Coping with Blisters on the Feet

Many martial artists, especially beginners or those training on a new surface, experience painful blisters on the feet. Trish Bare Grounds, author of Bare Essentials Guide to Martial Arts Injury Care & Prevention offers two methods to help heal blisters more quickly:

For blisters of the foot you can aid in the healing process and help toughen your feet up by one of two methods. The first is to use an ice bath (ice and water in a bucket) and add a substance known as povidine or Betadine®. This is done by adding one part povidine solution to ten parts water creating a ten percent solution. Soak your entire foot in this ice bath and solution for ten to twelve minutes, one to two times per day until the blisters heal and begin to toughen.

A second method is to simply replace the povidine solution with household bleach, in the same one to ten ratio, creating a ten percent bleach solution and soaking in the ice bath with bleach solution for ten to twelve minutes, one to two times per day. Both solutions will temporarily change the color of your skin, with the povidine giving a slight orange tint, whereas the bleach may lighten the skin a little. Once again, be cautious with children under the age 8, and those athletes with known skin allergies or sensitivity as they may have a reaction to these solutions.