Did you know that 8 out of 10 Americans experience foot pain every day? And those that have chronic foot pain will likely suffer from pain in other parts of their body. It’s not surprising; after all, it’s your feet that carry you the whole day. Of course, many things can cause foot pain, such as foot problems and unfitted shoes, to name a few, but what matters most is to know how to release pain. In this article, you’ll find the best home remedies for foot pain that you can apply with ease from your comfortable home to make your feet happy.
Some Facts About Foot Pain
As I said above, most people who have foot pain end up suffering in other parts of their bodies. Why? Because when the feet hurt, you are more likely to change the way you walk and, as a result, creates a misalignment in the legs, back, and hip, which leads to pains and issues. So never neglect feet pain!
What Cause Foot Pain
Many factors lead to foot pain, but the most common cause comes from shoes. Yes, unfitted or worn-out shoes are your number one enemy! So to prevent foot injuries, it is essential to choose shoes that fit, and you also need to make sure to switch shoes every time you need to. Other factors like diabetes, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus cause foot pain, but at the end of the day, if you don’t wear appropriate shoes, it will worsen the case.
Incorrect sizing:
It might sound funny, but as we age, our feet get bigger due to the tendons and ligaments becoming loose over time. If you happen to lose a significant amount of weight, your feet will shrink accordingly.
And if you don’t pay attention to this, you might end up with too tight or too big shoes. If they are too big, your toes will need to grip to prevent the feet from sliding. If they are too tight, your toes will be compressed and cause blisters or injuries.
Inadequate Support
Shoes with not enough support like minimalist, flip flops, open concept heel, cause foot problems. It’s ok to wear them occasionally, but not all the time.
Plantar Issues:
About 83% of people will deal with plantar fasciitis at some point, which is a lot. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the heel is inflamed and hurt, especially when you first step in the morning or stand after you’ve been sitting for a long time. Luckily, plantar fasciitis can be treated by simply wearing shoes with lots of cushioning in the heel or/and memory foam inserts and exercising.
What Are the Remedies for Foot Pain
Contrast Baths
Contrast baths are a form of therapy often used to alleviate sore muscles and reduce swelling and pain by increasing blood flow throughout the feet. This technique consists of soaking your feet in both hot and cold water to reduce the inflammation. How do you do this? Sit on the edge of your tub and let the hot water (Not too hot) flow on your feet for 3 minutes. Next, set the water temperature on the cold and allow the water to flow on your feet. Repeat for about six times. If you don’t use a tub, just fill out a bowl of hot water and another with cold water and dip your feet into it.
Feet Massages
There is nothing better than a good foot massage, especially if you use massage oil, real heaven! For this, you need a good friend or a close family member or a personal reflexologist to massage your feet. You can do it yourself, but it’s much more relaxing when you let someone else do the work. Try to find tender spots and press on them while stretching. There are plenty of tutorials on Youtube to show how to do reflexology at home. Watch them – they are easy to follow. Apply oil on your feet to massage them; it increases blood flow, flexibility, and stretches your muscles.
Put Your Feet Up
A Simple thing can make a big difference. Just elevating your feet will help alleviate pressure throughout your legs and make you feel good almost instantly. Lifting the feet and maintaining it in an elevated position allows blood to flow freely throughout your legs and body.
Replace Your Shoes
I can not stress enough on this – worn-out shoes are the worst thing for your feet. If your footwear doesn’t provide enough support or cushioning, your feet will get into trouble. As a rule of thumb, Athletic shoes should be replaced between 300 and 500 miles depending on how often you wear them and regular shoes, between 8 to 12 months. Always examine the sole of your shoes, and if you see a tread pattern, this means you need to switch out your shoes.
Stretching
If you have plantar fasciitis, stretching is one of the best ways to release heel pain. There are many stretching for plantar fasciitis that delivers long-lasting relaxation. Stretching exercises along with a good pair of cushioned shoes, and you are good to go!
Take Natural Pain Reliever
Opt for a natural pain reliever and natural anti-inflammatory to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. There are many of them on the market, and you don’t necessarily need to take them in pill form, oils are also beneficial. Some of the best natural pain relievers I know are Ginger, Turmeric, Willow Bark, Feverfew, Capsaicin, Cloves, Eucalyptus essential oil, Peppermint essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, and Lavender essential oil. You’ll be surprised how these plants work if you use them consistently. Always check with your doctor if you can take these plants. Some of them can become harmful if mixed with medical treatments or pregnancy.
Change Your Eating Habits
Some foot pain is caused by inflammation, such as plantar fasciitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. If you suffer from one of these inflammations, you may consider changing your eating habits. Not everyone thinks about it, but sugar, saturated fat, refined grains, and Vegetable oils can worsen other inflammatory conditions like heel spurs and painful arches. Get rid of sugar if you can, and opt for fruits or anti-inflammatory smoothies, the blueberry one is great. Eat fish with omega 3; it reduces inflammation and lots of vegetables.
Use Inserts
Inserts or orthotics can stabilize your feet when you walk or stand, which helps reduce pain. You can either buy them in a store without prescription or have them custom made by a podiatrist. The first option (inserts) is more designed to add comfort but doesn’t correct pronation. The second option( Custom made orthotics)corrects biomechanical foot and helps with foot pain, too.
Massage Your Feet With a Roller
Massaging your underfoot with a roller relieves foot pain, it’s specially designed for this. If you don’t have a roller, you can roll your bare foot over a golf ball, tennis ball or rolling pin for a few minutes. You can apply some lavender oil mixed with chamomile and geranium oil on your sole and massage your foot on the ball. It would be best to wrap the ball with saran wrap, so it doesn’t get dirty with the oil.
Practice Strengthening Exercises
Maintaining your feet flexible and strong is essential to prevent foot pain. Walking is one of the best exercises to keep your feet supple and healthy. Try to walk at least 40 minutes, 4 times a week. To make sure you are walking enough miles, use a pedometer or fitness tracker. Another effective way to strengthen your feet is by doing resistance exercises. Weights or resistance bands are excellent and can help you in resistance training.
Some of the best exercises are:
Here are several strengthening exercises that you can apply at home to reduce foot pain.
- Pick up some pencils or marbles on the floor with your toes
- While seating, pull a serviette from the floor with your feet toward you to strengthen your feet.
- Fix a resistance band to the foot of a table. Sit in front of it on a chair, and then pull the band with your foot. It will hold the top of your foot under your toes. Finally, pull your foot toward you and hold for several seconds. It’s the ideal exercise to stretch your heel. Repeat a few times.
Ice Your Feet
Icing your feet is a great way to reduce inflammation that causes foot pain. You can either roll your feet on a frozen bottle of water or apply a small plastic bag filled with ice on the affected area for about 10 to 15 minutes. This should reduce the inflammation.
Conclusion
Foot pain is not fun, but the great thing is that there are many natural remedies that you can use to reduce the inflammation from your comfortable house. These remedies are easy to apply, and you don’t need to use expensive equipment to alleviate the pain. If you feel like you have serious foot conditions or severe foot pain, don’t wait until it aggravates and sees your doctor.
Do you know other remedies for foot pain? If so, you are more than welcome to share them in the comments below.
I don’t know about you, but I love my feet because they allow me to walk and go wherever I want to go. Without them, I would be lost! So I always spoil them with a good pair of walking shoes to make sure they are as comfortable as possible. If you take care of your feet, they will take care of you and your health. Well, fitted shoes will protect them and allow you to get more steps without pain!
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