Foot pain can be a real pain. It has happened to all of us at some point in our lives. You are probably someone who suffers from nagging heel or foot pain that won’t go away.
Surely you have also already looked for some home remedies and none of them seem to end the pain. You start to wonder if pain is a part of your life that you have to accept.
We invite you to learn a little more about this topic, in the following article.
Causes of foot pain
There can be many causes for which you may be suffering from foot pain. If you’ve been spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that means you’ve been spending more time rocking your favorite pair of slippers and sandals.
Therefore, this may be why you are experiencing more foot pain than usual. On the other hand, if you have started training at home without using the right shoes to exercise, it could also be causing problems with your feet.
Either way, foot pain is very common, and most people report having experienced foot pain at some point in their lives. Did you know that the feet are the second part of the body with the most bones?
In this sense, it should not surprise us that our feet hurt, since they are a complex structure. The foot and ankle contain a total of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Ouch! All of this may explain why there are so many causes of foot pain. However, we will focus on the most common ones below.
Aging
According to a study published in Science Direct, foot pain affects approximately one in four older people. Similarly, foot pain can be effectively treated in older people with interventions such as massage and proper footwear and orthotics .
Overweight
According to a study published by the NHS, people with obesity are more prone to foot pain compared to their normal-weight counterparts.
This is because being overweight and obese puts more stress on your feet and lower extremities, making you more prone to arthritis and foot pain.
In fact, it can also create a debilitating cycle where it’s hard to keep moving and exercise, which can result in even more weight gain.
prolonged time standing
Standing for long periods of time can cause stress and pain in your feet. The whole body can experience changes in terms of posture, back pain, bunions, corns, and plantar warts.
However, there are many ways to avoid these conditions with proper foot care, good footwear, and good posture.
foot diseases
The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis . Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of a soft piece of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes.
If you’re afraid of getting out of bed in the morning because those first few steps are hard for you, you may be.
If you feel like you’re stepping on needles when you get up after sitting for hours, you may have it. It is estimated that between 7% and 10% of the population in the United States have plantar fasciitis.
Another of the most common orthopedic problems is flat feet. People with flat feet have little or no arches in their feet.
Some people with flat feet experience foot pain, especially in the heel or arch area. The pain may get worse with activity.
injuries
Injuries such as ligament sprains, muscle strains, bruises, and fractures often occur suddenly and can be the result of a single or multiple stresses on the foot.
A sprain occurs when the ligaments that hold the bones together are overstretched and their fibers tear. This can lead to chronic foot pain, joint instability, and deformity.
Overexertion can cause stress fractures, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and osteoarthritis.
Fractures often occur in the metatarsal bones, the long bones of the foot, and the tarsus. These fractures are often caused by mild stress from excessive walking.
congenital deformities
The most common congenital anomalies of the feet are: clubfoot (talipes equinovarus), a birth defect in which the foot causes it to become twisted or misshapen.
On the other hand is the rocking chair deformity (or overloaded clubfoot), and more common such as flat foot, metatarsus varus (deviation of the metatarsal bones) and cavus foot (a very pronounced arch).
According to a study published in the Journal of Radiology, these congenital deformities can cause sharp pain in the sole of the foot and should be treated with a specialist doctor.
inappropriate shoes
This is perhaps the most prominent reason why many people suffer from foot pain. Shoes that are too tight, too loose, tight, or unnaturally shaped can cause or exacerbate problems.
Almost half of all women experience sore feet. Often the culprit is heels or ill-fitting shoes.
We recommend you always wear comfortable shoes and that the size fits as well, both in length and width.
strong trauma
Strains, stretches or tears in muscles or tendons and sprains are also often due to stretching. While bone fractures often occur during slips and falls.
As advancing age and repetitive stress on the foot can make a person more susceptible to these injuries. Improper footwear and training are also factors in many cases of foot trauma.
Home remedies to get rid of foot pain
Sometimes foot pain can become unbearable or very annoying. Therefore, here we share some home remedies with ingredients that you surely have at home to end this nightmare.
Here are some of the best home strategies to relieve foot pain.
ice application
Ice can reduce swelling and inflammation, while taking a few minutes out of the day to rest can give your feet some time to recover.
If your feet hurt, grab an ice pack to cool down and give your feet a break. Keep the ice on your feet for 15 minutes at a time with an ice pack several times a day.
contrast baths
Contrast baths are used to relieve foot pain and help reduce inflammation. They involve immersing the sore limb alternately in cold and lukewarm water.
Submerge in a bucket of ice water (as cold as you can tolerate) for about 2 minutes. Then, dip your foot into another bucket filled with warm water, around 40°C, for 30 seconds.
The soaks alternate up to 15 minutes. Ideally, repeat it 3 times a day. It is important to finish the bath with a soak in cold water to reduce inflammation.
Massages with essential oils
Try massaging your feet with a foot roller (can be found in health stores), or rolling your feet on a tennis ball on the floor for several minutes.
We recommend massaging with an essential oil to relieve foot pain, some good oils to reduce pain are: rosemary essential oil and camphor oil which are natural pain relievers and muscle relaxants.
Massages with arnica gel
Arnica oil is an herbal remedy known for its potential to relieve sore feet, sprains, and muscle strains.
It is very effective, simply take a little arnica ointment and apply it to the bottom of your feet with massages that follow the line of the muscle fibers, especially in the area where it hurts and on the plantar fascia.
Massages with aloe vera gel
Just like arnica gel, you can do the exact same thing with aloe vera. Aloe vera gel is very effective in reducing inflammation and relieving pain.
You just have to put a little gel on the soles of your feet with massages that follow the line of the muscle fibers of the affected area.
Cucumber massage
Feet are susceptible to inflammation and cucumber is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. We show you a recipe for a home remedy that you cannot stop trying at home.
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers
- ½ cup of water
Preparation and application
- In a blender add all the ingredients.
- Blend everything until you get a homogeneous paste, similar, for example, to the consistency of hummus.
- Apply the paste to your feet and massage them for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water and pat dry. You can try this remedy 3 times a day and keep the paste in the fridge.
onion massage
Did you know that onions can relieve pain and inflammation? This is thanks to a flavonoid in onions called quercetin, which can buffer chemicals that cause inflammation. Try this onion massage and say goodbye to foot pain.
Ingredients
- 1 chopped onion
- ½ cup of water
Preparation and application
- In a blender add all the ingredients.
- Blend everything until you get a homogeneous paste.
- Apply the paste to your feet and massage them for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water and soap.
Chamomile Dip
The chamomile foot bath is a wonderful homemade recipe to relax tired feet. This homemade stress reliever is very easy and inexpensive to make.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of chamomile flowers
- 1 liter of water
Preparation and application
- Prepare the chamomile infusion and let it warm.
- Once it is at a suitable temperature, put it in a container where you can submerge your feet for 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
Apple cider vinegar dip
Vinegar, in addition to relieving pain, can protect us against bacteria, fungi and other microbes, so soaking your feet could have many benefits for the skin of your feet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of water
Preparation and application
- Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a container.
- Soak your feet in the mixture for 5 minutes before rinsing.
mint dip
The mint foot bath is ideal for relaxing tired feet and reducing swelling. This home remedy is very easy to make, it also smells great and you can do it every day.
Ingredients
- 7 mint leaves
- 1 liter of water
Preparation and application
- Prepare the mint infusion and let it warm.
- Once it is at a suitable temperature, transfer it to a container where you can submerge your feet for 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water and dry your feet.
