An estimated 10.3% of American adults suffer from a lot of pain.
While any type of pain can be debilitating, foot pain is particularly menacing. Finding foot pain relief is essential to getting back to everyday activities as simple as walking.
Fortunately, foot pain can sometimes be treated with simple remedies you can do yourself. If you’re experiencing foot pain, try these top 3 remedies before anything else.
1. Ice & RICE
If your foot pain is the result of inflammation, trauma, infection, arthritis, bursitis, or gout, it might be worth trying to ice it. Simply wrap some ice, an ice pack, or frozen veggies in a cloth or towel and apply it to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes.
You might also try the RICE method which involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This method works best if the foot pain is caused by a sprain or fracture.
The rest, ice, and compression steps involve staying off the injury and resting it, applying an ice pack repeatedly within the first 48 hours, and using a compression bandage on the foot or ankle. The elevation step refers to elevating the foot above the heart to decrease swelling.
2. Stretching
Regular stretching can do wonders for foot pain relief and relief of all sorts of pain. For foot pain, you should focus on both the feet and the calves.
If your pain is related to plantar fasciitis or your arches, you can try an exercise wherein you place 5-6 marbles on the floor with a cup nearby. Try to pick up the marbles with your foot while keeping your heel on the floor and place the marbles into the cup.
You can easily stretch calve muscles with lunges and forward-folding while sitting on the ground. Stretching your calves releases pain and discomfort from the feet.
3. Homeopathic Injections for Foot Pain Relief
Chronic inflammation is your body trying to protect itself. By causing the sensation of pain, your body forces you to stop using the part of the body that’s injured. That is supposed to give your immune system a chance to do its job and heal the injury.
When you don’t stop using the affected body part or take medication that numbs pain signals, you can cause further injury. You may also cause problems with your gait. For additional information on that, learn more about gait analysis.
Instead of the steroidal medicines commonly used to treat foot pain, consider homeopathic injections. These are injections of natural medicines. The medicines are usually made with plants and minerals that have a detoxifying effect on chronic inflammation.
All the Health Help You Need
The causes of foot pain are as wide and varied as the number of foot pain relief remedies out there. But before you book yourself a massage or a physiotherapy appointment, try these simple, natural remedies. Stretching and icing are easily DIY treatments while homeopathic injections are available from a growing number of naturopaths and homeopathic practitioners.
And for more health help and advice, be sure to check our health archives regularly.