Gongsun (SP4): The Arch-of-the-Foot Point for a Tired Arch and an Unsettled Stomach

Where Gongsun Sits

This point sits on the inner arch of the foot, about a thumb's length behind the big toe joint, in the dip in front of and below the place where the long bone behind the big toe widens at its back end.

The line this point belongs to starts at the inner corner of the big toenail. It runs along the inner edge of the foot, passes in front of the inner ankle bone, and climbs the inner side of the leg along the back edge of the shin bone. It crosses the inner knee, runs up the inner thigh, enters the belly and rises to the side of the chest. Vietnamese and Chinese texts call it the Spleen channel. This is its fourth stop, in the hollow of the arch.

The foot has five long bones between the toes and the ankle. The first, behind the big toe, ends near the middle of the arch in a broad base that you can feel as a firm widening under the skin. The World Health Organization standard places this point on the inner side of the foot, in front of and below that base, at the border between the red and white flesh, the skin line where the paler sole meets the top of the foot. No measuring is needed. The bone and the skin line are the landmarks. The Vietnamese handbook shows the point on its drawing of the channel but does not print a separate description, so the location here follows the World Health Organization standard.

Underneath lies the muscle that runs along the whole inner edge of the foot, pulls the big toe away from the others and supports the arch (the abductor hallucis). Close by, the strong tendon of the muscle that lifts the foot at the ankle anchors to the bones of the arch. Deeper, a nerve from the sole runs forward toward the toes. The skin over the point is served by a branch of the long nerve that runs down the inner leg, fed from the fourth lumbar root.

Why This Spot

On the anatomical side, this is the high point of the inner arch, the part of the foot that flattens a little with every step and springs back. With age, the tissues that hold the arch up often weaken, the arch drops, and the muscle along the inner edge works harder to make up for it. That is why the inner arch so often aches after standing or walking in people past fifty, and why this dip is commonly tender.

In this tradition the point carries two roles. It is the connecting point of its channel, the place where a branch is said to leave the line and cross to its partner on the outer leg, the Stomach channel. Because of that bridge, it is used for complaints that belong to both: bloating, a sour or unsettled stomach, queasiness and loose bowels. It is also one of eight meeting points that open the extra vessels, deeper channels said to act like reservoirs. This one opens the Penetrating vessel, which in the tradition runs up through the belly and chest, so the point became a first choice for fullness and discomfort in the stomach and chest.

The name, Grandfather and Grandson, is read as a family linking two generations, the point that links its channel with its partner. Its Vietnamese name, Công Tôn, carries the same meaning.

What the Old Texts Say About Gongsun

The Lingshu, the Spiritual Pivot, a Han-dynasty text, names this point in its tenth chapter, on the channels. It is listed there as the connecting point of the Spleen channel, one body inch behind the base of the big toe joint, with a branch that crosses to the Stomach channel and another that enters the belly. The old text links it to cramping pain in the belly when that branch is full, and a swollen, drum-like belly when it is empty.

Its second role came later. The eight meeting points of the extra vessels were collected in the centuries after the Han and set out in full in the Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion by Yang Jizhou, printed in 1601. There this point is paired with a point on the inner forearm, and the pair is given for complaints of the stomach, the chest and the area beneath the breastbone. That pairing is still one of the first that students learn.

The Vietnamese handbook of points and channels by Ngo Trung Trieu, published by Hong Duc, traces the Spleen channel along the skin line of the inner foot to the back end of the first long foot bone, then up in front of the inner ankle. That route passes right over this point. The reputation for the stomach and the arch comes from long use rather than proof. It tells you that many hands, over many generations, kept coming back to this hollow.

Points That Work With Gongsun

The first partner is on the forearm. Measure three finger-widths up from the wrist crease on the palm side, between the two tendons in the middle of the forearm. In this tradition it is the classic partner for this point, the two used together for queasiness, a full, unsettled stomach and a tight chest.

The second is close by on the same line, on the inner edge of the foot right behind the big toe joint. It is used with this one for an aching inner foot and arch, and for a heavy, bloated belly. The two are easy to press in one sitting, moving from one to the other.

The third is on the front of the shin. From the dip at the outer lower edge of the kneecap, measure four fingers down and move one finger out from the shin's sharp edge. It is used with this one when a weak stomach comes with tired legs.

How to Find and Press Gongsun

Getting Into Position

Sit on a firm chair and cross the ankle over the other knee, so the inner arch faces up toward you. If that is a strain, rest the foot on a second chair and turn the knee outward. If bending is still hard, use a rounded-tip tool with a long handle, or a smooth stick. The foot and toes should be relaxed, not curled.

How to Find It

Find the bony bump of the big toe joint on the inner edge of the foot. Slide your fingertip back along the inner edge, toward the heel, staying on the line where the paler skin of the sole meets the top skin. About a thumb's length back, your finger meets a firm widening of bone, the back end of the long bone behind the big toe. The point is in the soft dip in front of and below that widening.

Probe that dip with a rounded-tip pressing tool, or the tip of your thumb with the nail cut short. Move in small steps forward and back along the arch. Most of it will feel like firm muscle. One spot will sting: a small, sharp, pinpoint tenderness. That spot is the point. In a high arch it sits a little higher on the side of the foot; in a flat foot it sits closer to the floor.

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 up and in, under the bone, toward the centre of the arch. Hold the top of the foot with your other hand so it stays still. Keep the tip on the same spot; do not let it slide along the arch.

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 for any burning or numbness running into the toes. If you are holding your breath, or curling your toes against the pressure, you are pressing too hard.

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 arch 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 on the first steps out of bed. Late afternoon suits an arch that aches after walking or standing. For bloating or queasiness, an hour or so after a meal is a common time, never on a very full stomach. Before bed is a good time too, as part of winding down. Do not press in the middle of the night. If an aching foot or an upset stomach 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 arch aches. In people past fifty, a sore arch usually comes from a dropping arch, a weakened tendon on the inner ankle, tight calves, extra weight, or shoes with no support. Heel and arch pain on the first steps of the morning often comes from the thick band under the sole. A bloated, queasy stomach can come from reflux, slow emptying of the stomach, gallstones, food intolerance or medicines. A point in the arch will not out-argue any of that. Pressing works best alongside the plain things: supportive shoes or insoles, calf and sole stretches, smaller meals eaten slowly, and a talk with your doctor about your medicines.

It will not replace a diagnosis either. An arch that is suddenly swollen and painful after a twist, or an inner ankle that swells and an arch that collapses over weeks, needs to be checked. A foot sore that does not close needs a doctor or podiatrist. Vomiting that will not stop, vomiting blood, black stools, or sudden severe pain in the belly needs urgent help. Indigestion or bloating that is new after fifty, or comes with trouble swallowing or weight loss you cannot explain, belongs with a doctor.

Safety First

Do not press over skin that is broken, burned, infected, badly bruised or rashy, and do not press on a corn or callus. Leave the area alone with a recent fracture, a fresh sprain, unexplained swelling, or after foot surgery until your surgeon agrees. If you take blood thinners, bruise easily, have a bleeding disorder, have poor circulation in your feet, 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. Stop too for any burning or numbness in the toes. 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 Gongsun (SP4) pressure point? Gongsun (SP4) sits on the inner arch of your foot. From the bony bump of the big toe joint, slide back along the inner edge of the foot about a thumb's length, until your finger meets a widening of bone. The point is in the dip in front of and below it. In English it is called the Grandfather and Grandson; in Vietnamese, Công Tôn.

How is Gongsun (SP4) different from Taibai (SP3)? Both sit on the inner edge of the foot, on the same skin line. Taibai (SP3) is right behind the big toe joint. Gongsun (SP4) is about a thumb's length further back, in the arch. They are often pressed together, one after the other.

Is it used for nausea? In this tradition it is commonly used for queasiness, bloating and an unsettled stomach, and it is paired with a point on the inner forearm for that purpose. Vomiting that will not stop, vomiting blood, or stomach pain that is severe or sudden needs a doctor quickly.

Can I press it for plantar fasciitis? It sits in the arch, not at the heel where that pain usually starts, but a tired, tight arch often comes with it. Light pressure here can be part of looking after the foot, alongside stretches and good shoes. Pain that stays at the heel for months should be checked.

How long should I press Gongsun? 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.

I cannot reach my feet. What can I do? Sit on a firm chair and cross the ankle over the other knee, or rest the foot on a second chair. If bending is still hard, use a rounded-tip tool with a long handle, or a smooth stick, and press from where you sit.

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: SP4 · Gongsun · The Grandfather and Grandson · Công Tôn.)