Welcome back! Your source for all things heel pain-related. This blog covers another great and easy way to help alleviate your heel pain problem, soaking. Soaking is an excellent therapy for heel pain. It flushes your feet through blood circulation and osmosis. (Osmosis is a fancy way of saying that after soaking your heel, your blood will start removing all damaged tissues and draining the bad fluid in your foot.)

You should try and soak in hot water because the moist heat increases the flexibility of your muscles as well as relieving spasms and pain, which is great for any aching heel. Speaking of heat, it is worth noting its impressive power as well. For example, entering a dry heat sauna has an anesthesia-like effect on your pain; in heat, you won’t notice your pain as much. In addition to all of these remedies, remember that heat is another important compliment to healing.

REMEDY #2: SOAKING

II. WHAT TO SOAK WITH

1. Epsom Salt

When you add salt to your soaking water, the extra gradient provided by the salt will draw out even more toxins to reduce inflammation and swelling in your feet. Soaking with Epsom salt (MgS04) is especially effective because of the relaxing and calming effect of Magnesium in the salt.

• Put two teaspoons of Epsom salt in one quart of water. The temperature of water should be warm, not hot, but soothing. Add two tablespoons of Epsom salt for every additional quart of warm water. Soak your feet for 15 minutes and gently pat the feet dry with a towel afterward.

2. Herbs

Using herbs and botanicals in a foot soak can help treat heel pain. Juniper, for example, relieves inflammation; lavender relieves stress and depression and is beneficial for the skin; peppermint contains enough vitamin C required for tissue growth and repair; and rosemary fights bacteria and improves circulation. Their scents are also able to clear the mind to improve your mental state.

• Herbal Soak: Mix warm water with five drops of juniper essential oil, three drops of rosemary essential oil, and two drops of lavender essential oil.
• Lavender Soak: Use two drops of lavender essential oil in five liters of water along with 1/4 cup of Epsom salt.
• Peppermint Soak: Use just enough water to cover your feet up to your ankles and add three drops of peppermint essential oil.

ACTION STEPS FOR SOAKING

•  Epsom Salt Soak: Use two tablespoons of Epsom salt for every quart of warm water.
•  Herbal Soak: Five drops of juniper essential oil, three drops of rosemary essential oil, and two drops of lavender essential oil.
•  Lavender Soak: Two drops of lavender essential oil and 1/4 cup of Epsom salt in five liters of water.
•  Peppermint Soak: Three drops of peppermint essential oil in enough water to cover your feet up to the ankles.

Soaking is a wonderful and cheap way to treat your body well. You can find Epsom Salt at most grocery, or drug stores. Remember that soaking brings comfort and relief to your feet by increasing blood circulation and muscle flexibility. Epsom Salt drains bad fluid from your feet through osmosis and also relaxes the feet, due to its magnesium content. This is why table salt won’t work! Its magnesium content is too low. Soaking with herbal or botanical components also relieves pain and reduces swelling. Try soaking in the evening to relax after a long day and it will help you welcome in an excellent night of sleep.