The temperature of foot bath water should be kept at 38 to 43 degrees, with the highest temperature not exceeding 45 degrees and the lowest temperature not lower than 35 degrees. Many people like to soak their feet in boiling water, which is the wrong way and will only damage the skin and blood vessels of their feet. In addition, many people's foot nerves are not very sensitive and easy to be burned. Therefore, it is best to prepare a thermometer to test the water temperature before soaking your feet. When the temperature is too low, appropriate amount of hot water can be added to adjust the water temperature, so as to keep the water temperature within a suitable range.
The foot soaking time is generally 15 to 30 minutes, and the longest is no more than 45 minutes. Of course, the specific soaking time can be judged according to your physical reaction. Generally speaking, it is best to soak in a warm state without sweating. For people with severe cold and dampness, it is also good to soak in a little sweat, that is, to get through the meridians and begin to discharge cold and dampness. However, if you are soaked and sweaty, it is not appropriate, indicating that your body consumes too much gas, which is not worth the loss.
In addition, Folium Artemisiae Argyi can be mixed with other medicinal materials to soak feet, which has a better effect of dispelling cold and dampness. For example, Folium Artemisiae Argyi with ginger and pepper can better warm the channels, dispel cold and damp, and is suitable for people with cold and damp constitution. Folium Artemisiae Argyi combined with Herba Leonuri and Flos Carthami can better promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, dispel cold and relieve pain, and is suitable for women with blood stasis, dysmenorrhea and cold uterus. Moxibustion with Radix Astragali and Caulis Spatholobi can better promote blood circulation, improve fatigue and promote sleep.
It should be noted that foot soaking with mugwort leaves is suitable for people with deficiency cold or severe cold and dampness, which can effectively help alleviate the discomfort caused by cold and dampness. However, people with yin deficiency and excessive heat or internal heat should not soak their feet with mugwort leaves. In addition, people suffering from foot diseases such as arterial phlebitis, arteriovenous thrombosis, varicose veins and peripheral neuropathy, people with wounds, ulcers and skin diseases on their feet, people suffering from major diseases such as heart failure, and pregnant women with unstable fetuses should not soak their feet with mugwort leaves.