Swollen ankles/feet

[Kbd]

Hello, anyone have any tips for swollen feet? I'm not in pain but it's frustrating as it's spoiling my fun a little and been trying arnica cream/gel and ibuprofen and it isn't making any difference.

 

[SYates]

Look if the albergue you are staying in has a plastic tub labeled pies/feet or similar. Put a handful (at least) of salt into it and fill with warm water, put feet in it for 20min at least BUT only if you don't have any open wounds/blisters. Put something/anything under the end of your mattress to elevate your feet at night. Put feet up during the day as much as possible. Hope that helps, Buen camino, SY

 

[Kbd]

Thanks so much for your reply! Salt soak sounds fantastic I shall give that a go, luckily no blisters just giant feet , which I now have up as I type!

 

[SYates]

That's the ticket! Put feet, above heart level, when ever you can and soak in salty water. Buen Camino, SY

 

[julia-t]

After your shower, spray cold water over them for several minutes (as long as you can bear it). And elevate as much as possible. Rotate your ankles. And keep drinking water. You may find your feet will sweat a lot, excreting excess fluid, but you do need to keep up your fluid intake to flush out the toxins your body is producing..

A couple of old wives remedies -
1) vinegar - if you can get a couple of flannels/washcloths, soak them in a mix of vinegar and water and wrap around your feet and ankles (remember the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill? Years ago we used to use vinegar bandages on polo ponies and racehorses.
2) Cabbage leaves. Yes, really, they can help reduce swelling and inflammation. We sometimes put cabbage bandages on the horses as well.

There are other natural remedies for swollen legs, see here... http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-home-remedies-for-swollen-feet/#gref

 

[SYates]

Or just add a generous splash of cheap vinegar to the salty water ;-) BC SY

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Swollen feet can happen for a number of reasons, from just walking, especially in the heat, to kindey, liver or heart not working properly.

I know my feet swell in summer and always carry compression socks to wear at night if it gets bad and diurretics. I also sleep with my feet elevated when that happens. But that's me, and I know what the cause is.

You may want to stop by a medical center when you get the chance, and of it's nothing serious, then think about compression socks from a farmacia.

For those still at home whose feet at known to swell, there are merino compression trail socks on the market. Expensive, but ... I can't stand them as they are too think, and I do carry my diurretics.

http://www.sigvaris.com/ca-fr/fr-ca/produit/merino-outdoor-performance-socks-422

 

[november_moon]

I have issues with swelling feet when I eat too much salt or drink red wine (I know, right? The injustice!). So on the Camino, I pretty much skipped the red wine and watched my salt intake - and then if my feet still swelled, I did all the other stuff like elevating feet and soaking my feet.

 

[SYates]

But be aware - You do need a certain amount of slat intake in heat/whilst exercising to keep the water in your body. BC SY

 

[Deleted member 67185]

SYates replies are good information. Also, be aware of how much water you drink. Dehydration will lead to swelling. If you notice that your face and hands also are puffy, and your urine looks darker than lighter, try increasing water intake.

 

[Andrea Mayfield]

My swelling feet remedy was to lie on my bed after dinner with my feet up on the wall while I read or reviewed my maps for the next day. I call it extreme elevation Others are correct -- hydration is very important and soaking feels great on those tired puppies!
Buen Camino
Andrea

 

[Deleted member 43985]

I've had my best results with cold therapy. In this environment I'd try to find some large plastic bags and swing by a bar and do whatever it takes to get them filled with ice (best cast scenario a simple please and thank you, worst case a few Euros) and take them back to your room. While you can simply stick your feet in, the best way (but most dangerous for spillage) is to put enough water in to come up past your ankles. Then put your feet in for about 10 minutes. Take your feet out and gently massage and rotate until they are fully warmed up again. Repeat this process at least 3-4 times. Then the final step is like above, get your feet up in the air and relax for the evening! Good luck!!

 

[alhartman]

I walked with a Japanese man with the same problem. At all rest breaks he would rub lemon juice over his bare feet. He had no open wounds. Bought the lemons fresh daily. Seemed to work for him. I just take my boots and socks off and let everything dry out and cool off at every rest break.

 

[Jersey]

I have issues with swelling feet when I eat too much salt or drink red wine (I know, right? The injustice!). So on the Camino, I pretty much skipped the red wine and watched my salt intake - and then if my feet still swelled, I did all the other stuff like elevating feet and soaking my feet.

I would skip the salt and watch my wine intake lol
Iberico ham is lower in salt than most hams? Yes?

 

[SYates]

..., try increasing water intake.

And your salt intake ;-) without sufficient salt (and you lose plenty when sweating in the heat) the water doesn't do you much good. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Be careful about soaking your feet just before hitting the trail or while taking breaks while on it. That can soften the skin and that may lead to blisters. I'm not saying that you shouldn't soak your feet then but if you do be extra attentive to possible hot spots.

 

[Stivandrer]

@yates; to your point:
It might be prudent, yes, to cut down the salt intake but by lowering the NaCl level.
I bring electrolyte drops for this, when I out of the blue feel "funny" and have a possible depletion of said electrolytes..
They have low or no NaCl (cooking salt)

 

[SYates]

@yates; to your point:
It might be prudent, yes, to cut down the salt intake but by lowering the NaCl level.
I bring electrolyte drops for this, when I out of the blue feel "funny" and have a possible depletion of said electrolytes..
They have low or no NaCl (cooking salt)

You are losing a lot of NaCl when exercising in hot weather, so unless your doc told you otherwise you do need to replenish it with salt. Buen Camino, SY

 

[jo webber]

What has worked for me in the past is putting my feet up and drinking coffee.
Be sure to drink enough water to not dehydrate after the swelling goes down. Ice water works too.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

SYates is absolutely correct, the balance of sodium as an electrolyte should be replenished regularly when conditions are such that large amounts of water need to be consumed to prevent dehydration. Potassium is also an essential electrolyte that, if not replenished via supplementation, will cause problems with muscle control and mental stability and focus (the weebly-wobblees)....

Electrolyte solutions can provide the replenishment, like a gatorade or other commercial solution. But, for those who wish to avoid commercial concoctions, food-based replenishment will also work: eating bananas and oranges while walking is great, especially if you can add in some hard sausage and cheese. Eating as you walk also keeps the engine fueled so it helps with fatigue. Nibble as you go.

 

[notion900]

My swelling feet remedy was to lie on my bed after dinner with my feet up on the wall while I read or reviewed my maps for the next day. I call it extreme elevation

I have done this often, but I feel it works better if you do it when you first arrive at your accommodation - I lie on the bed backwards and put my feet as high as I can up on the wall. If you do this for 20 minutes or so you'll feel an achy coldness overcoming your feet, as the fluid drains off back into the body.

 

[Jersey]

And your salt intake ;-) without sufficient salt (and you lose plenty when sweating in the heat) the water doesn't do you much good. Buen Camino, SY

Without enough salt,drinking too much water would actually dilute the amount of salt in our systems which can be dangerous?
Do I have that right?
I'm going to try and stick with Gatorade or actually the Spanish equivalent of Powerade. Don't know the Spanish brand name off the top of my head. But I'm pretty sure it's made by Coca-Cola co.

 

[notion900]

Water, salty nuts and dried fruit is much more convenient than trying to get special drinks or sachets all the time.

 

[trecile]

Without enough salt,drinking too much water would actually dilute the amount of salt in our systems which can be dangerous?
Do I have that right?
I'm going to try and stick with Gatorade or actually the Spanish equivalent of Powerade. Don't know the Spanish brand name off the top of my head. But I'm pretty sure it's made by Coca-Cola co.

It's Aquarius.
And drinking too much water can be fatal. But it is extremely uncommon, and usually results from someone doing something stupid, like entering a contest to see who can drink the most water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

 

[Jersey]

Aquarius. Yes. That's it. Thanks
I would think I can find it in almost any store that sells water?

 

[trecile]

Aquarius. Yes. That's it. Thanks
I would think I can find it in almost any store that sells water?

I never had any, but it seemed to be everywhere.

 

[Kbd]

Thanks so much for all the advice!! Took a few days and I think also hampered by a rogue blister but I can see the bones in my right foot again - happy days . Lots of water in and out and sleeping with my feet on my rucksack really helped. Cheers, buen camino k

 

[shawn corrigan]

I just wan

Look if the albergue you are staying in has a plastic tub labeled pies/feet or similar. Put a handful (at least) of salt into it and fill with warm water, put feet in it for 20min at least BUT only if you don't have any open wounds/blisters. Put something/anything under the end of your mattress to elevate your feet at night. Put feet up during the day as much as possible. Hope that helps, Buen camino, SY

I just want to back you up on the salt, it worked wonders for me, it is cheap (about .45 euro 1 kilo) if you are lucky enough to find a tub. It cures the blisters and overall foot health,plus kills any fungus nasties and bacteria. of course ocean water is best too.

 

[Lucaya]

Swollen feet can happen for a number of reasons, from just walking, especially in the heat, to kindey, liver or heart not working properly.

I know my feet swell in summer and always carry compression socks to wear at night if it gets bad and diurretics. I also sleep with my feet elevated when that happens. But that's me, and I know what the cause is.

You may want to stop by a medical center when you get the chance, and of it's nothing serious, then think about compression socks from a farmacia.

For those still at home whose feet at known to swell, there are merino compression trail socks on the market. Expensive, but ... I can't stand them as they are too think, and I do carry my diurretics.

https://www.gearhunder.com/best-compression-socks-for-men/

Yes, I also use compression socks to restore my legs to their normal size. Physix Gear and ACTINPUT are my favorite brands and they are not overly expensive. In order to work, I need to fly multiple times and a lot of flight time per week. When I told my colleagues that my legs were swollen during the flight, they recommended compression socks. After using it once, I noticed that my feet and ankles no longer swell after flight, and my legs feel better overall. And they are said to help prevent DVT.