Chilblains can literally stop you in your tracks when it comes to running, cycling, riding and many other activities. One’s feet and hands can become so painful with these sores. The choice of which shoes to wear becomes a difficult decision, because of the swollen lumps that mean normal shoes become tight and hurt. Running becomes hampered by the pain in the toes and holding things with sore hands means one loses dexterity.
Chilblains are caused by the extremities getting really cold so that the nerve ends get damaged and then if they heat up too quickly the “thermostat” goes into overdrive!! Once one has chilblains one is susceptible to them again and again. And it is very hard to get rid of them. It is a sign of bad circulation and “faulty” nerve signalling to the brain as to when things are hot or cold. So the key os to stimulate circulation. Massaging the sores is a start but if one passages with something known to stimulate the circulation that is a great help.
If you keep the feet soft, so don’t let the toes and heels get calluses, then the peripheral skin has a circulation, the second thing is to try to keep them at a constant temperature – not too hot and not too cold. But the revolutionary cream to use is Neal’s Yard Arnica Salve.
There are many techniques as far as massage goes that stimulate in a more vigorous way than just rubbing. The priority is to stimulate the blood flow through movement. So mobilising the sole of the foot with twisting, squeezing, pulling and rotating movement is a good start. Then stimulating the arch of the foot by flexing the sole of the foot by bending the toes down to the heel and flexing them back up and rubbing the thumbs through the arch and into the heel and all across the ball of the foot. Using the knuckles into the sole of the foot or rolling it on a ball.
Bending the toe joints, squeezing into the heel with the thumbs, using the thumbs all across the base of the foot and working across the top in a kneeding type motion. Massaging and squeezing the achilles tendon and using circular motion all across the top of the foot are all different ideas on how to stimulate.
The success is definitely improved by the use of this ointment type salve that not only contains arnica to get rid of pain but also contains Rosemary, Ginger, Lavender and Geranium, amongst others, it smells divine and is absorbed so well into the skin, within two days this will soothe even the sorest of feet.
