Featured, Health Care, Natural Cure, Swelling

6 Natural Cures For Swollen Feet And Ankles

 

6 Natural Cures For Swollen Feet And AnklesEdema is the medical term used for swollen feet and ankles. There are many causes for this condition like high blood pressure, fluid retention, obesity and even pregnancy. There is a problem with the circulatory system of the body and the blood starts collecting in the lower limb area especially the feet and ankles. A person suffering from this condition undergoes a high level of discomfort. Sometimes complications such as blood clots develop.

The best way to treat the problem of swollen feet and ankles is to treat the underlying cause. Allopathic medicine does not have specific treatments for this condition. Hence natural cures are best recommended for persons suffering from edema or swollen feet and ankles.

Natural Ways To Cure Swollen Feet And Ankles

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is important for the proper blood circulation. Deficiency in the amounts of magnesium in the body will lead to edema or the condition of swollen ankles and feet. Magnesium supplements of 200mg are recommended to be taken two times a day. If the swelling is due to pregnancy it is recommended to talk to your doctor before staring the supplements. The effect of the extra magnesium on the swollen ankle and feet is seen immediately without changing anything else in the daily routine of the person.

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Yoga

Yoga is a traditional Indian practice that combines exercise and breathing techniques to relax the mind and keep the body active. There are various yoga poses that can help in improving the circulation throughout the body especially the hands and feet.

Learning from a trained professional yoga instructor is very important as not performing the poses correctly may harm the body. There are certain yoga poses that can be specifically done to reduce the water retention and thus help in reducing the swelling in the feet and the ankles.

Yoga

Soaks And Baths

Soaking the feet in room temperature or cold tonic water can help reduce the swelling. The quinine and the bubbles are responsible for reducing the inflammation and provide instant relief to swollen feet and ankles. Another method is to do a salt water soak.

Take a bucket of warm water. To this add a healthy amount of Epsom salts. Epsom salts are very good anti inflammatory agents and soaking the swollen ankle and foot in a bath of Epsom salts will help in reducing the swelling, relaxing the muscles and providing immediate relief to the pain.

Soaks And Baths

Essential Oils

Various essential oils are known to have anti inflammatory, anti spasmodic and muscle relaxant properties. Using these oils in various manners will help to reduce the problem of swollen ankles and feet. Essential oils like Grape fruit oil can be added to the bath or soak to ease the swelling.

Alternatively mix the grapefruit oil with carrier oil like almond oil or olive oil and rub this mixture on the affected area in a circular motion. Peppermint oil can be used for treating swollen feet and ankles as it has a soothing and cooling effect and increases circulation in the feet. Mustard oil relieves the pressure on the feet due to the swelling and also helps to improve circulation and provide relief from the pain.

Essential Oils

Fluids

One of the major causes of the swelling of feet and ankles is high salt content. Drinking about eight to ten glasses of water in a day will help dilute the salt in the system and flushing it out of the body. Water is not the only way to increase the fluid intake of the body. Add a slice of cucumber and lemon to the water to make some very tasty cucumber lemon water.

Both cucumber and lemon have anti inflammatory and cooling properties. This will effectively help reduce the swelling in ankles and feet. Herbal teas made from a variety of herbs that have anti inflammatory properties and other medicinal properties like increasing the blood circulation are another effective way to increase fluid intake. Juices of fruits like kiwis, lemons etc can also be very effective.

Fluids

Lifestyle Changes

Certain Lifestyle changes if adopted can prove extremely effective in treating swollen feet and ankles. If the swelling is due to pregnancy then a pre natal massage is recommended. Ensure that you elevate the feet every chance you get even at work.

This will help the blood circulation to the feet improve as the blood doesn’t get saturated in the lower limbs. Swimming is another great way to ease the pressure off the limbs and improve circulation. Obesity is another major cause of swollen feet and limbs and regular exercise and diet can help in reducing the problem of obesity as well as the swollen feet and ankles.