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Are you looking for the Disadvantages of Foot Massage?
Don’t worry.
Here, I will tell you a few drawbacks of massaging your feet.
I have listed these disadvantages of foot massage based on my knowledge, study, and experience as a fitness & nutrition consultant.
When we want physical and mental relaxation, having a foot, calf, or head massage strikes first in our minds.
Massage has been a part of relaxation therapy for hundreds of years.
Though all massages have their own health benefits, foot massage is most preferred by people because it provides lots of benefits and relaxation.
And this is the reason that the number of people appearing for a foot massage at therapy centers is increasing.
But have you ever thought that massaging your feet can have a few drawbacks also?
Unfortunately, it is true.
And in this article, we will discuss these disadvantages in detail.
Further, we will also discuss the best ways to prevent these drawbacks.
Let’s start.
Table of Contents
1. Factors That Make Foot Massage Harmful
There are a few factors that make foot massaging harmful.
Here they are.
1) Your Therapist is Not Trained
If you are going for a foot massage no matter a classic one or reflexology, if the therapist is not well-trained, he or she can damage your muscles.
There is also a chance that less-trained therapists will not be able to stimulate the accurate points of your feet and you won’t get the full benefits of foot massage.
2) Your Therapist is an Unhygienic Person
If your therapist doesn’t maintain the hygiene of his/her body then there is a chance that you suffer from various skin and other diseases.
3) You May Have Any Health Issues
If you have any kind of health issue such as diabetes, skin allergy, circulatory problems in your feet, etc.
Then there is also a chance that a foot massage will bring disadvantages rather than benefits.
4) You Have Cuts on The Feet
If you have any cuts on your feet and if you undergo foot massage therapy, then you may worsen it and get an infection in the body.
5) You Have Foot Injuries
If you have any kind of foot injuries such as bruising, muscle pain, swelling, etc and you undergo foot massage, then you may worsen it.
6) Using Wrong Massagers and Oils
Sometimes people use a massager to massage their feet at home. But they don’t use a proper foot massager and end up getting no benefits.
Similar to this, not using a proper foot massage oil can also make foot massaging harmful.
If you or your therapist use the oil to which you are allergic then there is a chance that you will have a skin allergy.
7) Massaging Your Feet For More Time
Foot massage is good for the body but if you overdo it then it can also become the reason for foot pain.
That’s why I always tell readers in my articles, “If something is good that doesn’t mean more is better”
If you overdo foot massage then you may convert it into a harmful act.
Now, we will discuss the disadvantages of foot massage.
2. The Disadvantages of Foot Massage
Foot massage has lots of health benefits such as improving eye vision, blood circulation, digestion, reducing muscle soreness, relaxing the mind, etc.
And getting a foot massage after a hectic day can be an extremely relaxing and sensually arousing experience.
But it is also a fact that there are a few disadvantages too.
Here, we will list down and understand them in detail.
Let’s start.
1) There is a Chance of Foot Injury
Hiring a less-trained therapist or using a wrong foot massager can cause a foot injury while foot massaging.
Your therapist may,
- Put high pressure on muscles and points of the feet
- Apply pressure on the wrong pressure points
- Overdoing foot massage
If your therapist does any of the above, then you should immediately change that person and hire a better and more experience one.
So, In my opinion, hire a well-experienced and well-trained therapist and/or choose high-quality foot massager equipment.
2) Skin Infection
Skin infection is considered one of the worst disadvantages of foot massage.
There are generally three reasons that can cause foot-skin allergy.
- If your therapist is not a hygienic person
- You are allergic to the oil used in the foot massage
- The material of the massager that touches your feet is made up of cheap quality
If you are exposed to any of these causes, there is a great chance that you will suffer from foot-skin infection sooner or later.
So, it is better to stay away from unhygienic therapists, cheap quality massage oil, and massager.
Instead of these, use a better quality massage oil to which you are not allergic and top-rated foot massager equipment.
3) Muscular Pain in Foot
If your foot muscles are not more flexible, you are at higher risk of this problem.
Overdoing and/or not doing foot massage in a proper way is among the main causes of muscular pain in the feet after a foot massage.
No matter whether you are massaging your feet by yourself or by hiring a therapist, you should always massage your feet within the limit.
Otherwise, you will have to suffer from muscle pain.
So, always ensure the proper method and limited time duration to get wonderful results from foot massage.
4) May Cause Damage to Other Organs of The Body
According to reflexology experts, the nerves present in the feet are also connected to many organs of the body.
It means anything good or bad to these nerves can affect the other organs in the same way.
So, your improper techniques of foot massage can also damage the working function of other organs.
Do you know… massaging your soles before going to bed with a good quality musturd oil can also improve your vision.
5) Loss of Feeling
A person with a low blood sugar level is at higher risk of this problem.
Sometimes, the blood gets stuck to the foot area during foot massage in such people which can even lead to nerve damage.
So, if you are a diabetic person with a low blood sugar level (Diabetic hypoglycemia), you should avoid a foot massage or consult your healthcare advisor before appearing for it.
6) Deterioration of Muscles
It is one of the cons of having a foot massage from an inexperienced or less-experienced therapist.
Also, a person with injuries or diabetes is at higher risk of this problem after taking a foot massage.
To avoid it, you have to hire a well-experienced therapist to massage your feet.
Also, if you are suffering from any circulatory diseases, never take a foot massage without consulting your doctor.
7) Benefits are for Short Term and Not permanent
It is one of the disadvantages of foot massage that all the benefits you get through foot massage and reflexology, are temporary.
According to an acupressure therapist Mayur Barot, foot massage can show a decrement in the symptoms of any disease only for a short period of time.
There is a chance that these symptoms again improve in the future.
8) It Takes a Long Time to Show Any Stable Improvement
It is one of the major drawbacks of foot massage.
Above I mentioned that if you massage your feet with mustard oil before going to sleep, your vision will be improved.
It is true but it will not happen in a few days.
It takes time and that’s why we can’t completely rely on foot massage to cure any diseases or solve any health problem.
It can definitely provide instant refreshment and relaxation but as far as a health condition is concerned, a foot massage will take a long time to improve.
That’s why here I am forcing you to consult your doctor first before taking any health-related decisions.
9) You May Find It Costly
If you are massaging your feet at home then there is no problem because it will cost you less.
But if you want to solve any health problem by foot massage or reflexology, it will take cost you high.
There are two reasons behind claiming a foot massage to be costly.
The first reason is that if you want the maximum benefits, you have to hire an expert in this field which will no doubt cost you high.
The second reason is that you have to take massage therapy for a long time to see any visible benefits in symptoms.
So, if you are thinking to improve your health condition through foot massage with a small budget, it will be very difficult.
These are a few disadvantages of foot massage.
Now, we will try to understand the ways through which we can reduce or avoid these cons.
In fact, these ways will help you get the maximum benefits of foot massage.
Let’s start.
3. Best Ways to Minimize the Disadvantages of Foot Massage
Here, we will discuss a few ways through which we can prevent or minimize the drawbacks of foot massage.
1) Hire a Well-Trained & Hygienic Therapist
Above we saw that most of the foot massage disadvantages were due to hiring a less-trained therapist.
So, my first recommendation to prevent any cons and get the best result after a foot massage is to hire a good therapist.
I know it will cost you high but you will get the best result in a long time.
You also have to ensure that the therapist maintains his/her hygiene during feet massage.
Tell that person to clean his/her hands properly before giving you a foot massage.
2) Learn a Few Things About Self-Foot Massage
Many people who massage their own feet usually end up getting no or very less benefits from it.
The reason is simple.
They don’t have much idea about pressure points, force, and duration and that’s why they get very less benefit from foot massage.
So, If you are going to massage your feet on your own, I would recommend that you should learn a few things about pressure points, amount of force, etc.
I am sure that this book will help you learn everything about a foot massage.
3) Use a Proper Foot Massage Oil
No matter whether you are massaging your own or hiring a therapist if you will use the wrong foot massage oil then forget about the benefits, you will end up harming your feet.
A wrong oil can become the cause of skin allergy and other skin problems.
So, always use the best foot massage oil to which you are not allergic.
4) Use a Proper Massager
Rather than massaging own or hiring a therapist, many people buy a foot massage machine and enjoy a foot massage at home.
It is enjoyable also.
But the problem starts to rise when you purchase the wrong one.
If your massager machine puts very high or very low pressure, is made up of cheap quality material, etc then you will not get any health benefits.
So, choose the best foot massager to have a wonderful and arousing experience as well the maximum health benefits.
5) Ensure No Cuts or Injuries On Your Feet
If you have cuts on the feet and take a foot massage then there is a chance that you will worsen those cuts or you get an infection.
Similar to this, you also have to ensure that you don’t have any foot injuries otherwise foot massage will increase it.
6) Avoid Foot Massage If You Have Any Health Issue
If you have any health problems such as diabetes, a circulatory problem in your feet, skin allergy, or infection, then you should either avoid or consult your doctor before taking a foot massage.
Otherwise, the condition may get worsen.
You can also use a wood massager tool kit to enhance the result
7) Consider Time Duration
Having longer sessions of a foot massage may also cause problems such as pain, muscle cramp, etc.
I will suggest you consult any massage expert or reflexologist for detailed information regarding the duration.
Because he will only be able to answer this after examining you and your condition.
These are a few ways through which you can prevent or lower the disadvantages of foot massage.
If you follow this guideline, I am sure that you will be able to reap the real benefits of foot massage.
Conclusion
Here, we have discussed a few drawbacks of foot massage.
These drawbacks only appear if you don’t take proper care during a foot massage.
There is no doubt that foot massage is beneficial but the only condition is to apply a proper method.
If you have any doubt related to the disadvantages of foot massage, you can ask me in the comment box.
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Thanks for reading…!!!
