Heal your Feet Problems Naturally

By Kathy Thorpe, MA, CHom, Classical Homeopath

Whether you have bunions, corns, calluses, warts, plantar fasciitis, fungi -- learn how you can heal your bothersome foot problems naturally.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts often present as a tough, thick patch of speckled skin that can make your feet feel as though you have a rock in your shoe. They are a variety of the human pappiloma virus (HPV) and can be hard to get rid of and often return. Resist the urge to pick at the wart – it will spread and become even more painful. Many doctors use cryotherapy (freezing), electrosurgery, or laser surgery to remove plantar warts, but because these methods leave the underlying virus untouched, the wart or warts may resurface and sometimes with a vengeance. You don't want to just remove the symptom; you want to treat the underlying imbalance in the body.

Take homeopathic Thuja. Take 6 or 12c two times a day for 4 to 6 weeks (one week on, one week off). Thuja is great for all warts and it can certainly cure plantar warts. It gets at the underlying imbalance causing the wart and restores your body's equilibrium to kill the virus. If, after 2 weeks, you don't see improvement, try Antimonium crudum, 6 or 12c two times a day for 2-3 weeks especially if the wart is on the sole of the foot and is hard, rough, horny.

Topically you can try two methods in conjunction with the homeopathic remedy. Slice a clove of garlic and place it on the wart – cover with a band aid for three days. Then dip a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and place it on the wart each night and cover with an airtight bandage. Do this for a week and you should see results.

How quickly the wart responds depends on the constitution of the person. If warts have been removed in the past, there has been suppression, so it may take longer.

Athlete's Foot

This highly contagious fungus can be contracted by walking barefoot at the pool, gym or even in someone else's shower. It thrives in a warm, moist environment, so people who tend to get sweaty feet are more likely to get Athlete's Foot. It usually begins between the toes and spreads into an itchy, burning rash on the foot. Athlete's foot is extremely common and once you have contracted it you are more likely to have a repeated infection.

Prevention is important. Wear flip flops at the gym, locker room or shower and sanitize them regularly. Be sure to dry your feet thoroughly before putting on socks. Wear cotton socks rather than the synthetic variety because they tend to trap moisture in your feet. In warm weather, wear sandals so your feet can breathe.

The most common treatment is the use of anti-fungal topical creams. But remember: anything you apply to your skin will be absorbed into your bloodstream – so frequent use of anti-fungal creams can be dangerous and lead to liver damage, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and menstrual and sexual irregularities. Instead, try one of these natural remedies:

Homeopathic Silica. Take 6c two times a day for two weeks. As soon as you start to see improvement, stop taking it. Silica is specific remedy for sweaty feet that create the ideal environment for athlete's foot.

Tea tree oil. A 25% to 50% dilution in water will clear up a fungus in one to two weeks. Soak your feet in the solution for five minutes twice a day or soak cotton balls in the solution and apply liberally twice a day. If you are using a homeopathic remedy, don't use tea tree oil at the same time, since strong aromatic fragrances can cancel the effect a homeopathic remedy.

Neem oil: Add 1 tablespoon of neem oil to a half cup of olive or sesame oil. Soak a cotton ball and rub it on the rash several times a day until you see improvement. Neem is known for its antifungal properties.

Bunions

Bunions have long been a problem for women who have sacrificed their feet and comfort for the lure of high heels and tight shoes. Heredity certainly plays a role, but any kind of pressure on the side of your foot or toes can lead to bunions. This pressure causes inflammation around your big toe joint which creates a bony bump or arthritic deposit. Over time, this bump pushes your big toe inward, making it crooked and affecting the alignment of the other toes.

One problem is that most women don't realize that their feet get bigger and wider as they age. It's not unusual for them to go up one foot size or more. Wearing shoes that are too narrow, short, tight or high can inflame the joint and eventually lead to bunions. So prevention is important. Select shoes with a deep and wide box and good arch support. Orthotics can help stop the progression of bunions by stopping the feet from pressing forward. Whenever you wear heels, try sole grips that keep the feet from sliding forward and pressing on the toes.

For serious cases, doctors recommend an injection of cortisone to ease the pain or suggest anti-inflammatory analgesics for less painful bunions. But these only treat the discomfort and do not resolve the issue. Surgery can correct the deformity, but it can be very painful with a long recovery time. In the meantime, try some of the following:

Homeopathic Silica: Treating your bunions internally with silica will help reduce inflammation and arthritic deposits in your big toe by restoring your body's balance. Silica will work for people who are shy but obstinate, experience stage fright, dwell compulsively on small details, are prone to foot sweat, bunions, fragile nails and cracks on the feet. Take 6c two times a day for two or three weeks – one week on and one week off.

Homeopathic Nitric acid: will help dissolve arthritic deposits by taking 6c twice a day for two weeks.

Yoga Toes: Improve and prevent foot problems by stretching and aligning your toes. These silicon toe separators ease the discomfort of hammertoes, bunions and plantar fasciitis; help your feet recover from stress, strain and overuse, increase circulation, straighten bent toes and realign joints, and improve foot strength, flexibility and appearance.

Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the long fibrous plantar fascia ligament along the bottom of the foot develops tears in the tissue resulting in pain and inflammation. The plantar fascia ligament is made of fibrous bands of tissue and runs between the heel bone and your toes and stretches with every step. The pain of plantar fasciitis is usually located close to where the fascia attaches to the heel bone.
The most common complaints are: a burning, stabbing, or aching pain in the heel of the foot. Most people feel it more it in the morning because the fascia ligament tightens up during the night while we sleep. Pain usually decreases as the tissue warms up, but may easily return again after long periods of standing or weight bearing, physical activity, or after getting up after long periods of sitting down.

The most effective treatments are acupuncture, constitutional homeopathy, reflexology and the use of orthotics.

Heel/bone spurs

Take homeopathic Calcarea fluor 6c twice a day for a month.

Calluses, Corns usually occur on the soles of the feet, between the toes, on top of the toes, and on the bunion joint. They are usually caused from pressure and rubbing of tight shoes. So the first step is to avoid tight shoes and make sure they fit properly. You might try gel pads to provide cushioning to the bottom or sides of the feet.

Topically apply calendula gel or calendula mother tincture which works dramatically to promote healing.

Try one of these homeopathic remedies in 6c potency twice a day: Silica if there is inflammation, Sepia if there is burning, and Sulphur for any corns or calluses on the bottom of the feet.

Cracked heels

Try homeopathic Sepia 6c twice a day for a week. Soak your feet in warm soapy water, pumice and add a shea butter foot cream at night and cover with warm socks.

Kathy Thorpe, MA, CHom is a certified classical homeopathy who practices in Boulder, Colorado. She sees patients with chronic and acute illnesses in her office and she also takes consultations on the phone. Six Persimmons, 1435 Yarmouth Ave #104, Boulder, CO. 303 583-0179. Visit her website:  Classical Homeopathy