After an active day requiring a lot of standing and walking, the feet will succumb to the pressure they are subjected to causing fatigue and pain. This happens mostly to people who are in careers that require them to stand or walk most of the day like athletes, nurses, teachers, and cashiers.
If you spend your day actively on your feet carrying out activities like shopping, hiking and sports you are also prone to getting feet fatigue and pain. Another cause for pain on the feet include fungal infections, bunions, arthritis and not wearing well-fitted footwear.
Here are the top 5 home remedies for relieving your feet, regardless of the cause of the pain or fatigue.
1. Chamomile oil
Chamomile oil is known to reduce pain and inflammation on the muscles. These properties are prevalent in both the German and Roman Chamomile oil. The chamomile oil is used alone or combined with other essential oils.
How to use chamomile oil
The chamomile oil can be used in a foot bath. Add around 10 drops of chamomile oil to warm water in a basin. Soak the feet in the mixture and massage them gently to relax the muscles and absorb the oil.
You may also mix the oil with olive oil and massage the feet using the mixture.
Chamomile extract is also used in tea to relax the muscles of the body and ease pain.
2. Lavender oil
Lavender oil is known to contain compounds that act as sedatives thereby relieving pain. Lavender oil has relaxing and soothing properties which can help relax muscles when used in a gentle massage. Lavender oil is known to have antimicrobial properties which reduce infections like fungal infections which increase the risk of painful feet. It also has abilities to heal cuts and burns.
How to use lavender oil
Mix 3-4 drops of lavender oil with olive oil and use the mixture to massage the feet. Add more oil when the hands become dry. Lavender oil can also be mixed with other essential oils like chamomile, tea tree oil, olive oil and orange oil and the mixture used to massage the feet.
Lavender oil can also be used in a bath to soak the feet. Add about five drops of lavender oil in a cup of milk and mix them vigorously. Add the mixture to your water and soak your feet for about 20 minutes. The milk helps to spread the lavender oil in the water.
3. Ice therapy
Ice therapy has been proven to relieve pain, muscle damage and reduce inflammation. The cold temperature calms the nerves and numbs the muscles causing the pain to eventually stop. There are several ways in which you can use ice;
Ice bath – place a little water in a basin and add ice cubes. Dip the feet in the water and keep adding the ice cubes as they melt. Soak your feet for about 20 minutes.
Ice pack – there are ice packs and ice slippers available for sale. You freeze the ice pack and wear it for about 20 minutes. Refreeze the back before using again. You can also use a bag of frozen peas.
ice massage – put water in a paper cup and freeze it. Peel off part of the cup to expose the ice and massage the feet using the exposed ice. Another way of massaging the feet is using plastic bottle full of frozen water. Place the bottle on the floor and roll it to and fro using the foot.
You can also make a quick cold pack by placing ice in a plastic film and placing it on the foot.
4. Vinegar
Vinegar is used to relieve the feet because it has anti-inflammatory compounds which relax muscles and relieve pain. Vinegar also has antifungal compounds which assist in getting rid of infections like athletes foot and fungal nail infection. This can eliminate any pain caused by these conditions.
How to use vinegar
You can use vinegar in a foot soak. Use a ratio of one part of vinegar to two parts of water. Soak your feet in the water for 30 minutes. It is advisable to do some massage on your feet to get the best results. You can mix the mixture with lavender oil to minimize the odor of the mixture.
Afterward, make sure you moisturize your feet as vinegar may cause dry feet. Use this remedy 3 – 4 times each week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjbcmbD00Lc
5. Epsom salt
Epsom salt is used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and relax muscles. The ingredients which are responsible for this are magnesium and sulfate. These ingredients are absorbed into the body through the skin. The Epsom salt can also be used in the bath for the whole body.
How to use
Add one cup of the salt in warm water in a basin. The water should not be hot. Make sure that you add the salt first then the water so that the salt dissolves completelyIf not swish the water to dissolve the salt. Soak your feet in the mixture for about 30 minutes.
You may use Epsom salt on its own but adding other essential oils in the mixture will give you more benefits. After you will need to moisturize your feet because the salt will cause dry feet. Soak your feet in this bath 3-4 times every week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNP7S3HYmWE
These remedies are not only easy to do, they also use readily available products. This makes them really affordable and easy to carry out at home as required.
To avoid pain and fatigue, it is vital that you have comfy and supportive foowear throughout the day, choosing proper shoes is not an easy task, so we recommend you to read more on the topic.
Tell us in the comments section below what other remedies have worked for you before. Did you enjoy this list? Do not forget to share with others.
Lilly Derrah is the founder of ShoesTracker, a foot health blog dedicated to provide honest foot health advice and information. She aspires to help her readers improve their foot heath condition by sharing personal tips learned through both years of experience and thorough research. Follow her on Twitter @lillyderrah to learn more about Lilly and her work.