Everyone experiences foot pain at one point or another. Whether you just went on a hike in the wrong shoes, are stressed, or you have a health condition, foot pain is a normal part of everyday life. Unfortunately, we rely on our feet to get us places and ensure we can get things done, so foot pain makes it difficult to accomplish even the smallest tasks. Luckily, there are ways to ease foot pain at home.
1. Use Ice
An ice pack can help ease sore muscles in your feet, making it useful for those with joint pain due to infection, arthritis, and inflammation. However, you should never place ice directly on the skin. If you need to make your DIY ice pack, wrap frozen vegetables in a towel before applying it to your skin. Additionally, only apply ice in 15-minute intervals.
2. Try Aspirin
Anti-inflammatory medicine like Aspirin and ibuprofen can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation in your feet. If you’re suffering from arthritis or gout, these over-the-counter medications can provide relief for a few hours. They can also reduce swelling and make tired feet ache less. You should also be on top of taking your daily vitamins. Although, this may not seem like a common fix, if you take daily multivitamins, or joint vitamins it can help alleviate pain in the future, the most common vitamin you see taken for this is Vitamin D.
3. Get Better Shoes
People suffering from daily foot pain are often wearing the wrong shoes. For example, women who frequently wear high heels may experience foot pain in their heels and arches. By wearing low-heeled, comfortable running shoes that provide proper arch support, you can relieve tension on your feet so they won’t be prone to pain.
If you have plantar fasciitis, also known as jogger’s heel, you can wear shoes with a more cushioned sole. If your shoes are still uncomfortable, consider investing in an insole that can provide you with more support.
Wearing the right shoes can also help your toes stay healthy. Wearing shoes that are the wrong size can force your toes to rub up against the shoe, causing painful ingrown toenails. Wearing the right comfortable shoes can prevent pain associated with ingrown toenails so you can walk easier and feel less pain.
4. Rest Your Feet
If you work on your feet or spend many hours standing, your feet might need a little rest. Putting your feet up to rest them on a footstool or chair can keep pressure off of them, making swollen feet feel better.
5. Stretch
Stretching your feet can help prevent painful arches and heels. You can stretch your feet in numerous ways, including:
- Curling your toe towards your body
- Picking up small objects from the floor with your toes
- Standing on your toes and reaching up to the sky
Stretching will provide your feet with the necessary blood flow for your feet to begin feeling better and healing whatever might be the cause of minor aches and pains.
You might also consider stretching your calves as tight calf muscles can contribute to sore feet. After all, your muscles are all connected in some way or another.
6. A Warm Bath
A warm bath can help relax muscles that are tight or swollen, including the muscles and joints in your feet. If you have tight muscles or a knot near or in your foot, you might need to release the knot to find relief from your pain. A warm bath with Epsom salt can get rid of minor aches and pain in the feet, and it might even help relieve health conditions that are the cause of your pain, such as neuropathy.
7. Splits
Splints can help you stretch your feet without putting much effort into it. You can wear splits at night to relieve foot pain while you sleep. These splints give you the same stretch in your heel and arch that you’d get from rolling your toes back towards your body.
8. Compression Socks
Compression socks can help relieve foot pain because they promote blood flow and circulation in the feet and legs. Putting pressure on your feet can also reduce swelling to make wearing shoes and standing up more comfortable.
9. Red Light Therapy
Also known as laser therapy, red light therapy may be able to help reduce your foot pain. Laser therapy uses lasers to increase circulation, relieve pain, and relax the muscles. These machines are typically safe when used according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and can be found at many online stores, including Amazon.
10. Exercise
If you have a desk job, you might have weak foot muscles that cause pain when you walk, run, or even while you’re still sitting. Exercising your feet and calves can help strengthen your foot muscles to reduce pain during regular daily activities.
11. Modify Activity Levels
If you’ve been spending more time on your feet than usual, you can expect aches and pains because your feet aren’t used to all the pressure you’re putting on them. Instead of going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one, slowly adjust your activity levels, giving your feet time to adjust. If you are experiencing foot pain after exercise, you may have to slow down and exercise less so your feet can catch up to your motivation.
12. Massage
Sometimes you just need to massage your feet to get rid of aches and pains by promoting circulation and reducing inflammation. You can use your hands or buy a special foot roller to massage your soles and arches. If you have one handy, you can also place a tennis ball on the floor and roll your foot over it. You can pair a massage with a warm bath to get the ultimate relief and make your feet immediately feel better.
13. Determine the Cause
If you’re not a podiatrist or doctor, determining the cause of your foot pain can be difficult. It’s typically best to stay away from medical websites, or else you might freak yourself out over a minor ache. The best way to cure your foot pain is to see a specialist who can determine the cause of your foot pain. For example, a podiatrist might uncover a health issue like essential tremor or diabetic neuropathy that could be causing pain. So if you have chronic foot pain, home remedies might not be enough to make you feel better. Always consult a doctor if your condition gets worse.
About the Guest Author: Marné Amoguis
Marné Amoguis holds a B.A. in International Business from UC San Diego. She is a contributing writer at 365businesstips.com where she loves sharing her passion for digital marketing. Outside of writing, she loves traveling, playing music, and hiking.
