Gifts For People With Foot Pain

Foot pain gift #1

Foot massager

If the foot pain is caused by tension and stress of muscles e.g. overusing the feet – standing while working or during pregnancy – a foot massager, more specifically the Shiatsu foot massager could be the right gift. The Shiatsu foot massager is designed to stimulate the acupressure points in the feet through pressure and heat. I’ve heard great feedback from friends and relatives who have tried the product. They specifically enjoy the massaging pressure and the heat generated while using. There’re different kinds of Shiatshu massagers, and most of them have different settings to adjust the amount of pressure applied on your feet; some have your foot covered like the one in the image, while others don’t. I’ll have a post about top foot massagers, but in the mean time, check them out yourself!

Foot pain gift #2

Foot Spa

Although the above foot massager is great and can be enjoyed by most, some may prefer something a little more tender. Another popular gift in the same family of the foot massager but with much lower impact (thus more tender to use) is the the hydrotherapy foot spa. This foot spa is commonly recommended to go with the hot and cold therapy for treating foot pain. You may also need to buy some tea tree soaking crystal or oil to have better and more relaxing results. Some foot spa units have water jet while others have the massage wheels inside. Regardless, the foot spa is meant for someone who prefers gentle, slow and low impact massage.

Foot pain gift #3

Foot Massage Roller, and Foot Massage Ball

The foot roller is a simple but effective product to help relieve foot pain and muscle tension quickly. It’s like the low-tech version of the electronic foot massager mentioned above. With this product, you just need to roll your feet on it with how much or little pressure as you want while sitting working, watching TV, reading or doing other activities. The massage roller is designed to relieve plantar fasciitis, heel, foot arch pain and stress, and normally comes with a helpful foot chart and instructions. Another similar and even simpler product is the massage ball, which is also made to provide relief from pain associated with plantar fasciitis, heel spurs and tired feet. The massage ball is small and can easily fit in your back pack; however, to some, it’s hard to provide a steady roll on your foot, thus maybe less effective compared to the roller.

Foot pain gift #4

Acupressure Foot (Pain Relief) Mat

This acupressure mat contains tens of and sometimes hundreds of pieces of blunt spikes with thousands of (rubber) nails to provide soothing stimulation to the acupressure points on the feet, which in return will help relax muscular tension and promote blood circulation. It’s a simple, yet good product to help with tired and painful feet.

Foot pain gift #6

Foot / Ankle Compression Sleeves

These compression sleeves are special kind of socks that are designed to conforms to the foot for a tight fit around nerves and muscles. They can help increase circulation and reduce inflammation, and thus help relieve pain and discomfort in your foot and ankle area caused by plantar fasciitis, muscle fatigue, arthritis, edema, etc. The compression sleeves also help with ankle or foot swelling caused by pregnancy; they are tight fit but not overly tight and made with comfortable breathable materials.

The compression sleeves work! My mom used to have severe plantar fasciitis in one feet and had been struggling just to step out of bed in the morning. She wore the compression sleeves at night and was able to manage to get out of bed by herself in the morning.

Foot pain gift #7

Electronic Pulse Massager (FDA Cleared)

I was considering posting this TENS unit among the top gift ideas since it has worked so great for different people that I knew, including my mom and my uncle. The device is effective for different types of pain including foot pain, back pain, ankle pain, elbow and knee pain etc. This multi-function makes the TENS device a no-brainer to gift or buy for yourself since you can use and re-use it for different pain relief purposes. The product is categorized under TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and/or EPM (Electronic Pulse Massager) category, which is commonly used in sport and pain management. Check it out yourself for more description of the product and why thousands of people have rated this specific Electronic Pulse Masager very high.

The only reason I didn’t post it as the first gift idea because the TENS unit even small in size may look a little cumbersome, and also not everyone likes the idea of attaching electrodes on their skin.

Foot pain gift #8

Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mat

These anti-fatigue kitchen mats will definitely bring relief to aching feet and legs. They are extremely comfortable to stand on, whether you are wearing sandals, slippers or nothing, bare feet. They, however, are not to cure foot problems, but rather making it more comfortable to do things around the kitchen – cooking, cleaning dishes etc. I don’t own one, but have tried it my friend’s house. Thumbs up!

Foot pain gift #9

Foot pain heel cushions

These heel cushions are clinically proven very effective for treatment of heel pain (plantar fasciitis). I’ve heard in many cases these cushions work even better than the more expensive custom orthotics ordered by podiatrists. The only thing that you should pay attention to when buying these pain relief cushions are the size. Rule of thumb is size 1 for women, and size 2 for men. Although Dr. Scholl is more popular, Bauerfeind is the best as far as my research goes. I’m not sure if you have in your local store or on Amazon in your country; if not, no problem, any high quality heel cushions will do the jobs.

Foot pain gift #10

Foot-friendly shoe inserts

Another gift in the same family as the heel cushions above is the shoe inserts/insoles. You might have seen TV commercials featuring Dr. Scholl’s inserts, but those are not the only ones. My mom’s podiatrist recommended using Spenco Polysorb inserts. We’ve tried them and they were great. Depending on your shoe size, sometimes, you’d need to cut or to have the insoles cut to fit your shoes. It’s pretty easy; I was able to do it for my mom.

Foot pain gift #11

Foot splint (for plantar fasciitis)

The foot splint may look uncomfortable and cumbersome; however, it’s the product that doctors recommend most using at night time for relief from pain and discomfort caused by plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis. The foot splint allows consistent stretch to the the plantar fascia by holding the foot in the proper and gentle upright position.

Foot pain gift #12

Birkenstock and Orthaheel foot-friendly footwear

Shoes (sandals and slippers) are not created equal. While some may look hot but can cause lots of irritation and pain to the feet, others may not be as attractive but can help prevent and even correct many foot problems. Below are some of the foot-friendly shoes and sandals that are in the latter category.

I gave these Birkenstock soft footbed sandals to my mom and to my friend’s wife. Both of them have suffered serious foot pains; one was due to age, and the other one was due to her pregnancy. They both called me later to say the sandals worked perfectly. Their foot pains were significantly alleviated, became much more bearable, and even gone (for my friend’s wife) after a couple of weeks.

The soft footbed shoes, sandals and slippers usually have shock-absorbing padded heel to absorb pressure from walking and standing. The added padding makes walking and standing more comfortable.

Besides Birkenstock, Orthaheel also makes great foot-friendly slippers and sandals. Orthaheel sandals look more stylish than Birkenstock; in fact, I bought two pairs from a shopping TV channel (QVC) because of their look and comfort.

Foot pain gift #13

Easy Spirit and Walking Cradles foot-friendly shoes

Easy Spirit is another brand name known for comfort shoes. Personally, I think Easy Spirit has a good combination of fashion and comfort. I wear them when going out or taking a walk. I’d recommend Easy Spirit Triproute or Easy Spirit Traveltime; those clogs look beautiful, and they are really comfy with great cushion and breathable materials.

Walking Cradles is a less known shoes but also provides great comfort to the feet. I received a pair of sandals as a gift from my relative, and they are absolutely comfortable.

Foot pain gift #14

Toe cushions for corns

Corns are thick layers of dead skin (mostly caused by friction between your toes or between your toes and your footwear) that appear on the top or bottom of your toes. Corns become a problem when they grow large enough and cause pain. To alleviate the pain caused by corns, you can use the toe cushions / tubes to prevent toes from rubbing painfully against each other. These cushions don’t cure but rather help with the pain.