10 Home Remedies For Sore Foot Pain + Causes And Prevention Tips

Medically reviewed by Dr. Jen Esquer
by Sucharita Mishra
10 Home Remedies For Sore Foot Pain + Causes And Prevention Tips

Our feet carry us everywhere. However, we fail to pay much attention to them until they begin to hurt. Whatever the reason, foot pain is unpleasant to deal with. Taking every step is nothing short of torture, and hence, this problem needs to be treated soon. Here is a list of 10 simple home remedies that may help in reducing the severity of foot pain. Scroll down for more information.

Home Remedies To Relieve Foot Pain

1. Essential Oils

a. Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties (1). Hence, they may be used for treating foot pain.

You Will Need
  • 10 drops of eucalyptus oil
  • A large bowl filled with hot water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a bowl of hot water.
  2. Soak your feet in the bowl filled with hot water for 10 to 15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a day.

b. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil possesses anti-inflammatory properties (2). Thus, peppermint oil may help in relieving foot pain and also symptoms like redness and swelling.

You Will Need
  • 10-12 drops of peppermint oil
  • A large bowl of hot water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a large bowl of hot water.
  2. Soak your feet in the hot water bowl for 10 to 15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day.

2. Baking Soda

Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. A study found that sodium bicarbonate injections relieved pain due to knee osteoarthritis (3). Hence, it  may help relieve foot pain and inflammation.

You Will Need
  • 1/2 cup of baking soda
  • A bowl of hot water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add half a cup of baking soda to a large bowl of hot water.
  2. Mix well until the baking soda dissolves completely.
  3. Soak your feet in this for 15 to 20 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day.

3. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties (4). This may help in treating foot pain.

You Will Need

2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil

What You Have To Do
  1. Massage coconut oil gently on the affected foot.
  2. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
  3. Apply the oil and wear socks.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day, preferably before bedtime.

4. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties to it (5). Hence, it may be used to treat foot pain.

You Will Need
  • 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
  • A bowl of hot water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add half a cup of Epsom salt to a large bowl of hot water.
  2. Mix well until the salt dissolves.
  3. Soak your feet in the Epsom salt solution for 10 to 15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day.

5. Ginger

Ginger exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties (6), (7). This may help in combating foot pain and inflammation.

You Will Need
  • 1 inch of ginger
  • 1 cup of hot water
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Add an inch of chopped ginger to a cup of steaming hot water.
  2. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes and strain.
  3. Add some honey to the ginger tea and consume before it turns cold.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 3 times a day.

6. Hot Or Cold Compress

Hot and cold compresses may work great in combination for treating foot pain. A hot compress may help in improving the blood circulation to the foot. A cold compress may reduce the pain and inflammation by numbing the affected area (8), (9).

You Will Need
  • Hot water bottle
  • Ice pack
What You Have To Do
  1. Place a hot water bottle on the affected area.
  2. Hold it there for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Replace the hot water bottle with an ice pack.
  4. Hold it on the affected foot for 10 minutes.
  5. Repeat this 2-3 times.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this whenever you experience pain.

7. Vitamins

Deficiencies in vitamin D are known to cause chronic pain and weakness (10). Hence, it is important that you follow a diet containing all important vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.

You Will Need

Foods that contain vitamin D (fish, meat, eggs, dairy, cheese, oranges, soy milk, and cereals).

What You Have To Do

Consume vitamin D-rich foods.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this very often.

Note: Consult a doctor before taking additional vitamin supplements.

8. Sesame Oil

Sesame oil possesses anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties (11). These properties may help in reducing inflammation and the intensity of the foot pain.

You Will Need

1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil

What You Have To Do
  1. Take one to two tablespoons of sesame oil in a small bowl.
  2. Gently massage this oil on the affected foot.
  3. You can also add your favorite essential oil to it for additional benefits.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this daily.

9. Mustard Seeds

Mustard seeds are rich in nutrients that have anti-inflammatory properties (12). These properties may be beneficial in treating foot pain. They may also help reduce other symptoms, like swelling, inflammation, and tenderness.

You Will Need
  • 1/2 cup of mustard seeds
  • A large bowl of hot water
What You Have To Do
  1. Blend half a cup of mustard seeds.
  2. Add the ground mustard seeds to a bowl of hot water.
  3. Soak your feet in this mixture for 10 to 15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a day.

10. Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is a rich source of a compound called capsaicin. Capsaicin possesses excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties (13). This may help reduce the intensity of foot pain.

You Will Need
  • 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper
  • A large bowl or bucket of water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add half a teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper to a bowl/bucket of slightly hot water.
  2. Soak your feet in this solution for 10 to 15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day.

These remedies may relieve the symptoms of foot pain. If you want to prevent its recurrence, here are some tips that may be helpful.

Prevention Tips

  • Wear comfortable shoes.
  • Avoid high heels and narrow-toed shoes.
  • Eat healthily and maintain a good weight.
  • Stretch before engaging in any vigorous activity.
  • Practice foot hygiene.
  • Always wear footwear when outside to prevent damage to the feet.
  • Massage the feet once in a while to promote blood circulation.

Your foot may be hurting due to an injury or a medical condition. The most common factors that cause foot pain are listed below.

What Causes Foot Pain?

  • Wearing footwear that doesn’t fit properly
  • Wearing high heels, which puts a lot of pressure on the toes
  • High impact exercises or sports activities
  • Medical conditions, like arthritis, diabetes, and plantar fasciitis
  • Obesity
  • Pregnancy
  • Foot injuries
  • Corns, calluses, warts, and ingrown toenails
  • Medications that cause swelling of the feet

From a minute injury to an underlying medical condition – any of these factors might be responsible for foot pain. Let us now look at the common symptoms associated with this issue.

Signs And Symptoms Of Foot Pain

  • Pain and tenderness in the foot
  • Swelling
  • Redness
  • Bruising
  • Numbness or tingling sensation
  • Shooting pain in the affected foot
  • Pain while moving or while standing for too long
  • Skin discoloration and burning or itchy sensation around the foot

The signs and symptoms vary to a great extent, depending on the cause and type of foot pain. Let’s now take a look at the types of foot pain.

Types Of Foot Pain

  • Heel Pain: The pain in the heels of your feet could be due to medical conditions like plantar fasciitis or heel spurs.
  • Ball Foot Pain: Aches in the ball of your foot are usually caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes or medical conditions like metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuroma, or sesamoiditis.
  • Arch Pain: The common culprits behind arch pain are plantar fasciitis and flat feet.
  • Toe Pain: Gout, which is also a form of arthritis, is the most common cause of foot pain. Those with a bunion, hammer toe, or claw toe are also susceptible to toe pain.

Other than these, people may sometimes experience pain in the outer edge of the foot. This could possibly be because of a broken metatarsal bone.

Practicing good foot hygiene and wearing well-fitting shoes are important to steer clear of any kind of foot pain and damage. The health of your feet depends on your lifestyle choices to a great extent. Follow the remedies and tips listed here to deal with foot pain.

Expert’s Answers For Readers’ Questions

Why do I have pain in the middle of my foot?

Any pain in the middle or the arch of the foot could be a result of a common medical condition called plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is caused due to the inflammation of the fibrous tissue at the bottom of the foot (called plantar fascia). You can follow simple stretches to reduce the pain

What does diabetic foot pain feel like?

Diabetic foot pains are usually the result of peripheral neuropathy, which is one of the most common forms of diabetic neuropathy. Your legs and feet are affected first, and that is why they begin to ache and feel numb.

13 sources

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Sucharita Mishra

Sucharita Mishra has a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and specializes in writing on Health and Wellness. She has worked on determining various heavy metals present in green tea for her Master’s dissertation at CSIR- CFTRI, Mysuru. After completing her degree, Sucharita decided to pursue her passion for writing. She is addicted to all things black and aspires to become a bat one day.
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