Being able to walk is pretty important when it comes to maintaining your active lifestyle. Having to slow down or come to a complete halt because your feet are sore interrupts you busy days and puts you behind. Fortunately, our 15 home remedies for sore feet use items and ingredients which you should already have in your home in order to bring much needed relief and get you back on the move again.
Why Do People Suffer From Sore Feet?
Unsurprisingly, sore feet is one of the most common ailments that people have to deal with. Sore feet is not limited to just women either. Men will also deal with this tiresome nuance. There are many reasons why you might have to deal with sore feet. Though standing on your feet for extended periods of time is the most common reason for sore feet. There are other reasons why you might suffer from sore feet hurt. Some of the common reasons include the following.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most common reasons for having to deal with sore feet. The onset of pregnancy brings with it not only a drastic hormonal change in your body but also a sudden increase in weight. This added weight can add an undue amount of pressure on to your feet. Carrying around this weight with you throughout your normal day to day activities is something that will inevitably lead to sore feet.
Improper Footwear
Another one of the most common reasons for sore feet is not having the proper footwear on. Having shoes that offer little to no support can cause your feet to undergo unnecessary stress throughout the day. One of the best ways to avoid this is by investing in a supportive pair of shoes or adding in a cushioned slip padding that will protect you throughout the day.
Injury of Bones, Ligaments, and Tendons
There are certain injuries that can impact your feet in the long run. These injuries include anything from bone injuries to ligaments to tendon tears. Not receiving proper care after your foot injury can lead to painful sore feet. The pain can be anything from a burning sensation to a nerve injury that makes your feet tingle.
Although having sore feet is not something that anyone wants to deal with, the good news is that there are things to help ease the pain. Below, we will go over some of the top ways to help relieve some of your sore feet pains.
1. Epsom Salt
One of the best home remedies for sore feet is a nice warm soak in Epsom salt. Besides the soothing of warm water, the magnesium sulfate, which is the chemical makeup of Epsom salt, will penetrate through the skin and deliver relief to both swelling and pain.
What to Do
- Fill a foot tub with warm water.
- Add 2 to 3 Tbsp of Epsom salt and stir it until it is dissolved.
- Soak your feet in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Dry your feet and apply moisturizer.
- Repeat this 2 to 3 times daily as needed.
2. Vinegar
Another of the simplest home remedies for sore feet, which is probably on your pantry shelf is vinegar. Vinegar is able to help reduce inflammation and pain as well. Research suggests that vinegar works three times as fast as ice at reducing swelling.
What to Do
- Fill a foot tub with warm water.
- Add 2 to 3 Tbsp of distilled white vinegar.
- Soak your feet in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Dry your feet and apply moisturizer.
- Repeat this remedy a couple of times daily to reduce swelling and pain.
3. Hot and Cold Water
Hot and cold water therapy is also among the effective home remedies for sore feet. Alternating between cold and hot water will both promote circulation as well as reduce inflammation.
What to Do
- Fill one foot tub with barely bearable hot water and another with cold water and place them side by side in front of a chair.
- Soak your feet in the hot water for 3 minutes.
- Remove your feet from the hot water and put them in the cold water for 30 seconds.
- Repeat this process three times in each session, ending with the cold water soak.
- Dry your feet and apply moisturizer.
- Repeat this remedy as needed daily.
4. Cayenne Pepper
A spice that you probably have in your cabinet which can be one of the home remedies for sore feet is cayenne pepper. Rich in capsaicin, which is what puts the heat in cayenne pepper, is known to relieve, muscle aches, arthritis, lower back pain and muscle strains and sprains. It can have the same effect on your sore feet.
What to Do
- Sprinkle cayenne pepper powder into your socks before putting them on.
- An alternative is to mix ½ tsp of cayenne pepper in 1 Tbsp of olive or coconut oil, and then rub this mixture into your sore feet.
- Repeat these remedies as necessary to combat sore foot pain.
5. Mustard Seeds
At first glance, you might not consider mustard seeds among home remedies for sore feet, but they really do work. Mustard seeds can help to remove toxins from your body, improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation to bring pain relief.
What to Do
- Add 1 to 2 Tbsp of ground mustard seeds to a foot tub filled with warm water.
- Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes in the solution, and then pat them dry.
- Apply moisturizers to your feet.
- Repeat this remedy as needed throughout the day.
6. Sage
Regardless of what sort of injury or wound has caused your foot pain, sage is a home remedies for sore feet ingredient that you cannot overlook. Sage works on strains, sprains, cuts and other causes by reducing inflammation. An added benefit of sage is that it also gets rid of foot odor.
What to Do
- Gently rub a handful of fresh sage or salvia leaves between the palms of your hands.
- Place the leaves in a pot with a little less than a cup of apple cider vinegar.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then allow it to simmer for five minutes.
- Allow the solution to cool for a few minutes and then soak a cotton cloth in the solution.
- Wrap the cloth over your sore foot and leave it in place until it cools.
- Repeat the process until the solution in the pot is no longer warm.
- Use this remedy as often as necessary for pain.
7. Essential Oils
Several essential oils are also among the top home remedies for sore feet. Essential oils can penetrate through the skin and impact the source of the pain by increasing circulation, eliminating toxins and/or reducing inflammation.
What to Do
- Fill a foot tub with warm water.
- Add 6 drops each of eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil, and then 3 drops of peppermint oil to the tub.
- Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes.
- In addition, you can mix 1 drop of each of these oils in 1 Tbsp of coconut or olive oil and use it as a moisturizer where called for in the other remedies we have discussed.
8. Asparagus
Asparagus is among the most surprising home remedies for sore feet. Rubbing asparagus on your feet probably won’t affect the pain, but it does act as a diuretic when you consume it. As a diuretic, asparagus will draw out the fluids of an edema or other inflammation bringing relief to your sore feet.
What to Do
- Steam 3 to 4 shoots of fresh asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes and then eat it.
- Consume this 3 to 4 times throughout the day.
- You can also make asparagus tea and drink it 2 to 3 times daily.
9. Cinnamon Tea
While we are on the subject of teas, another one of the most effective home remedies for sore feet is cinnamon tea. The antioxidants, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties of cinnamon can eliminate the causes of your sore feet.
What to Do
- Add 1 tsp of ground cinnamon to 1 Tbsp of honey and mix them together.
- Add the mixture to a cup of hot water and drink it 2 to 3 times daily.
- As an alternative, you can mix 1 tsp of ground cinnamon in 1 Tbsp of honey and a dab or two of water to thin the mixture a little, and then apply this mixture to your sore feet.
- Allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing and drying your feet and applying moisturizer.
10. Clove Oil
Clove oil is another essential oil that is among the effective home remedies for sore feet. Join pain, inflammation and overall pain can be relieved by clove oil, which promotes circulation, has an analgesic effect and reduces inflammation. Clove oil is often used by your dentist to numb your gums before giving you an injection.
What to Do
- Add 3 drops of clove oil to 1 Tbsp of coconut or olive oil and mix it in well.
- Apply the oil to your sore feet and allow it to absorb for 30 minutes or so.
- Repeat this remedy 2 or 3 times daily or as needed for pain.
11. Ice
The home remedies for sore feet do not get much simpler or more readily available than ice. Ice is an excellent way to reduce inflammation as well as temporarily numb the nerve endings causing the pain in your feet.
What to Do
- Wrap a reseal-able freezer bag filled with crushed ice or a package of frozen vegetables in a thin towel.
- Place the ice over the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat this remedy 2 to 3 times daily or as needed to get relief.
12. Turmeric
A powerful herb among the best home remedies for sore feet is turmeric. Turmeric contains a compound known as curcuma, which is loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is sometimes used in the treatment of plantar fasciitis or bone spurs as well as a number of other inflammatory issues.
What to Do
- To make Turmeric Golden Paste, add ½ cup turmeric powder and ½ cup of water to a sauce pan. Keep a little extra water on hand near you.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, adding water if necessary until you have a thick paste.
- Allow the mixture to cool until it is still warm to the touch.
- Mix in 1/3 cup of extra virgin coconut or olive oil and 2 to 3 tsp of black pepper.
- Pour the mixture into a small jar and refrigerate. It will keep up to 2 weeks.
- Consume 1 tsp of Turmeric Golden Paste daily in juice, warm water, a smoothie or just take it straight.
- You can also use this paste topically and massage it into the affected area.
13. Cabbage Leaves
Wrapping your feet in cabbage leaves might be the rarest of the home remedies for sore feet on our list. Certain enzymes and other properties in cabbage leaves work as a drawing agent and will draw excess fluids or inflammation out of your feet.
What to Do
- Separate several cabbage leaves from a head of cabbage and chill them for 5 minutes or so in the freezer.
- Wrap the leaves around your sore feet and secure them in place.
- Allow them to remain in place for at least 30 minutes before removing them.
- Repeat this remedy whenever your feet are inflamed.
14. Alter Your Diet
We mentioned asparagus earlier, but there are additional foods that make excellent home remedies for sore feet. Various compounds and nutrients in different foods help to control inflammation, fluid retention and pain. Altering your diet to eliminate foods that will add to your pain issues and adding foods that will reduce your pain issues is a longer-term solution to chronic foot soreness.
What to Do
- Foods that can help include: bananas, parsley, cold water fish, green leafy vegetables, chia and flax seeds.
- Foods that don’t help include: alcohol, refined flour and sugar, highly processed foods and artificial sweeteners.
- Pay attention to what you eat and work at eliminating inflammatory foods.
15. Exercise Feet
Exercising your feet is one of the home remedies for sore feet on our list that does not require any additional ingredients. Stretching and warming up your feet when you get out of bed and before going to bed can improve circulation, eliminating inflammation and pain.
What to Do
- Sit in a chair and place a small, soft ball on the floor in front of you.
- Move the ball around on the floor using all portions of the bottom of your foot, making sure that each portion spends some time moving the ball around.
- Do this for 5 to 10 minutes with each foot.
- As an alternative, you can roll an old broom handle back and forth under your feet for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat these exercises morning and night.
Summing Up
There is no reason for sore feet, no matter the cause, to keep you sidelined. Making use of one or several of our 15 home remedies for sore feet, you can get right back into the swing of things and continue your active lifestyle without further interruption. Don’t forget to add any additional remedies, success stories, comments or questions in the section provided below so that others might benefit.