Footbaths: effective against cold feet, migraines and insomnia

That feeling when you soak your feet in a bowl of warm water after being on your feet all day. Soooo soothing! And there’s no need for the sucker fish you see in so-called fish spas nibbling away at your feet. First, fish spas are cruel according to animal welfare organisations. Second, some fish spa tanks aren’t particularly hygienic. And third, the animals do pedicures only. They suck off excess skin cells, so are effectively removing calluses.

Footbaths, on the other hand, do a lot more when done properly. They also have the advantage that you can do them in the comfort of your own home (and minus the fish). All you need is a bucket or footbath large enough to pop your feet in. Special devices that do bubbles and foot massages aren’t a must. And don’t worry, cold footbaths don’t require extensive preparation like ice baths.

Footbaths: how do they affect our body?

If you’re talking footbaths, there’s no getting around Sebastian Kneipp. The priest from Bad Wörishofen in Bavaria popularised alternating cold and warm water treatments and water therapy (hydrotherapy) in general back in the 19th century. However, people have been making use of the positive effects of water since time immemorial. In ancient Egypt, ancient Greece or ancient Rome, for example. These days, Kneipp’s natural healing methods involving footbaths and rinses are also used in traditional medicine.

Essentially, hydrotherapy is physics. Water’s a heat conductor, so it transfers its temperature to your body. As temperature stimuli don’t remain in one spot, they stimulate your entire body – your immune system, circulation, nervous system and metabolism. So when you dip your feet in a footbath, this will trigger a reaction in the temperature sensors of your skin. The heat or cold stimulus interferes with your body’s temperature and your body will react.

What happens then is described as follows on the website of the Austrian Kneipp Association:

As a result, a warm footbath dilates the vessels, stimulates circulation in the legs and the abdominal and pelvic organs and lowers blood pressure. In addition, the warm water has a calming effect on the autonomic nervous system.

A cold footbath, on the other hand, constricts the vessels. This briefly translates into increased blood pressure. Next, the vessels dilate again as the body’s own temperature regulation increases blood flow to the cold area. This lowers blood pressure.

The signals sent to the immune system strengthen your body against colds. This effect is described by Andreas Michalsen, Professor of Clinical Naturopathy at the Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin in his book The Nature Cure (Heilen mit der Kraft der Natur) (book currently only available in German).

Kneipp therapy: studies prove the effect of hydrotherapy

The fact that Kneipp-style hydrotherapy works has been confirmed by a review study (in German). It summarises research findings on Kneipp therapy from 2000 to 2019. According to the authors, Kneipp hydrotherapy can significantly reduce high blood pressure and treat venous weakness in the legs. Hot and cold showers reduce menopausal symptoms and improve insomnia that doesn’t have an organic cause.

Speaking of sleep: in 1990, a team led by Kurt Kräuchi of Basel University Hospital proved that cold feet make it harder to fall asleep. According to his study published in Nature, the average time it takes to fall asleep when your feet are warm is ten minutes; subjects with cold feet took 25 minutes.

Why is that? Prof. Michalsen explains this phenomenon as follows in his book, «The tremendous time difference is due to the difference in blood flow between the smaller blood vessels, which supply our tissues, and the peripheral vessels, which influence the cascades of messenger substances that lull us to sleep.»

Soaking your feet in warm water before going to bed (or taking a hot water bottle to bed with you) is a hot tip if you struggle to fall asleep.

Footbaths: alternating temperatures train your immune system

In Kneipp hydrotherapy, alternating hot and cold showers are used in addition to cold and warm footbaths. Professor Michalsen says alternating hot and cold water is more effective than just warm water when it comes to «general health benefits and strengthening your immune system.»

If you’re suffering from a bladder infection, he recommends hot footbaths or treading cold water. Alternating cold and warm showers can also be effective against high blood pressure. In 2009, Christoph Gutenbrunner of Hannover Medical School demonstrated how hydrotherapy works for mild to moderate hypertension (study in German). It should be considered an «effective extension of the basic non-pharmacologic treatment of hypertension.» If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should nevertheless seek medical advice to determine whether footbaths are advisable as a treatment.

Application: which type of footbath for which ailments?

Please note: if you have pre-existing conditions, such as high blood pressure, vein problems, varicose veins or heart disease, please refrain from experimenting with footbaths. Get the green light from your doctor first. Footbaths may even have an adverse effect on these types of conditions.

However, if you’re healthy, anything goes. For example, if you’ve been hiking, a warm footbath can feel relaxing or a cold one invigorating on a cool day.

When are footbaths recommended?

Footbath to help you fall asleep: add mustard powder or ginger

The ideal temperature for a footbath is between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius. Your feet shouldn’t be in it for longer than 15 minutes. To give your circulation an extra boost, try adding a little mustard powder (one to max. two tablespoons for every five litres of water). Make sure the mustard powder doesn’t get into your eyes or mouth. Mustard isn’t suitable if you have any inflammation or open wounds on your feet. Ginger is also great to improve sleep. Cut fresh ginger into pieces and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the ginger water through a sieve and add it to your footbath.

Footbaths against sweaty feet: add baking soda, sage or bark

If you get sweaty feet, warm footbaths can be really helpful. Brew together willow, oak bark or sage leaves previously steeped in boiling water. While sage needs to sit for just a few minutes, bark needs several hours. Baking soda also has a sweat-reducing effect. Simply add two to three teaspoons of baking soda to your footbath.

Footbaths if you’re coming down with a cold or migraine: add herbal extracts or mustard powder

If you feel a cold coming on, Kneipp naturopathy recommends a footbath with gradually increasing temperatures. You start off with water just over 30 degrees and keep pouring water that’s increasingly warmer. Keep going for as long as you find the heat bearable. Your footbath shouldn’t exceed 40 degrees Celsius. What’s key is to end your session by pouring cold water over your feet. Spruce needles, thyme or eucalyptus oil or extracts from medicinal herbs are recommended as an addition to the warm water. A footbath with rising temperatures can also help relieve migraines and headaches – or you could also try a mustard powder footbath described above.

Footbath to sooth swollen legs: add apple cider vinegar or herbs

This is where you need a cold footbath. The main rule here is that cold footbaths always (!) require warm feet. So before soaking your feet, rub them until they’re warm or walk around for a bit until they’re well circulated. A cold footbath should be between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius. Only keep your feet submerged until the cold becomes painful. If you do this frequently, this will probably be the case after 60 seconds at the latest; for beginners, two to fifteen seconds are usually the limit. The limit is two minutes. A cold foot bath should never last longer.

Extracts of mugwort herb, lemon balm, camomile, peppermint or thyme enhance the circulation-promoting effect. Or add 150 millilitres of apple cider vinegar to 5 litres of cold water – the vinegar will revitalise your tired feet.

Whether you opt for a cold or warm bath or one with rising heat, you must always keep your feet warm after the treatment. Also make sure to rest your feet for a while after the bath to allow the hydrotherapy to take full effect.