How to Give Yourself a Foot Massage

Professional massage isn't cheap. Luckily, you can get the same benefits at home -- for free -- by doing it yourself or asking your partner to lend a hand. The spots most likely to get sore are easy to reach. Moderate pressure massage is safe and works well for most people with conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and long-term pain.

Step 1. Sit in a chair or on a bed, and put one of your feet on top of your opposite thigh. Pour a gentle moisturizing lotion or massage oil into your hands and rub them lightly over the whole surface of your foot, making sure to get your toes, arch, and heel. Apply gentle pressure with your fingers as you smooth on the lotion.

Step 2. Hold the front of your ankle with one hand. Then pinch the back of your ankle with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand and pull down toward your heel. This relaxes your Achilles tendon, which can get especially tight from exercise, standing for long periods of time, and wearing high heels.

Step 3. Next do some glides down the feet from the toes to the heel using the palms and fingers of both hands.

Step 4. Then take the palms and thumbs on either side of the feet and, starting with the toes, using your thumbs, use pressure and rub from center of the foot out to the edge of the foot. Do this several times.

Step 5: Then take the thumbs and apply pressure between the pads below the toes and then pull out to the side of the foot while still applying pressure. Continue this down the entire foor. Do this three times.

Step 6: Using the thumbs or forefingers, apply pressure and do circles on the pads of the foot below the toes to help soothe knots and sore, tight muscles. Follow your fingers down the center of the foot and do circles on your heel using your middle fingers. You can use the fingers on the other hand to apply more pressure on the fingers doing the circles.

Step 7: Still using the middle fingers with the other hand on top, rub up the center of the foot to the pads below the toes while applying pressure. Pull the fingers back to the heel and again rub up the center of the foot. This massages the arch of the foot. Using the same techniques, massage the foot on either sides of the arch. You can switch to the thumbs for this. The arch of the foot tends to get sore especially easily, since it bears most of your weight. Spend extra time rubbing your thumbs or knuckles over the arch, especially places that feel tight or achey.

Step 8: Pull your hand down to the heel and do some knuckle circles on the pad of the heel. The skin on the heel is a little thick and the knuckles will help to create a bit of heat. Be sure to massage up the sides of heel and not just on the pad.

Step 9: Slide up to the toes and do some small circles at the base of the toes. Work up into the toes, giving them a nice pull. Curl the toes in and push on the pads, open the toes up stretching, and repeat several times. This helps to elongate the muscles. Grab each toe and bend it very gently back and forth or side to side. This will help stretch the muscles around your toes. Another option is to gently squeeze each toe at the base and then slide your fingers along it to the tip.

Step 10: Grab ahold of the toes and gently pull up and back giving the foot a nice stretch. You should feel this down the entire length of the foot.

Step 11: Finish off with a few more gliding strokes down the length of the foot from toes to heel.

When you massage the top of your foot, focus on the space between the big toe and the second toe. This is an acupressure point, and pressing or rubbing there may help relieve pain in other parts of the body.

To massage a foot that's swollen due to retained fluid, use the flat of your hand instead of your thumbs, knuckles, or fingertips. Lightly stroke back along your foot and stretch the skin as far as it can comfortably go, then release it. You can also gently squeeze your toes and slide your fingers back along them. If your feet are swollen, never stroke downward toward your toes. That will push the extra fluids farther down into your feet.

Do some light foot and ankle stretches.

Stretching can strengthen your feet and improve your range of motion. This may relieve and prevent foot pain. It can also relieve tension in your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia (tissue fibers in the arch of your foot). Try a few of the following stretches:

• Sit down and slowly rotate each ankle in a circle. Do this about 10 times with each foot.
• Stretch your leg out in front of you and alternate pulling your toes back toward you and pointing them down toward the floor.
• Set your heels on the floor and alternate flexing your toes downwards and upwards, holding each position for 2-3 seconds. Do this about 5 times.

Try a foot roller or electric massager for targeted relief. Most foot rollers have a bumpy or ridged texture that you roll your foot over.