Dazhong (KI4): The Inner Heel Point for a Sore Heel, Tight Achilles and Low Back Ache

Where Dazhong Sits

This point sits on the inner side of the heel, behind and a little below the inner ankle bone, in the small dip where the cord-like heel tendon joins the top of the heel bone. It is close to the surface and easy to reach, though it takes a light touch.

It belongs to the line that Vietnamese and Chinese texts call the Kidney channel. That line begins on the sole, comes out along the inner arch, and then makes a small loop around the inner ankle before running up the inner side of the leg. The loop matters here. Several points sit close together behind the inner ankle, and this is the fourth, at the lower back corner of the loop.

The standard from the World Health Organization places it behind and below the inner ankle bone, above the heel bone, in a depression in front of where the heel tendon attaches on its inner side. The Vietnamese handbook describes it the same way: find the upper inner edge of the heel bone and the inner edge of the heel tendon, and the point is in the corner they make. No measuring is needed. The bones and the tendon are the landmarks.

To find it, start at the round inner ankle bone. Behind it is a soft hollow, and behind that the firm cord of the heel tendon, the Achilles tendon. Slide your fingertip down and slightly back from the hollow until it meets the rounded top of the heel bone. The small dip in the corner, in front of the tendon, is the area. Under the skin, the heel tendon carries the pull of the calf muscles to the heel. A thin tendon from a small calf muscle (the plantaris) runs along its inner edge. Small branches of the main nerve of the inner leg and sole (the tibial nerve) serve the skin of the inner heel here, from the first sacral root.

Why This Spot

On the anatomical side, this corner is where the calf hands its pull to the heel. Every step, every stair and every rise from a chair loads the heel tendon. With age, tendons lose some of their spring, and the tissues around their attachment can become tender, especially in people who walk a lot on hard floors, wear flat or worn shoes, or have tight calves. A sore heel first thing in the morning, or an ache at the back of the ankle after a walk, often shows up as tenderness in this small dip.

In this tradition, this point is the connecting point of its channel. From here a branch is said to wind around the heel and cross to the partner line down the back of the body, the Bladder channel. That makes it a bridge between the inner leg and the back. It is used when weakness in the legs and ache in the low back come together, and for people who feel drained and heavy by evening.

The name describes the place. Seen from the side, the heel has the rounded shape of an old bronze bell, and this point sits at its shoulder. Da means great, zhong means bell. In Vietnamese the name Đại Chung carries the same image.

What the Old Texts Say About Dazhong

The Lingshu, the Spiritual Pivot, a Han-dynasty text, describes the connecting branches of each channel in its tenth chapter. For the Kidney channel it names this point and says the branch lies behind the ankle, winds around the heel and goes across to the channel down the back. It then describes what happens when that branch is out of balance: on one side, trouble passing water; on the other, low back pain. That ancient pairing of the heel, the back and the bladder is why the point still appears in routines for an aching back.

The Vietnamese handbook of points and channels by Ngô Trung Triều, published by Hồng Đức, places it behind the heel, on the large bone, between two tendons. It lists the point for heel tendon pain and low back pain, and also for difficult urination, wheezing, constipation and nervous exhaustion. Several of those belong with a doctor, not with home pressing. The first two, the heel and the back, are where self-care fits.

In the wider tradition, this point has a reputation as a point for weary people: those who feel cold in the legs, low in spirit and tired out by the afternoon. Teachers often pair it with its neighbours behind the inner ankle, working the whole small loop. That reputation comes from long use, not proof. It reflects many generations of practitioners finding the inner heel tender in people who are worn down.

Points That Work With Dazhong

The first partner sits right above, in the middle of the hollow between the inner ankle bone and the heel tendon, level with the most prominent part of the ankle bone. It is the main point of the same channel. In this tradition the two are almost always pressed together, one after the other.

The second sits a little lower still, about a thumb-width below that hollow, on the inner side of the heel bone. It is used with this one for heel pain, and the three points behind the inner ankle are easy to work as a small group.

The third sits on the outer side of the same ankle, in the hollow between the tip of the outer ankle bone and the heel tendon. It belongs to the channel this point reaches across to. The two can be held at once, thumb on one side and fingers on the other. That outer point carries a caution in pregnancy, so leave it alone if that applies to you.

How to Find and Press Dazhong

Getting Into Position

Sit on a firm chair. Lift one foot and rest it across the opposite knee, so the inner ankle 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 up. Let the ankle relax. Do not point or flex the foot; a soft tendon makes the dip easier to feel.

How to Find It

Find the round inner ankle bone and the cord of the heel tendon behind it. Rest a fingertip in the hollow between them. Slide down and slightly back until you feel the rounded top of the heel bone, close to the tendon. The small dip in the corner, right in front of the tendon, is the area.

Probe it with a rounded-tip pressing tool, or the tip of your thumb with the nail cut short. Move in very small steps, because the area is small. Much of it will feel like plain pressure on bone. One spot will sting: a small, sharp, pinpoint tenderness. That spot is the point. Keep off the tendon itself. If you find yourself pressing a firm cord that hurts in a dull, deep way, move a little forward into the soft dip.

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 slightly downward, toward the heel bone, not sideways into the tendon. Hold the top of the foot with your other hand to keep the ankle still. Keep the tip on the same spot; do not let it slide.

How Much Pressure

A sharp sting under the tip is right. When you lift off, it should fade within moments. This area has little padding, so it needs less force than a fleshy point. 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, 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, because heels are often tender at the start. As the days go on, add a little time, up to three minutes. Do both feet, even if only one heel aches. Once or twice a day is plenty. Longer sessions add soreness, not benefit.

When to Do It

Morning suits a heel that is stiff and sore with the first steps. Press before you stand, sitting on the edge of the bed, and then flex the ankle a few times. Late afternoon suits a heel or back that aches after walking or standing. Before bed is a good time too. Do not press in the middle of the night. If heel or back pain wakes you, keep the pressing for the day and evening.

What This Won't Do

It will not repair a worn or damaged heel tendon. Tendon pain at the back of the ankle often comes from years of load, tight calves, a change in activity or poor shoes, and it settles with patient, sensible care: calf stretches, slow strengthening exercises a physiotherapist can show you, good footwear and a small heel raise. Some medicines can weaken tendons, so tell your doctor about any heel pain that starts after a new prescription. Pressing a point beside the tendon can ease tender tissue. It cannot rebuild the tendon.

It will not replace a diagnosis either. If you felt a snap, a kick or a sudden sharp pain at the back of the ankle, and now have trouble pushing off or standing on tiptoe, the tendon may be torn; get seen the same day. A heel that is hot, swollen and red needs a doctor's look, as does heel pain with fever, or pain at night that no position eases. Low back pain with numbness, leg weakness, numbness in the saddle area or any change in bladder or bowel control needs urgent attention.

Safety First

Do not press over skin that is broken, cracked, infected or rashy. Leave the area alone if the heel tendon is swollen, hot or creaky, after a recent sprain or fracture, or after surgery on the heel or tendon until your surgeon says you may. If you have numb feet, take blood thinners or bruise easily, use only light pressure, check the skin afterward, and ask your doctor first.

Stop at once if the pain stays after you lift off, spreads, or the area turns 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 Dazhong (KI4) pressure point? Dazhong (KI4) sits on the inner side of the heel. Find the hollow between the inner ankle bone and the heel tendon, then slide down and a little back to where the tendon joins the top of the heel bone. The point is in the small dip in front of the tendon there. In Vietnamese it is called Đại Chung.

What is Dazhong (KI4) used for? In Vietnamese traditional medicine it is commonly used for a sore heel, a tight or aching heel tendon and low back ache. The old texts describe it as a bridge between the inner-leg channel and the channel down the back, which is why it appears in routines for both the heel and the back.

Should I press on the Achilles tendon itself? No. Keep the tip of your tool or thumb in the soft dip in front of the tendon, not on the cord. A tendon that is already sore can be irritated by direct pressure. If the tendon is swollen, hot, creaky or newly injured, leave the area alone and have it checked.

How long should I press Dazhong? 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 heel aches.

Is this the same as the point between the ankle bone and the tendon? No, but it is right next to it. That point sits level with the most prominent part of the inner ankle bone, in the middle of the hollow. Dazhong (KI4) is a little lower and further back, where the tendon meets the heel bone. Many people press the two one after the other.

Why is it called the Great Bell? The heel, seen from the side, has the rounded shape of an old bronze bell, and the point sits at its shoulder. The name also hints at its importance as a meeting place between two channels. In Vietnamese the name Đại Chung means the same.

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: KI4 · Dazhong · Great Bell · Đại Chung.)