Your feet carry the bulk of your weight every single day.

How often do you give them some attention?

Other that the usual bath, do you check on your feet regularly?

Or are they forgotten until there is pain?

If your weight is above average, you’re subjecting your feet to additional pressure on a daily basis.

For those suffering from diabetes or other health conditions that affect the circulation of blood,

the feet require additional care.

“You owe your mobility

to your feet. 

You may as well take

good care of them.”

Massage

There are numerous benefits of massage to the body, and the feet are no exception.

It relaxes tight muscles, reduces swelling and improves blood circulation.

Use a lotion or a massage cream to gently rub the feet, paying special attention to the aching areas.

Using your fingers, rub in small circular motions.

Massage the arch of each foot with long, deep strokes using the thumb.

Rotate and pull each toe.

Hold the foot between both hands; rub up and down the full length, applying appropriate pressure.

You can have someone else carry out the massage if you cannot comfortably reach your feet.

Exercise

Stretch and relax your ankles and toes by exercising them often.

Roll the soles of your feet on a water bottle or a tennis ball.

Stretch the calf muscle by performing the wall/runner’s stretch.

Move your foot up and down and make circular motions with the ankle joint.

Curl your toes by using them to pick tiny objects like pebbles and forming them into a pile.

Alternate standing on your toes and lifting them off the ground for some minutes.

Do this every day and the pain will gradually decrease.

Soak

Dipping your feet in salty water for sometime is soothing and could relieve pain.

Rub your feet while at it.

Choose the water temperature that you’re comfortable with.

If you have swollen feet, go for cold water.

You can even add some ice cubes.

After soaking for about 30 minutes, rinse with running water.

You can alternate hot and cold water for rinsing.

Afterwards, pat dry and moisturize.

Elevate

If you have swollen feet, keep them elevated at 45 degrees above the body for about 20 minutes.

Lie flat on the bed/sofa and rest your feet on the headboard/armrest.

Alternatively, you can lie on the carpet and rest your feet at the edge of a stool.

The blood flows away from the feet reducing the swelling and pain.

Feet Type

Most feet fall into 2 categories.

Flat feet and high arch.

Look at your footprint.

If it has an inward dent, then you have a high arch.

It it’s largely straight, you have a flat foot.

This means the entire sole of your foot comes into contact with the ground when you stand/walk.

High arch feet are rigid and require adequate support.

Flat feet on the other hand need to be safeguarded from excess movement.

“No need putting your

feet at risk in the name

of looking glamorous.”

Shoe Choice

Wear your high heels with precaution.

They should not be uncomfortably high, and even then, don’t keep them on for too long.

Alternate with low shoes.

Buy the right shoe size.

Avoid squeezing into shoes just because they look fashionable.

Worse still, pointed shoes never seem to go out of fashion, yet they squeeze the toes into

a limited space causing discomfort and pain.

No need putting your feet at risk in the name of looking glamorous.

If the pain persists anyway, you may have sustained an ankle injury.

Consult your doctor for a comprehensive check.

Treatment methods that may be recommended include medication, surgery, stem cell injections,

or physiotherapy.

You owe your mobility to your feet; you may as well take good care of them.

What are your favorite natural remedies to soothe your aching feet?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.