Can foot soaking lower blood pressure?

We often use the practice of foot soaking in winter, mainly because soaking feet in hot water can promote blood circulation in the soles of the feet and promote sleep quality. However, we may not yet understand whether foot soaking can lower blood pressure, mainly because we don’t know which medicine can be used to lower blood pressure. In fact, in our daily life, soaking our feet in hot ginger water can help lower blood pressure, but the effect is not as good as antihypertensive drugs.

The blood pressure of hypertensive patients is easily high because of their physical discomfort. When the blood pressure rises, you can soak your feet in hot ginger water for about 15 minutes, which can help blood circulation and help control blood pressure. Soaking your feet in hot ginger soup not only drives away the cold and promotes blood circulation, but is also very helpful for people with smelly feet. Add some salt and vinegar when soaking your feet, wipe them dry after soaking, and then apply some talcum powder, and the odor will be eliminated.

The human body's internal organs have corresponding projections on the feet. The feet are the starting point of the three yin meridians of the foot and the ending point of the three yang meridians of the foot. There are more than sixty acupoints below the ankle joint. If you soak your feet in hot water frequently, it can stimulate the acupuncture points on the feet, promote blood circulation, and regulate the internal organs, thereby achieving the purpose of strengthening the body, eliminating pathogenic factors, lowering blood pressure and curing diseases. When bathing your feet, the water temperature is generally kept at around 40 degrees. It is not good to have it too high or too low. The amount of water should be enough to cover the ankles. Soak your feet in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, then massage the soles of your feet with your hands.

Patients with hypertension can choose Qi-invigorating medicines such as Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, and Atractylodes macrocephala. Patients with hypertension should soak their feet in a decoction of chrysanthemum, wolfberry, mulberry leaves, salvia miltiorrhiza and a little borneol. Some hypertensive patients need to promote blood circulation and nourish the kidneys in winter. They can choose angelica, red peony root, safflower, and Chuanduan, etc. Some patients with hypertension have dry and cracked skin in winter. They can choose Chinese medicines such as cinnamon twig, honeysuckle, and safflower. Take 15 to 20 grams of each of the above-mentioned Chinese medicines, boil them in a casserole, then remove the residue and pour the decocted medicine into a bucket, then add hot water and soak for 30 minutes every day.

Do not use metal or plastic basins for soaking your feet with medicine, otherwise some of the effective ingredients in the medicine will be lost. Stop soaking the medicine if the skin is damaged or wounded (except in the case of dry, chapped or cracked skin). Foot bath with Chinese medicine can only serve as an auxiliary treatment. Friends with hypertension should never use it as a treatment method to avoid delaying the disease.

The above detailed introduction shows that foot soaking can lower blood pressure, but the best way for the elderly to lower blood pressure is to pay attention to their diet, maintain an optimistic attitude, and exercise more. You can try soaking your feet to lower your blood pressure. I hope it will help you lower your blood pressure.