We all know that a nurse’s job is stressful and comes with a truckload of responsibilities.
Nurses are the unsung heroes of a hospital and spend most of their time on their feet, running around and taking care of others.
That is why it is essential for nurses to take care of themselves. One of the most common health problems nurses face is feet problems. Long working hours standing on your feet can lead to a lot of foot-related issues.
According to copperclothing.com the quickest way to avoid swollen feet and legs is to wear ‘copper compression socks’ that help to regulate your blood flow. Other important quick fixes include maintaining a healthy weight and wearing a pair of shoes that are comfortable enough to run around in.
Here are ten effective foot care tips to relieve foot pain:
1. Take Time Out To Do Stretching Exercises
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It’s important to stretch your feet to prevent swollen feet and legs. Stretching is vital for anyone who walks, stands, or runs for an extended period.
Stretching exercises will improve your flexibility and mobility, and provide temporary relief to your aching feet.
2. Try an Epsom Salt Foot Bath
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Not only is this a good foot care tip, but an Epsom salt foot bath is a great way to unwind and feel like you are at a spa, all in the comfort of your home.
Creating a foot soak is easy enough — fill a bucket of water (large enough to submerge both your feet) with lukewarm water.
Add a spoon of Epsom salt into the bucket and let your feet soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
Then dry off your feet and apply moisturizer.
An Epsom salt foot soak can help reduce the inflammation that causes aching feet.
3. Indulge in a Tennis Ball Foot Massage
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Is foot pain getting you down?
Here’s an excellent remedy you can practice anywhere. Take a tennis ball and place the bottom of your foot on the top of the ball. Roll the ball back and forth along the length of your arch. This will help relieve muscle tension and reduce foot pain.
4. Contrast Hydrotherapy With Hot and Cold Water
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Contrast hydrotherapy helps relieve chronic ailments like chronic cold feet and circulation issues. The temperature rollercoaster helps regulate blood circulation and provides relief for swollen legs and feet.
So, get two buckets — one filled with hot water and another one filled with cold water. Now, while seated, dip your feet in warm water for 3 minutes, and then in cold water for a minute. Repeat this three to four times every time your feet feel extremely tired.
5. Get a Herbal Oil Massage
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A gentle, soothing herbal oil massage does wonders to loosen tightened feet muscles and increases blood circulation.
Choose the herbal oil based on the medicinal property you want to use. Lavender oil helps with relaxing. Eucalyptus essential oil can help with relieving inflammation and foot pain.
6. Get a Pedicure
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A soak, a massage, and some pampering from your friendly neighborhood salon can do wonders not only to relieve foot ache but also work as a great stress buster.
Plus, cutting and cleaning toenails helps prevent them from growing inward and causing infections.
7. Take Magnesium Supplements
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People with a deficiency of magnesium experience muscle weakness and fatigue. Twitches and cramps are also common symptoms of magnesium deficiency. So, if you think that the discomfort you are experiencing may be due to this reason, you can add magnesium supplements to your diet. Usually, 200 mg to 400 mg of magnesium added to the diet helps relieve pain. But it can get equally harmful for patients with heart or kidney problems. So, make sure to first consult your doctor before taking any kind of supplements.
8. Change your Shoes
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Stop and think if your shoes are the culprit. Incorrect shoe size or a wrong shoe style often contributes to foot-aches. And, feet can change in size even in adults since they tend to spread out as we age. So, see where the change is needed. If you wear high heels, you must switch to shoes with proper fitting and arch support.
Also, after using shoes for 400 to 500 miles, they do not provide the right support they should. Therefore, if you’re wearing the same pair of shoes for a very long time, buy a new pair even if the old one isn’t worn out.
9. Apply Ice
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Ice is very effective in reducing inflammation and soreness in feet. So, apply ice to your feet every day after work for 5 to 15 minutes. You can either fill ice cubes in a plastic bag for easy application or roll your feet over a bottle of frozen water.
10. Try Strengthening Exercises
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If your feet are flexible and strong, you will be able to prevent pain and soreness in the future. So, try building strength using weights or resistance bands. Here are some simple exercises that are great for feet:
- Picking up marbles using toes
- Picking a towel with feet while sitting to strengthen the arches
- Tying a resistance band to the legs of a heavy table or some other furniture piece to create a loop, and then pulling it towards you with your feet through the loop
If you are a nurse, foot care is a must because your feet are a precious commodity. Your job depends on how much you can run around and tend to your patients. So, keep your feet healthy by following these home remedies. It’s also a good idea to invest in copper compression socks that regulate blood flow and keep foot problems at bay.