Our feet can literally bring us to places. It’s one of the most important parts of our body yet sometimes we abuse it or take it for granted.
As a result, some of us are experiencing foot pain. Though sometimes the pain is neither severe nor life-threatening, it can still bring discomfort and complications.
Foot pain is caused by several factors but the most common one is plantar fasciitis. Treatment is usually by taking over the counter medicine for pain and inflammation while others opt for more natural home remedy alternative.
But did you know that meditation can also help relieve foot pain?
Here’s how you can get relief with the use of meditation.
- Meditation teaches patients how to react to the pain
When in pain, most of us are automatically reaching for over-the-counter painkillers. Though this can offer relief, the pain comes back when the effect of medicine wades off. There are also negative side effects associated with these medicines.
Meditation, on the other hand, is an all-natural treatment for any type of pain relief. Its approach is holistic as it does not just offer a temporary solution to the pain.
Meditation soothes brain pattern underlying pain which in the long run, has a long-term effect on how our brain analyzes pain. A person who meditates will not feel the same intensity of pain as compared to a person who doesn’t.
- Calm breathing
Calm or deep breathing provides relief from foot pain. It stimulates the flow of blood and brings more oxygen to your joints and muscles.
To give rhythm to your breathing, you can try to count in your head as you inhale and exhale.
Breathing slowly has the same effect as taking pain killers when it comes to providing pain relief. Deep and calm breathing does not only offer short-term relief from foot pain but it also helps people who are suffering from chronic muscle and joint pain.
Calm and slow breathing has a direct effect on the sympathetic nervous system which reduces pain as a result.
- Body scan
When we are experiencing any kind of pain, our natural reaction is fear, anger or even sadness. Unconsciously, we tighten our muscles or clench which could further aggravate the pain.
The body scan is a type of meditation exercise where you perceive your body and recognizes everything that it feels – whether positive or negative feelings. It helps you embrace your body and appreciates its importance.
How to do a body scan?
Focus your attention on one part of your body, and then move it to the next part. As you transfer your focus to the new area, concentrate on that part and imagine that you’re breathing in and out of it. After a few minutes, move to the next area.
- Passive awareness
Meditation has been proven effective not just in lowering stress and anxiety but also in reducing any form of pain, such as foot pain. Another meditation technique to reduce pain is the passive awareness method.
In this method, you take awareness at everything by using your senses. You can do this exercise either sitting or lying down. Simply activate all of your senses and notice your surroundings. Make sure that you pay attention to one object at a time. Pay attention to every detail of your surroundings, including every part of your body. Lastly, pay attention to your pain.
- Noticing and accepting
Pain, just like with any other feelings, needs to be recognized and accepted. You won’t be able to deal with pain well if you never embraced it in the first place.
Meditation helps you in recognizing every part of your body, along with every feeling that you experience.
As you silence your mind and focus on every part of the body, how do you perceive each part? As you feel every breath, every heartbeat, every pain, recognize the different sensation they bring and embrace them fully. Accept that pain is a part of you. When you learn how to embrace your pain, you are able to manage it effectively.
- Brief stretch
- Soothe the pain on your feet with some brief stretching exercises.
- Stand up, with about an arm’s length away from the wall.
- Place your left foot behind your right
- Slowly bend your right leg forward
- Your left knee should be kept straight while your left heel on the ground.
- Hold the stretch for about 15 to 30 seconds then release. Repeat three times.
- Reverse on the other leg and repeat.
Suffer from foot pain no more. Practice these meditation techniques for fast relief from foot pain.