PADADARI OR CRACKED HEALS

Paada means feet and heels
Dari/Darana means cracking

Have you looked at your feet recently and thought your heels have 

had better days?  

When the Vata dosha located in the soles of foot gets aggravated or vitiated due to frequent exposure or consumption of causative factors, it causes roughness of the skin results in cracking of hand and feet. That is known as Padadari.

The Causative factors of Padadari mentioned in Ayurveda 

• Intake of Vata dosha aggravating foods
• Dry, sharp, rough, hot and spicy food, like junk food, deep fried, oily food, excess spices and consuming raw food in large amounts.
• Certain activities like excessive walking, walking with hard improper footwear, bare foot walking, exposure to cold water, standing for a longer duration.
• In summer, rainy, autumn and winter seasons
• Obesity
• Diabetes
•  Not following proper daily routine (Dinacharya)

CLINICAL FEATURES

• Aridity (dryness) of the feet
• Crack / cleft in heel
• Aberrant and flaring patches
• Itchiness of the skin
• Pain in the palms and soles
• Often related to bleeding and burning sensation which is related to  pitta dosha imbalance.

AYURVEDIC TREATMENT PRINCIPLE

SNEHANA KARMA/OLEATION

Application of medicated oil Or other oils such as sesame oil, castor oil, Jatyadi taila. You can mix these with equal part of Ashwagandha taila.

REGULAR FOOT MASSAGE/PADABHYANGA

 Use Kasa bowl (specifically bronze bowl ) for foot massage or Kansa wand. In this treatment a small 3-metal Kansa Vatki bowl is used to rub onto feet and stimulate them. The 3 metals used are copper, tin and zinc. They help in reducing pain and inflammation, increases the blood circulation in the affected areaand therefore help in healing the cracked feet.

 You can use any of the above mentioned oils.

SVEDANA/SUDATION 

Add a little salt in warm water and Soak and wash your feet in it. You can do it on regular basis. After soaking exfoliate the softened dead skin with Pumice(rock used to scrub heels) and dry them thoroughly, massage with any edible oil or medicated oils and put on a nice and soft pair of socks to keep the dirt and impurities at bay which can cause infection in cracked heels. Keep them on overnight. In the morning, you will feel your heels are softer. Repeat this for a couple of days till the cracks in heels disappear completely.

LEPANA/APPLYING PASTE

Use herbs such as Manjistha, yashtimadhu, Neem, Sandalwood and Haritaki. You can apply it daily for 20-25 minutes.

TOPICAL AYURVEDIC HERBS USEFUL IN TREATING CRACKED HEELS

• Use a mixture of  Madhucchistha (Beewax), honey and Shatadhauta ghrita.
• Shatadhauta ghrita is an amazing formulation, works like a charm in cracked heels. This is ghee washed 100 times (shata) with water. This continuous washing makes the ghee silky smooth and more butter like in consistency.
• Shatadhauta ghrita works wonderfully when mixed with herbs such as turmeric, neem, licorice and sandalwood powder.
• Similarly you can apply Pinda Tailam too. It can be applied alone or can be mixed with other herbs I mentioned above.
• Mix one cup of Shatadhauta ghrita in three tablespoons of turmeric and then apply it. It is an effective combination.
• Crush some Neem leaves until it makes a fine paste. Add three teaspoons of turmeric powder. Apply it on the cracks and leave it on for 25-30 minutes. Wash the feet in lukewarm water and dry them thoroughly. Apply any edible oil on it afterwards.
• Petroleum jelly – You can even apply petroleum jelly over entire cracked area once you have scrubbed and washed it properly.
• Make a scrub with some rice flour, honey and apple cider vinegar. Mix well untill it becomes a fine paste without lumps. If the cracking on heels is too bad, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil to this mixture. Soak feet in warm water for ten minutes then scrub them with the rice flour paste. Repeat the method 4-5 times per week till you get the desired results.
• Add freshly squeezed lemon juice in lukewarm water. Soak feet for ten to fifteen. Scrub the cracked heels using pumice. Wash feet and pat dry with a towel.
• Stir equal quantity of rose water and glycerin. Massage it on heels and feet regularly before going to bed and put socks on after it.
• Mix a moderate cup of sea salt in a tub of lukewarm water. Soak feet in the solution for ten minutes. Scrub feet with a pumice and after that again soak the feet for ten more minutes. Pat dry the feet thoroughly and apply petroleum jelly to lock in the moisture. For best results, put on a soft pair of socks to retain the moisture and to slow the drying.

SELF HELP

• Thin soled footwear should be avoided
• Use pumice(heel rock) to get rid of dead skin
• Apply medicated balm or oils that keeps the skin soft and closes fissures
• Moisturizing lotion to keep feet soft
• Applying moisturizing lotion before going to bed and wearing socks helps in maintaining softness of skin of heels, since skin of feet lacks oil glands.
• Reduce weight if you are overweight and avoid standing for long hours
• Avoid cutting the dried skin with blade or any sharp object.
• Diabetic patients should to straightaway consult their medical practitioner if the fissures persist for a long time, just to make sure it doesn’t change into diabetic foot.

DIET

Since cracked heels is caused due to vitiated vata, it is best to reduce or avoid vata aggravating foods.

CONSUME THESE REGULARLY IN YOUR DIET

• Fruits
• Cucumber
• Ash gourd
• Tender coconut water
• Ghee
• Butter

REDUCE THE AMOUNT OR AVOID THESE COMPLETELY IF YOU CAN 

• Deep fried food
• Spicy food
• Pepper
• Bitter gourd
• Chilly ( causes Vata and pitta imbalance )
• Mustard – Regular usage of mustard oil or sauces causes pitta imbalance and promotes the growth of fissures of cracked heels and causes burning sensation and pain. It could even get infected.