How long should I soak my feet to achieve effective results?

Our feet are frequently used and prone to various issues. Regular and appropriate foot baths are beneficial for foot health. Foot baths offer numerous benefits, especially after prolonged activity or heavy exercise, as they can help relieve fatigue and soreness. Some people do not regularly perform foot baths and may not know how long to soak their feet. So, how long should a foot bath last to be effective? Let's explore this topic below.

1. Health experts recommend that when soaking your feet, the water temperature should not be too hot, around 40°C is ideal. The duration of the foot bath should also not be too long, about half an hour is suitable. Since metal cools easily, wooden basins are preferred for foot baths. You can also add some herbs like Danshen and Danggui, which promote blood circulation, or Lianqiao, Jinyinhua, Banlangen, and Chrysanthemum, which have a cooling and detoxifying effect.

2. Hot water foot baths can not only nourish the kidneys and improve liver function but also enhance sleep quality. If you perform a few minutes of foot massage after the bath, it can further improve blood circulation and regulate internal organs.

3. When soaking your feet, apart from considering the duration, it is also important to pay attention to the water temperature. It should not be too long or too short. Adding some herbal medicines can help relieve fatigue and detoxify the body.

1. Ginger Foot Bath: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that ginger has a warming and relieving effect and has minimal side effects. Modern medicine suggests that ginger can stimulate capillaries and improve local blood circulation and metabolism. For people who feel cold easily or have cold hands and feet, soaking their feet in ginger water can help dispel the cold.

To prepare ginger foot bath, flatten 15-30 grams of ginger and boil it in a small pot of water for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, pour out the ginger water and add cold water to reach a temperature of around 40°C (not too hot). When soaking your feet, make sure the water covers your ankles and gently massage your feet while soaking. Regular use of ginger foot baths can help improve symptoms of feeling cold.

2. Cassia Bark Foot Bath: Cassia bark, also known as cinnamon or guipi, can effectively relieve edema caused by kidney problems. Renal edema is caused by kidney dysfunction or disease and typically manifests as swelling in loose tissues such as the eyelids, face, and ankles, especially in the morning. If you experience renal edema, you can use a foot bath made with 15 grams of cassia bark and zanthoxylum bungeanum.

Using this method regularly can help reduce swelling.

3. Safflower Foot Bath: Adding safflower to your foot bath can be beneficial for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It can improve blood circulation, reduce numbness and pain, and treat conditions like bruises, varicose veins, menstrual disorders, and venous and arterial inflammation.

You can use 50 grams of safflower divided into five portions. Place 10 grams in a pot and boil for five minutes after the water boils. You can soak your feet one to two times daily.

4. Mugwort Foot Bath: Adding mugwort to your foot bath can help treat coughing, asthma, and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, emphysema, and cor pulmonale. Place 15 grams of mugwort in a pot and boil for five minutes.