Burning foot pain is one of the most common complaints observed in people nowadays. People often seek medical assistance for their condition. Usually, this condition is a result of a damaged nerve in the foot or the leg. A damaged nerve can be caused due to an injury or other medical conditions such as diabetes. The symptoms may come and go or the intensity of the symptoms might vary. Sometimes, the condition is accompanied by other sensations such as pins and needles (paresthesia) or numbness. In most cases, the treatment for foot pain is focused on the prevention of further nerve damage and reduction of pain.
Neuropathy is the root cause of this burning foot pain. The damaged nerve fibers have a tendency to become overactive. They send false pain signals to your brain even if there is no injury or wound.
Most of the times, people suffering from neuropathy face the problem of their leg nerves getting damaged at the earliest. These people complain of numbness or a tingling sensation in their feet. They experience oversensitivity in their feet, are sensitive to touch (hyperesthesia) and feel varying degrees of burning foot pain.
The most common of factors that have been instrumental in causing neuropathy in legs are diabetes and alcohol abuse. However, there are many other reasons that might culminate in neuropathy or burning foot pain.
- Chronic kidney disease (uremia)
- Small fiber neuropathy
- Vitamin deficiency (vitamin B12, folate and occasionally B6)
- Low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism)
- Lyme disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Amyloid polyneuropathy
- A side effect of some drugs including vitamin B6 overdose, chemotherapy drugs, HIV medicines, isoniazid, amiodarone, metformin and others
- Erythromelalgia
- Heavy metal poisoning (lead, arsenic, and mercury)
- Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels)
- Sarcoidosis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
Apart from neuropathy, inflammation and infection can be factors that cause burning foot pain. The most common of these is athlete’s foot, which is a skin infection caused by fungus.
Another condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD) can be a cause of burning foot ain. In this condition, the poor circulation of blood in feet may cause frequent pain or a tingling sensation, particularly while walking.
If this pain persists longer than a week and you are not suffering from any of the medical conditions mentioned, then you need to seek a doctor’s assistance. If the burning sensation is sudden and seems to rapidly worsen, then your doctor will have to diagnose you thoroughly with the help of a few tests such as electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction study, laboratory tests like blood, urine tests, and nerve biopsy.
The doctor will then start off with your treatment on the basis of the diagnosis. In most neuropathy cases, the first step is to stop the ongoing nerve damage. There are cases where the ongoing treatment of the underlying disease improved neuropathy and its symptoms. When no cause for the burning sensation is identified, the doctors focus on treating your symptoms.
For people with diabetic neuropathy, the treatment focuses on maintaining the blood sugar levels in a normal range. Some dietary changes, oral medication, and, in some cases, insulin injections are required to control and regulate the blood sugar levels.
In other cases of neuropathy, prevention of further nerve damage is equally essential. Some of the specific conditions and their respective treatments are as follows.
Vitamin deficiency
Consumption of additional vitamin B12 by injection or oral intake can help you improve the levels of essential nutrients.
Alcoholism
You will have to put a complete stop to your alcohol consumption to prevent existing nerve damage and allow your nerves to heal.
Chronic kidney disease
In the case of kidney issues, toxins that cause neuropathy and its symptoms can be eliminated with the help of dialysis.
Hypothyroidism
Consumption of oral thyroid hormones raises low thyroid levels. This reverses neuropathy along with its symptoms.
GBS and CIDP
The treatment for GBS and CIDP are very specific and include immune globin therapy (IVIG) and plasma exchange (plasmapheresis).
- The treatment of neuropathy mainly includes the treatment of abnormal sensations and the pain caused by the condition. Apart from the treatment provided by your doctor, you can also try out some of the below-mentioned home remedies.
- Soak your feet in cold water for few minutes.
- Apply apple cider vinegar on your affected area.
- Drink turmeric mixed with water once a day as turmeric helps in improving
- blood circulation.
- Soak your feet in water mixed with Epsom salt as it has the potential to soothe your burning feet.
In short, a proper consultation with a doctor is recommended for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
