SP05 Shangqiu (Metal Hill)

Location

In the depression the distal and inferior to the medial malleolus midway between tuberosity of the navicular bone and tip of the medial malleolus.

Categories

• Jing-River point of the Spleen meridian

The classical groups this point belongs to, from Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture.

Indications

Conditions for which SP05 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

TCM actions

What classical sources say SP05 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using SP05

• Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Disability Mobility – LI11, ST34, ST35, ST43, SP05, KD03, KD10, GB34 (doi:10.1093/ecam/nen080 ↗)
• Knee Pain, Osteoarthritis Knee, Stiffness Joint – ST06, ST34, ST35, ST36, SP04, SP05, SP06, SP09, SP10, BL20, BL40, BL57, BL58, BL60, BL62, KD03, KD10, GB33, GB34, LV08 (doi:10.1155/2013/182528 ↗)
• Fatigue, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Headache, Constipation, Depression, Insomnia, Itchiness, Edema, Palpitation, Knee Pain, Back Pain, Vision Blurred, Cervical Pain, Stiffness Shoulder, Cramp Leg, Lower-limb Pain, Upper-limb Numbness, Lower-limb Numbness, Hemodialysis Complication – LU05, LU09, LI02, LI11, ST41, ST45, SP02, SP05, HT07, HT09, SI03, SI08, BL65, BL67, KD01, KD07, PC07, PC09, TB03, TB10, GB38, GB43, LV02, LV08 (doi:10.1155/2015/802846 ↗)
• Sleep Disturbance, Restless Legs Syndrome, Lower Limb Abnormal Sensation – ST34, ST36, SP05, SP06, SP10, BL18, BL23, BL56, BL57, BL64, KD03, GB34, GB39 (doi:10.1016/j.bj.2021.05.005 ↗)
• Dysmenorrhea, Blood Stasis, Abdominal Pain, Irritability, Breast Distension, Endometriosis Abdominal Wall, Mass Abdominal Wall, Qi Stagnation – ST24, ST25, ST27, SP05, SP06, SP09, SP15, CV04, GV20, GV24 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000036572 ↗)
• Ankle Pain, Ankle Swelling, Skin Redness, Erysipelas Lower Limb, Calf Swelling, Edema Calf – ST41, SP04, SP05, SP06, KD03, KD06 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000042413 ↗)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis, Joint Pain, Inflammation Joint – LI05, LI11, LI15, ST36, SP05, SP09, HT03, SI05, SI08, BL40, BL62, KD06, PC07, TB04, TB10, TB14, GB34, GB40 (doi:10.1186/s12906-025-04891-1 ↗)
• Dyspepsia Functional – LU08, LI01, SP05, SP09, BL66, KD10, GB43, GB44, LV04, LV08 (doi:10.3389/fmed.2025.1545687 ↗)
• Joint Pain, Abdominal Pain, Bleeding Rectal, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Diarrhea Chronic – LI04, ST23, ST24, ST25, ST26, ST27, ST28, SP03, SP04, SP05, KD02, KD03, KD04, KD05 (doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2024.101080 ↗)
• Ankle Pain, Sprain Ankle – ST36, ST41, SP05, GB34, GB40, LV04 (doi:10.3831/kpi.2005.8.2.011 ↗)
• Dizziness, Dizziness Cervical, Vertigo Cervical, Phlegm Obstruction, Vertigo Cervicogenic, Phlegm-turbidity Pattern – LI20, ST40, ST42, SP05, SP09, BL62, KD06, GB20, CV06, CV12, CV22, GV14 (doi:10.27460/d.cnki.gyzyc.2024.000282 ↗)
• Stomach Pain, Gastric Pain – LU10, SP05, BL13, BL21 (doi:10.13457/j.cnki.jncm.2025.08.020 ↗)
• Muscle Hypertonia Post-hemorrhagic Stroke – LU05, LI04, SP05, SP06, SP09, HT01, SI03, KD01, KD10, PC03, PC06, PC07, TB05, GB33, GB34, GB39, GB40, LV03, GV20, XH05 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(15)30071-6 ↗)
• Endometriosis, Endometriosis Abdominal Wall – ST24, ST25, ST27, SP05, SP06, SP09, SP15, CV04, GV20, GV24 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000036572 ↗)
• Ankle Pain, Sprain Ankle – ST41, SP05, BL62, KD06, GB40, LV04 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2018.06.004 ↗)
• Spleen Qi Deficiency, Spleen Qi Deficiency – ST21, ST31, ST32, ST33, ST34, ST36, SP03, SP05, SP06, SI06, BL20 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Leg Weakness, Muscular Dystrophy – SP05, SP09, SP10, BL40, BL54, BL60 (Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994)
• Erythromelalgia – SP05, GB40, GB43, LV03, GV16 (Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994)
• Arthritis Rheumatoid – ST36, SP05, SI11, BL20, BL23, BL27, BL40, BL54, KD03, GB34, GB40, GV08, GV09, GV11, GV12, GV14, XU10A, XU10B, XU10C, XU10D (Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994)
• Erysipelas – ST36, SP05, SP08, SP10 (Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994)
• Bi Syndrome, Ankle Pain, Fever Rheumatic, Arthritis Rheumatoid, Fibrositis, Neuralgia, Gout, Bi Syndrome, Ankle Pain, Fever Rheumatic, Arthritis Rheumatoid – ST41, SP05, BL60, KD03, GB40 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
• Qi Stagnation, Blood Stagnation, Bi Syndrome, Heaviness, Bi Fixed, Damp Excess, Numbness, Qi Stagnation, Blood Stagnation, Bi Syndrome, Bi Fixed, Damp Excess – ST36, SP05 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
• Edema, Oedema Yin, Pedis Dorsum, Oedema Yin, Pedis Dorsum – ST36, SP05, BL20, BL23, KD07, GB41, CV04, CV09 (sacredlotus.com ↗)

Most often selected alongside SP05

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with SP05. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• ST36Leg Three Miles9 protocols
• SP09Yin Mound Spring8 protocols
• GB34Yang Mound Spring7 protocols
• GB40Mound7 protocols
• KD03Great Stream7 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection7 protocols
• ST41Dividing Cleft5 protocols
• BL20Spleen Shu Point4 protocols
• BL40Middle Of The Crease4 protocols
• BL62Extending Vessel4 protocols
• KD06Shining Sea4 protocols
• KD10Yin Valley4 protocols

Other points on the Spleen Meridian