How To Do A Footbath Like A Pro!

What is a footbath?

Quite literally as it sounds, it is a bath for your feet! Chinese medicine has been using this technique for multiple conditions for thousands of years!

What can a footbath help with?

Most commonly, footbaths help with sleep, overthinking, anxiety, and stress. Although it can be used for other conditions depending on the Chinese medicine diagnosis.

How do I do a footbath?

Step 1: Get a bucket that fits both of your feet at the same time (Some of my patients have also used bowls, woks, pots, and even sat on the bathroom bench with their feet in the sink!)

Step 2: Fill your bucket with water as hot as you can handle without burning yourself

Step 3: Submerge your feet up to your ankles in the hot water for 10-20 minutes

Step 4: Use this time to wind down. Read, meditate, do breathing exercises, listen to music. Anything that you enjoy to relax and calm your nervous system. (Please put your phone in another room!)

Are there other ways I can boost my footbath?

You can add half a cup of magnesium salts, table salt, the Cove footbath herb mix, or even grated ginger.

You can also add any essential oils you like.

What should I do after my footbath?

Put on warm socks immediately after and avoid walking on cool tiles.

Then go straight to bed and go to sleep as soon after your footbath :)

(***Please note that this is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your registered medical practitioner for individualised medical advice. If you are pregnant, diabetic or have open wounds on your feet please discuss this with your physician***)

References:

Aghamohammadi, V., Salmani, R., Ivanbagha, R., Effati Daryani, F., & Nasiri, K. (2020). Footbath as a safe, simple, and non-pharmacological method to improve sleep quality of menopausal women. Research in nursing & health, 43(6), 621–628. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22082

Armat, M. R., Mortazavi, H., Akbari, H., & Ebrahimzadeh, Z. (2021). The effect of footbath on the quality of sleep in older adults: A pilot study. Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.), 42(5), 1178–1183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.07.008

Liao, W. C., Wang, L., Kuo, C. P., Lo, C., Chiu, M. J., & Ting, H. (2013). Effect of a warm footbath before bedtime on body temperature and sleep in older adults with good and poor sleep: an experimental crossover trial. International journal of nursing studies, 50(12), 1607–1616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.04.006

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