The Best Home Remedies to Relieve Foot Pain
Suffering from sore, aching feet? Try these do-it-yourself strategies for foot pain relief.
Sore Feet Remedies Worth Trying
Sometimes foot pain has an obvious cause, such as a fungal infection like athlete’s foot, corns, a callus or an ingrown toenail. If the discomfort you feel stems simply from fatigue or poorly fitting shoes, your best friend may be water—warm or cold, with or without herbal extras—or an invigorating foot massage. Here are some of the best do-it-yourself sore feet remedies.
Soak Away Foot Pain
For a refreshing and stimulating sore feet remedy, fill one basin with cold water and another with water as hot as you can comfortably tolerate. Sit in a chair, and place your feet in the cold water. After five minutes, switch to the hot water. Repeat. This “hydromassage” alternately dilates and constricts blood vessels in your feet, boosting circulation.
To pamper your feet with essential oils, fill a bowl with hot water and add two drops peppermint oil, along with four drops each of eucalyptus and rosemary oil. Soak for 10 minutes.
If you don’t have any essential oils at home, brew up a very strong cup of peppermint tea and add it to the water.
Alternatively, soak your feet in a warm-water footbath spiked with half an ounce of arnica tincture. The improved blood flow almost instantly results in foot pain relief.
Don’t miss these home remedies for stinky feet.
Find Foot Pain Relief Through Massage
Buy a roller specially designed to massage the soles of the feet (you can usually find them at health stores), or roll your bare feet over a tennis ball, golf ball or rolling pin for several minutes.
To make a stimulating massage oil for foot pain relief, combine two drops clove oil with three tablespoons sesame oil. Mix the ingredients well and massage the oils into your aching feet. Another tried-and-true foot-rub recipe calls for three drops lavender oil, one drop chamomile oil and one drop geranium oil mixed into two teaspoons olive oil.
Find out the sneaky reasons you’ve got sore feet all the time.
Wear Shoe Inserts
Shoe inserts, or orthotics, can provide foot pain relief if your discomfort is caused by flat feet or fallen arches. They’re available at medical-supply stores or from a podiatrist.
Putting off that visit to the doctor? Here are 20 symptoms you should never ignore.
Give Your Feet a Workout
Try wrapping a thick rubber band around all the toes on one foot. Spread your toes and hold the stretch for five seconds. Repeat ten times to relieve cramped, shoe-bound feet.
You can also scatter a few pencils on the floor, and pick them up with your toes. This little exercise helps relieve foot ache.
Check out more expert-approved strategies to manage everyday aches and pains.
Soothe Heel Pain
Heel pain, especially in the morning, may signal plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tough band of tissue that connects your heel bone to the base of your toes. To get relief, stretch the Achilles tendon. Stand about three feet from a wall. Place your hands on the wall and move your right leg forward, knee bent. Keep your left leg straight, with your heel on the floor. You should feel a gentle stretch in your heel and foot arch. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
Discover 10 easy exercises to improve your health.
How to Prevent Foot Pain in the First Place
Apply a lotion (ideally a heel balm) containing urea to rough spots before they turn into troublesome calluses. Start with a small amount, as urea-based lotions can sting.
Another way to prevent skin from toughening up is by soaking your feet in a bowl of warm water once a week. Afterwards, apply a moisturizing lotion. (Here’s how to find the best moisturizer for your skin.)
Also, choose shoes that fit well. You should have a thumb’s width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Shoes should be wide enough so that your toes and the balls of your feet aren’t cramped from side to side. But if shoes are too roomy, your feet will slide around and rub against the sides.
Now that you’ve got these sore feet remedies in your toolkit, check out 10 home remedies that are backed by science.
