What Lieque does
Lieque is treated here as a practical point rather than a curiosity: where it sits, how it is needled, what the tradition says it does, and the skin conditions in this database that name it.
Actions
- Descends and diffuses the Lung Qi
- Expels Wind from the Exterior
- Opens the Directing Vessel
- Opens water passages and benefits the Bladder
Location
One and a half cun measured from the landmark shown in the diagram and the location text, above the styloid process of the radius, about 1.
How to find it
Find the bony landmark first, then feel for the hollow or tender spot the location describes. The point is usually sensitive when pressed. Cross the index fingers and thumbs of both hands so one index finger rests on the styloid process of the radius of the other wrist; the point sits in the depression directly under the tip of that finger, so the hand itself acts as the measuring tool.
Deqi
De qi at this point is felt as local distension, heaviness or aching, and may travel a short way along the channel.
A cun is a proportional body measurement, not a fixed length: one cun is about the width of the thumb at the knuckle, 1.5 cun about two finger widths, and 3 cun about the width of four fingers. On an average adult one cun is roughly one inch, but it scales with the person, which is why the texts measure in cun rather than centimetres.
Technique
Needling
Angle: 45 degrees, oblique Depth: Standard depth half a to half a cun. Direction: Needle in the direction the location describes.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is used where the pattern is cold or deficient, in short sessions.
Skin uses
Lieque is the Luo-connecting point of the Lung channel, recorded to descend and diffuse Lung Qi, expel Wind from the exterior and open the Directing vessel. The Lung channel and the exterior are traditionally paired, so the recorded action of releasing the surface is the basis for an indirect skin reading where a superficial, Wind-led picture is described. The point lies above the styloid process of the radius, and its classical indications are largely respiratory and febrile. Because no skin-specific classical indication is recorded for the point, the connection above is an indirect rationale, not trial evidence.
No skin-specific classical indication is recorded for this point. The rationale above is an indirect, traditional reading of the point, not a promise of benefit.
Point classifications
| Classification | Value |
|---|---|
| Classical groups | Luo-Connecting Point Ma Dan Yang Heavenly Star Exit Point |
Classical record
The Hand Taiyin diverges at Lieque, going to Yangming. It separates at 1.5 cun above the wrist.
Classical citation for this point.
Febrile disease starting with spasms of the arm, lips contracting, nose flaring, eyes rolling upward, sweating like rolling pearls, hardness 2 cun below the breasts, fullness of the ribs, palpitations - Lieque governs these.
Classical citation for this point.
Febrile disease starting with spasms of the arm, lips contracting, nose flaring, eyes rolling upward, sweating like rolling pearls, hardness two cun below the breasts, fullness of the ribs and palpitations: Lieque governs these.
Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing (Systematic Classic of Acupuncture)
For the head and neck, seek Lieque.
Si Zong Xue Ge (Song of the Four Command Points)
Safety
Who should treat this point
Acupuncture and moxibustion are practitioner procedures. This page is educational and is not a guide to self-treatment.
Caution
No special hazard is recorded for this point; use standard care for the region and adjust depth to the patient.
Deficiency and constitution
In a depleted patient the point is worked gently and briefly.
Before treatment
Educational reference only. Skin that is spreading, painful, blistering or accompanied by fever needs medical assessment.
Modern evidence and safety
General references for acupuncture safety and skin evidence. They are not specific to this point, and they are not a claim that needling it treats any condition.
- Acupuncture-related adverse events: systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective clinical studies. BMJ Open, 2021. PMID: 34489268.
- Acupuncture for atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 2024. PMID: 39638592.
- Manual acupuncture for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Surgery, 2025. PMID: 40696933.
- Acupuncture in Dermatology: An Update to a Systematic Review. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2021. PMID: 32955916.
Evidence note
No controlled trial of this treatment in skin conditions was identified for this entry. What is described here rests on the classical and later materia medica record and on traditional clinical use, not on controlled trial evidence, and it is not a prediction of benefit. Where skin-specific research does exist it is linked above.
Common questions
What does Lieque do in skin practice?
It is used where the skin picture includes the conditions it is used with, always as part of a combination chosen for the pattern.
How is it needled?
45° (Oblique) / 10-15° (Transverse). Standard depth 0.3 - 0.5 cun. De qi: Soreness and distension locally at the wrist. Sensation often radiates proximally toward the elbow and shoulder, or along the Luo-connecting channel toward LI-4 (Hegu) on the dorsum of the hand. Some patients experience a tingling or electric sensation traveling up the arm.
Why is the point needled on the opposite side for shoulder pain?
The Luo-connecting point links the Lung channel with its paired Large Intestine channel, so when a shoulder problem follows the Large Intestine channel the practitioner may needle the opposite side's LU-7 as a distal point, letting the channel connection do the work rather than the local area.
Is Lieque used for dry skin as well as colds?
Yes. The Lungs disperse fluids to the skin and control the pores, so when they are not diffusing properly the skin can become dry. In skin practice LU-7 is chosen when dryness or itching travels with a scratchy throat, blocked nose, shallow breathing or a history of worry, and it is combined with points that nourish Blood or clear the rash.