march 29th | by Katie S. | Wellness

The Surprising Health Benefits of
a Foot Massage

Foot massages have been linked to many health benefits for both your physical body and mental health. Yes, you heard us correctly! This is your excuse to go get a foot massage!
At-Home Foot Massage, Recovery Shoes At-Home Foot Massage, Recovery Shoes

We all know an apple a day keeps the doctor away (obviously) but could a foot massage really be anything but a luxury? Before you submit this question to MythBusters, hear it from us first, curious reader: foot massages have been linked to many health benefits for both your physical body and mental health!

Want to know something even more exciting? You can join our sole community of people who have reduced pain and stress from our massaging, ACUPOINT® technology recovery shoes (yes, that is right, get a foot massage each time you take a step).

Where did Foot Massages Come From?
Massaging as a way of healing traces all the way back to ancient medicine (mysterious, we know). It was first believed to improve the circulation of “energy” throughout the body but as time moved on we learned this “energy” is more closely identified as what we call our nervous system today. According to the Cleveland Clinic, our nervous system is the command center for our bodies and allows us to experience our environment, including feeling pain.

Jumping forward to today, medical doctors do not fully understand how the benefits of massage connect to our physical bodies but the Mayo Clinic agrees that massages can produce many physical and mental health benefits.
What is a Foot Massage?

Although a foot massage is seen by many as simply rubbing feet, there’s a lot more that goes into it. Our feet are filled with various muscles and pressure points that, when rubbed, can relieve stress and pain throughout our WHOLE body, not just our feet. If you had to guess how many pressure points you have in your feet, what would you say? Three? Maybe five? Our feet actually contain a surprising 15 pressure points (gold star ⭐ for anyone who guessed right) that are connected to various parts of the body, enabling them to relieve pain in those places.

For example, if you struggle with back pain, there are specific ways you can rub your feet to reduce lower back pain (don’t worry, we will let you in on this secret below). We are passionate about this because we have personally seen many customers reduce their lower back pain by using our recovery shoes, PR SOLES®, which massage the foot. Don’t trust our word for it, explore our products and read verified buyers’ testimonials!

Foot Massage, Recovery Shoes Foot Massage, Recovery Shoes
What are the benefits of a foot massage?

A foot massage not only reduces pain, it can improve other long-term aspects of your health! Foot massages can:

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Improve immune function
  • Improve muscle pain
  • Reduce effects of anxiety and depression
  • Decrease pain from plantar fasciitis
  • Improve blood circulation
  • Reduce eczema symptoms
  • Boost energy levels
  • Help maintain foot health

We know what you are thinking: I cannot afford to get a foot massage all the time! Who can? Well, that is why we are here! We have good news - first, there are many ways you can rub your feet on your own; second, you can try our recovery shoes with massaging footbeds that have been proven to help reduce pain!

At-Home Foot Massage Techniques

You don’t need to go to a fancy, expensive masseuse to benefit from foot massages! We will teach you how to be quick on your feet and do foot massages on your own (who likes a good dad joke?)! Here are some foot massage ideas:

Foot Massage to Reduce Back Pain

  • Using your thumbs, rub the arches of your feet in short strokes starting at your heel and moving towards your toes
  • Using your thumbs, press against the arches of your foot in a circular motion to reduce tension and stress in the plantar fascia

Foot Massage to Reduce Anxiety

  • Look for the small dent near the ball of your foot that is formed when you curl your toes
  • Place your thumb on this dent and switch between massaging the area in small circles and firmly pressing down

Foot Massage to Reduce General Pain

  • While sitting, place a golf ball or tennis ball between the ground and the bottom of your foot.
  • Roll the ball across your foot until you find a sensitive spot; stop on the sensitive spot or pressure point and press down and hold for 3-5 minutes
PR SOLES®: Recovery Shoes with Massaging Footbeds

Want to help your feet on-the-go? Try our PR SOLES® recovery shoes that contain massaging footbeds! Our sneakers, sandals and slippers have been shown to reduce back pain, plantar fasciitis symptoms and help runners recover! They contain ACUPOINT® technology which helps to alleviate the pressure and tension found in your muscles.

We originally became passionate about this product in hopes of helping runners reduce foot pain. What we quickly realized is that many people, not just runners, have found relief from pain they never thought would leave. If that is you, we hope you know there is hope and we would love to join you in your journey to finding relief.