Swollen Foot Treatment

One of the best ways to start treating a swollen foot is to elevate it.  This doesn’t mean just sitting with it resting up on something. 

Ideally, you want the swollen ankle to be elevated above the height of your heart.  This allows gravity to draw the swelling down and allow it to get back into circulation rather than pooling in your feet. 

Aim to spend twenty minutes with your leg elevated at regular intervals during the day.  At night time, prop your foot up on pillows so it remains elevated while you sleep.  Do make sure your knee is supported too else you’ll wake up with a very stiff and sore knee.

Wearing a tubular compression bandage such as tubigrip is a great way to reduce swelling.  Tubigrip is a specially designed bandage that is tubular in shape that sits around your foot and calf.  It is made up of tiny elastic threads covered in a soft fabric which exert pressure evenly over the area. 

Tubigrip works most effectively when it is worn double thickness (i.e. two layers) and is extremely comfortable to wear providing just the right amount of compression to reduce swelling without feeling tight or restrictive. 

Tubigrip compression bandages can be worn all day but should always be removed at night – you should never sleep in tubigrip.  Tubigrip comes in a range of sizes, lengths and colors. 

Visit the Tubigrip Compression Bandage section on our sister site to find out more about how it works, how to use it effectively and what size is right for you.

High sodium (salt) levels are a common cause of a swollen foot.  Following a low salt diet can help reduce water retention that often results in swollen feet.  Avoid processed foods which are often high in sodium and don’t put extra salt on your food. 

Drinking more water helps to dilute the sodium levels and flush the salt out of your system. You should be aiming to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day.

Avoid drinks containing caffeine as they often contain sodium which further increases water retention.

6. Ice Therapy

Ice is a great treatment tool for a swollen foot. Applying ice can help to reduce swelling especially if the swelling is a result of an injury. Ice helps to reduce the amount of localized bleeding which in turn reduces swelling. Ice packs should be used for ten minutes at a time every couple of hours. 

There are a number of different ways to apply ice to a swollen foot from frozen veg to specially designed ice packs.  Ice should never be placed directly on the skin else it can cause an ice burn.  Visit the Ice Therapy section to find out more about how to safely and effectively use ice.

7. Massage

Massage helps to increase circulation and can be used to gently push fluid away from swollen feet. Get someone to help so you can relax during your massage. 

Prop your feet up with pillows so that gravity can help out. Start at the toes and gradually work up to the lymphatic drainage points behind your knee in fluid, stroking movements to push the fluid up and away.

9. Avoid Tight Clothing & Shoes

Avoid wearing clothes that are tight especially around the thighs to allow circulation to flow freely in the legs.  Also avoid wearing shoes that are too tight as they can restrict blood flow. 

A good tip is to go shoe shopping at the end of the day as our feet often swell slightly as the days goes by.  Choose shoes with laces or Velcro so that they can be made looser or tighter as foot swelling fluctuates.