To Soak or Not Soak the Feet, that is the Question.

Soaking the feet in warm water is comforting at the end of the work day and especially after a walk out in the cold.  But if you have an injured foot or sprained ankle, soaking in hot water is not the right thing to do.  The heat causes blood vessels to open up, allowing more blood to rush to the affected area which results in increased swelling. The immediate course of action is to apply an ice pack to the injured area.  Dunking the foot in an ice bath every few minutes will serve the same purpose.  This will slow the flow of blood to help reduce the swelling.  Within limits, the icy cold soaks can help bring some relief from the pain by decreasing some nerve sensitivity.   People with poor circulation or decreased sensation in the feet, such as diabetic neuropathy, are better off not soaking at all, however.  Not sensing the temperature from water that is too hot or too cold from an icy foot bath can lead to either scalding or cold injuries to the skin. 

Warm water soaks can be beneficial prior to stretching the foot such as plantar fasciitis exercises.  Soaking in diluted white vinegar solution can be helpful with fungal toenails and athlete's foot.  Other medicinal foot baths can be helpful for excessive sweating of the feet or certain skin rashes.  It is however not recommended to soak the foot to try and aid the healing of wounds or sores.   

Most of the time, foot soaks are an additional form of treatment and will not address the major underlying problem.  A podiatrist is trained to assess circulation, neurological, and skin pathology of the foot and to recommend the best forms of treatment to maximize the potential for a full recovery or cure.    

Come see us if your foot baths are just not providing the relief that you need! 

Foot Pain Center of Kansas City

302 S Main St

Ottawa KS 66067

(p) 785-893-0494

(f) 913-856-8390