Here you some easy things you can do at home to heat your feet so that that you can decrease your soreness and pain. Most of this material was taken from Chapter 9 my book Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot
HEATING PADS, PARAFFIN BATHS AND SOAKS
I have found that most people who have swelling of the feet and ankles, can at home use heating pads, paraffin baths, or soaks. Regardless of which ones you use the aim is to decrease your pain by increasing blood flow to the damaged areas of your feet. This is the key to your healing. The trick is to use them on a daily bases, several times a day if you can.
Heating Pads
Common sense demands that you do not to make the heating pad too hot. It you have any difficulties in feeling the proper temperature due to any type of problem(s), you may have to use your elbow to feel the warmth of the pad or get someone to check it for you. Moreover, if you have, any doubts get the permission of your own physician before you start. Diabetics are injured daily from heating pads. See the federal precautions below
Paraffin Baths
One of my favorite home heat treatments is paraffin bath. It is one of the most effective methods of applying deep heat to relieve pain and stiffness. A paraffin bath is a plastic tub that you melt wax in. You dip your foot, into the tub of wax, applying several coats of wax up to the level of the ankle. Then you wrap your feet up in towels. The hot wax then sends great amounts of blood down to your feet. It is also great for painful hands. A good one costs about $150.00, but I saw one last year at Wal-Mart for about $50.00. With regular use, it can help remove the chronic pain, swelling, soreness, aching, and throbbing from your feet and ankles. As above, before using a paraffin bath make sure there is no medical reason why you can't.
Soaks
Since the time that man has been hanging out in caves, , we have been sticking our bodies in warm water to feel better. Be it a pan of water, a warm tub, or trip to your spa; soaking parts of our body has always been a neat thing to do. From the standpoint of our feet, soaking will flush your feet by bring blood to it. As I said previous, this flushing will heal our feet, by washing away damaged tissues that have collected over a period. By getting this inflammation out of the injured areas in your feet, you will start to feel better.
DO NOT make the water very hot – warm is just fine. Do not waste any money by putting anything in the water; unless you want to. What is important that you soak it several times a day for about twenty minutes, if you can, ASSUMING THERE IS NO CONTRINDICATIONS TO DO SO.
Dr. Burton S. Schuler, Podiatrist, Foot Doctor, of Panama City, Fl is this country leading expert on the painful medical problem know as the Morton's Toe or the Long Second Toe. He is the author of the book Why You Realy Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, which is the only book ever written about the Morton"s Toe. It was published in 2009 and now is in it's 4th printing. The book is the story of how the Morton's Toe can cause pain not only of your foot but thru out your whole body. Dr. Schuler is a 1975 graduate of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. He has also written the 1982 The Agony Of De-Feet, A Podiatrist's Guide To Foot Care, His articles about the foot, have appeared in the leading podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by such varied publications as the New York Times, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and First for Women. During his almost 50 year career he has appeared on hundreds of radio stations to give his expert opinion regarding the Morton's Toe and other foot problems.