Natural Remedies for Foot Ailments

Bunions are bony bumps, often on the sides of the toes. Although they can be hereditary, tight shoes can cause this otherwise painless ailment to be irritated. As a first step, you can cushion the area with a foam pad when wearing shoes.

Exercise can also help with bunions. Loop a big rubber band around the big toe and then pull the toe away from the smaller toes, holding each pull five seconds. Repeat ten times. Also practice spreading the toes.

Castor oil can also be applied to bunions twice daily to penetrate the skin deeply and help move congested hardened tissue.

A callus refers to hardened skin, often on the ball or foot heel, caused by the way we walk or foot pressure on shoes at odd angles. A corn occurs when the skin over the toe forms a hard protective coating, usually due to pressure. As a start, insert insoles into your shoes to cushion the area.

Corns can be softened by soaking the feet in warm salt water for 10 minutes and then using a pumice stone before applying castor oil twice a day to the afflicted area. Apple cider vinegar can also be applied directly to corns and calluses twice daily to increase circulation to them, thus helping them break up.

Do your feet feel sore and tired? After being on your feet all day, it feels delightful to soak your feet in a basin of warm water to which 7 or 8 drops of pure essential sage, rosemary, or lavender oil has been added. Also consider wearing insoles in the shoes and supportive house shoes (rather than outdoor shoes that track in dirt and pollution) rather than walking barefoot on hard surfaces.

If you have “burning soles,” it may indicate diabetes or other health conditions, including nerve damage, fungal infection, or excess alcohol consumption.

For tired, aching feet, simply prepare the herbs below as you would for drinking tea, strain, cool slightly, and then pour into a bucket and soak your sore feet:

Herb- Benefits
• Chamomile - For sore, swollen feet
• Lavender - Refreshes tired feet
• Marjoram - For tired, achy feet
• Peppermint - Stimulates tired feet
• Thyme - For fungal infections, also refreshes tired feet

An ingrown toenail usually occurs on the big toe. To prevent this ailment, be sure to cut the toes nails straight across rather than in a sloping fashion.

To treat an ingrown toenail, soak the foot in hot water and apply a healing herbal salve to help reduce inflammation. You can also secure a juicy slice of lemon to the affected area with a Band-Aid before going to bed, and in the morning the nail should be soft enough to be eased away from the skin and trimmed. Do your best to keep the skin away from the nail by taping some athletic tape and gently pulling the skin away from the toe.

If the problem is chronic, a misshapen toenail may be the problem. Consult with a podiatrist.

To deodorize your feet simply prepare the herbs below as you would for drinking tea, strain, cool slightly, and then pour into a bucket and soak your feet:

Herb- Benefits

• Horsetail - Reduces perspiration
• Lovage - Strong natural deodorant
• Rosemary - Naturally deodorizing
• Sage - Antiperspirant, deodorizing