Hot Palms and Soles

How Chinese medicine differentiates a burning or hot sensation in the palms and soles into the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's own Heat Intolerance page. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. This is one diagnostic sign among many — always weigh it alongside the tongue, pulse, symptoms, and history.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for hot palms and soles — 10 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
KI-6	Nourishes Kidney-Yin. Benefits the eyes. Calms the Mind. Benefits the throat.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin. Cools Blood. Calms the Mind.
LR-2	Drains Liver-Fire and subdues Liver-Yang. Cools Blood and stops bleeding. Resolves Damp-Heat.
GB-34	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Resolves Damp-Heat in Liver and Gall Bladder. Benefits the sinews.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Opens the Water passages. Benefits the Lower Burner.
ST-44	Clears Heat. Regulates the Intestines and resolves Damp-Heat. Calms the Mind.
SP-10	Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
PC-4	Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis. Cools Blood and stops bleeding. Removes obstructions from the channel and stops pain.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness. Opens the chest and subdues rebellious Qi.
L.I.-11	Clears Heat and cools Blood. Removes obstructions and Heat from the channel. Resolves Dampness.

The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Empty-Heat from Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Heat in the palms, soles, and chest (five-centre heat), night sweats, dry mouth and throat worse at night, restlessness and difficulty sleeping, malar flush.

Tongue: Red, thin, dry body with cracks, little or no coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid.

Treatment principle: Nourishes Yin to anchor Yang and clear deficiency Heat.

KI-6 ↑ SP-6 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Kidney-Yin-deficiency-Empty-Heat-blazing slide — this is the classic \"five-centre heat\" presentation.

2. Liver Qi Stagnation Transforming into Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Heat in the palms and soles worse with stress, irritability and explosive anger, bitter or sticky taste in the mouth, distending pain in the ribcage area.

Tongue: Red body with redder sides and yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.

Treatment principle: Soothes Liver-Qi, releases stagnation, and clears trapped Heat.

LR-2 ↓ GB-34 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Stagnant-Liver-Qi-turning-into-Heat slide.

3. Damp-Heat in Stomach and Spleen View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Hot palms and soles that feel heavy and sticky, bloating and fullness in the upper abdomen, sticky or incomplete bowel movements, bitter or sticky taste in the mouth, heavy limbs and foggy head.

Tongue: Red body, possibly swollen with teeth marks, thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Soggy and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clears Heat and drains Dampness from the digestive organs.

SP-9 ↓ ST-44 ↓

Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Damp-Heat-invading-the-Spleen slide, its general Stomach-and-Spleen Damp-Heat match since no combined dual-organ slide exists.

4. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain somewhere in the body, Heat sensation worsens at night, dark menstrual blood with clots, dusky complexion, lips, or nails.

Tongue: Purple or dusky body with stasis spots. Pulse: Choppy, rough.

Treatment principle: Invigorates Blood and dispels stagnation to dissipate trapped Heat.

SP-10 ↓ PC-4 ↓

Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide per this session's discoloration-marker rule (dark/purple markers named explicitly).

5. Phlegm-Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Coughing up thick, sticky yellow phlegm, chest tightness and oppression, restlessness and irritability.

Tongue: Red, swollen body with thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clears Heat, transforms Phlegm, and descends rebellious Qi.

ST-40 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Phlegm-Heat-in-Lungs slide — a respiratory pattern less directly tied to the extremities than the other four, included since it is one of the source's named patterns for this presentation.

Related conditions

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