KI1 Yongquan: Location Reference, KD1 Link and Foot Safety

Revised 2026-11-04 · Reference and care-preparation information

KI1 and the older KD1 link

The reference checked for this revision is WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region, published in 2008 and marked ‘Updated and Reprinted 2009’ in the downloaded copy. Its Kidney Meridian entry on printed page 136 says KI1: Yongquan 湧(涌)泉. Printed page 137 names KI3: Taixi 太谿(溪).

The older site labelled Yongquan KD1 and put it at /acupoints/kd1-yongquan. This page keeps that address for continuity while stating the source's KI1 code clearly. Treat KD1 here as the site's older label, not as the code printed in the checked WHO entry. This is a documented correction for this entry, not a rule for converting every unfamiliar KD code.

Keep the identity fields together

Saving code, spelling and characters together is more reliable than matching a nickname alone. The source displays character variants in parentheses; preserve what the actual entry prints. The separate naming guide explains how to compare codes and translations across sources without guessing from similar letters.

What the location reference describes

In plain language, the WHO entry describes KI1 on the sole, in its deepest depression when the toes are flexed. Its accompanying note places that depression approximately at the boundary between the front third and rear two thirds of a line from the heel to the web margin between the bases of the second and third toes.

Those details are a paraphrase of the reference's description, including its approximate wording. ‘Front’ here means toward the toes; ‘rear’ means toward the heel. The described line is not simply the whole outline of a foot or the distance to the tip of a toe. A vague ‘middle of the sole’ label loses the source's landmarks.

This page does not ask you to reproduce a clinical locator, measure your foot to prescribe contact or press until you find a tender spot. Read the source if precise anatomical study is your task, and use appropriately trained instruction for clinical questions. The original diagrams below organize reference checks; they are not an anatomical point-placement chart.

A sole point and an ankle point are not interchangeable

KI1 is the selected sole entry. KI3 Taixi is a separate entry described in the WHO reference on the back and inner aspect of the ankle, between the prominence of the inner ankle bone and the calcaneal tendon. The shared KI prefix does not make them the same point or supply a sequence to use.

The Kidney Meridian page compares these two selected references. It is a naming and location comparison, not a treatment plan for the kidneys. ‘Kidney’ in the chapter name should not be read as a diagnosis of kidney function or an explanation for an unexplained symptom.

Foot safety comes before any pressure question

A correctly named point does not make pressure appropriate on a particular foot. Leave wounds, irritated skin, recent injuries and unexplained changes to appropriate care rather than using a point label to work around them. MedlinePlus's foot overview lists several different kinds of foot problems; a sore area does not identify its cause.

For diabetes-related foot concerns, sensation and healing deserve special attention. MedlinePlus explains that nerve damage may reduce feeling, making cuts, blisters or ulcers difficult to notice, and that blood-vessel damage can affect healing. Lack of pain does not demonstrate that pressure is harmless. Follow your foot-care plan and discuss proposed pressure with your provider.

Do not probe a numb area, press a wound, or treat a change in foot sensation as proof that a traditional point needs stimulation. Concerning diabetic foot changes need prompt provider advice. A reference entry is useful for vocabulary; it cannot assess an injury, ulcer, infection, circulation problem or neuropathy.

Do not use tenderness as a location test

The source identifies the entry by descriptive landmarks, not by asking a reader to seek pain. Cleveland Clinic's safety advice says not to press to discomfort or pain or so hard that bruising occurs. It also advises discontinuing the practice and speaking with a professional if you feel worse.

This article therefore provides no pressure strength, timed routine or instruction to endure soreness. If you have already tried pressure and experienced a concerning change, stop and seek appropriate advice. Changing the label from KD1 to KI1 does not change that boundary.

Does the name or location establish a sleep benefit?

No. The older page linked Yongquan with bedtime and grounding language, but the WHO location entry is a reference for identity and descriptive position. It does not establish that pressing this point improves sleep, relieves anxiety or produces a particular result for you.

This revision does not claim to review all sleep-effectiveness research. It explains what the checked source supports and leaves effectiveness as a separate question. To evaluate a sleep or product claim, identify its actual research, participants, method, comparison and measured outcome. The evidence-reading resources linked below help organize that task.

Save a traceable comparison

Record the entry, source title, edition or reprint, printed page and URL. Add the older website label as a separate field rather than altering the transcription. If another source writes K1 or another variant, verify its own name and entry before declaring a match.

The blank record is for naming and source notes. It does not ask for medical details or produce a recommendation. For personal foot-care questions, use your own care team's advice rather than interpreting a filled-out reference sheet as clearance.