Home Remedies For Swollen Feet And Ankles

Besides helping you relieve swelling, foot baths with coarse salt or herbal remedies allow you to relax after a long day at work.

The use of heeled shoes, pregnancy, sitting too long, long-haul air travel, circulatory problems, or even edema, are some of the most common causes of inflamed feet and ankles.

If you want to get rid of this disorder, read this article where we are going to reveal the best home remedies for swollen feet and ankles.

What you should know about swollen feet and ankles

It is a very common condition, especially in women. This condition, called peripheral edema or fluid retention, develops in the extremities of the human body, especially in the ankles and feet.

It is a common symptom of pregnancy, but it can also indicate eating too much salt or fat, wearing the wrong shoes, or working in a bad posture every day.

The feet and ankles swell for various causes.  In addition to the potential causes we told you about earlier, here are some other reasons that can cause inflammation in the extremities of your body:

• Too much sedentarization
• Overweight
• Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle
• Kidney failure
• Liver problems

How to relieve swelling in swollen feet and ankles?

Thanks to the following techniques, you will be able to relieve the symptoms of swollen feet:

Massages

They can help you reactivate blood circulation to parts of your body to prevent inflammation in your feet.

Before you begin, immerse your feet in a basin of lukewarm water that contains herbs (the same ones you use to prepare your infusions).

Once they are clean, dry them with a towel. Apply a few drops of essential oil (sage, lavender, or rosemary) or, if you don’t have one, use olive or almond oil.

Another option is to prepare an infusion of chamomile flowers, which you will let cool and filter before applying it to your feet, performing a massage.

Begin to gently massage your entire feet, working  from the ankles to the toes.

Try making circular movements, or pushing your fingers up and down. You can even start just below your knee for optimal relaxation.

To massage yourself, there is another option. Stand up, or sit on a chair, and put your bare feet or with socks on, on a tennis ball.

Position it just at the level of the hollow of your foot. Massage yourself by moving the ball from back to front, or by making circular motions for example.

The idea is that the ball puts pressure on your foot, not hurting you, but enough to activate your blood circulation.

Before changing your foot, compare the sensations you have between your two limbs, and you will see how good this massage has been for you.

Immersion baths

By immersing your feet and ankles in water, you will allow them to deflate very quickly. We already gave you an example of this technique in the previous tip.

You can also use coarse salt dissolved in lukewarm water, and immerse your feet for 30 minutes in this mixture, to relax them.

Oatmeal is also a great option because, in addition to reducing the swelling, it will help remove all the impurities that are on your feet.

Sage is another interesting solution for making immersion baths, because it will allow you to fight water retention.

Prepare an infusion with a handful of sage in a cup of hot water, and once it has become lukewarm, pour it into a basin, in which you will immerse your feet until the infusion cools completely.

Diuretics

We recommend that you opt for natural diuretics. There are herbal teas and fruits with diuretic properties that will help you eliminate the fluids that have accumulated in your legs, ankles and feet.

They will promote urination, and give you excellent taste sensations. Some of the ones you can use are pineapple, strawberries, and tamarind.

Eat them raw or in desserts any time of the day

Among the infusions with the most effective diuretic properties, we find horsetail or hibiscus flower.

It is important to keep in mind that these herbs should be consumed in reasonable proportions.

Add only one spoonful of these plants per cup of boiling water, and drink no more than three per day.

Cold therapy

Applying cold is excellent for reducing any inflammation that may arise in our body. When you take a hit, you have the reflex to apply ice.

It is quite the same for the feet and ankles, because the ice will help you to easily deflate this part of your body.

Add a few ice cubes to a clean cloth, and apply it to the area. Never put ice cubes directly on your skin, as you could burn yourself.

Elevation

When you get home from a day at the office, during which you had to put up with high heels or prolonged sitting, the first thing to do is take off your shoes, and elevate your legs.

Sit on your sofa and rest your heels on a cushion at the other end of your sofa.

You can also opt for the “candle pose”. To do this, put a small mat on your floor, then lie down on your back. Place your arms at your sides, and lift your legs up to the sky, along with your torso.

Stay in this position in which you are supported only on your shoulders and your head. Try to keep the balance!