your foot. Supportive shoes, calf stretches and the advice of a doctor or podiatrist matter more. Skip it if the foot is hot and swollen.

I have numb feet. Is it safe? Be careful. If you cannot feel your feet well, you cannot judge the sting that tells you when to stop, and you may bruise the skin without noticing. Use only light pressure, check the skin afterward, and ask your doctor or foot specialist first.

My feet burn at night. Should I press Rangu then? Not in the middle of the night. Pressing then tends to wake you further. Use the point in the early evening and again before bed. Burning feet that keep you awake are worth mentioning to your doctor, because nerve problems and some vitamin shortages can cause them.

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: KI2 · Rangu · Blazing Valley · Nhiên Cốc.)