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Burning Foot

What is the burning foot?
Burning feet are a common complaint and can be caused by a number of conditions - some are local and minor, and some are more serious. Burning feet can keep people awake at night and be a source of continuous pain.
It is more common in those over the age of 50 years, but a burning foot can occur in younger age groups.
Burning feet are more common in those with diabetes as part of the neuropathy (nerve damage) that can develop.
A burning foot may be mild and local and easily treatable, or it may indicate a more serious general medical problem that needs further investigation.

What causes a sensation of burning feet?
* many feet just ache and burn at the end of a long day, especially in those who are on their feet all day or are overweight (mechanical overload)
* hot and sweaty feet can cause a burning foot sensation.
* the neuropathy that occurs in diabetes can cause burning feet
* other types of neuropathy (nerve damage) that can cause a burning foot include those that occur in chronic alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies (usually B) and heavy metal poisoning
* blood disorders (such as thrombocytopenia, pernicious anemia) can cause burning feet
* Erythromelalgia is a rare circulatory disorder that can cause burning feet
* Reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome can follow trauma (including surgery) and cause a burning foot sensation
* nerve entrapments, such as tarsal tunnel syndrome, which is the compression of a nerve at the inside of the ankle joint, can cause a burning sensation
* a localized burning sensation may be due to other specific problems. If it's in the forefoot only, it could be metatarsalgia, Morton's neuroma or some other cause. Athlete's foot or a fungal infection can also cause a burning sensation in the area of the infection.
* it could also be due to a sensitivity to chemical substances in socks and shoes (contact dermatitis)

Self-treatment of the burning foot sensation:
The most important part of managing burning feet yourself is to get them checked to make sure they are not caused by one of the rare serious problems.
Once the cause is established, there are a number of things that you can do to help your burning feet, but this can depend on the cause:
* if it's mechanical, good fitting shoes with support is a good place to start
* if hot and sweaty, there are various self-treatments for the sweaty foot
* some creams or ointments with cooling properties can help relieve the symptoms
* some relief in some people has been shown to occur with the use of magnets
* wear socks made of cotton rather than synthetic fabrics
* bathe feet in cool water
* avoid prolonged period of standing
* cushioning or shock absorbing insoles may make standing more tolerable

There is a lot of advice on the internet to take vitamin B12 to help burning feet. However, a burning foot occurring with the neuropathy that is associated with a deficiency of vitamin B12 is very uncommon and should be managed by a medical doctor. The taking of B12 for burning feet is not likely to help unless a deficiency is the cause and its is one of the more uncommon causes of the burning foot.

Treatment of the burning foot sensation:
Treatment of burning feet needs the cause to be established, so consultation with a podiatrist, rheumatologist (arthritis doctor), or a neurologist (nerve doctor) is important.

Treatment of a mechanical overload problem with foot supports or orthotics are usually very successful in helping the mechanical overload (they will not help if mechanical overload is not the cause of the burning feet).

Other local causes such as a fungal infection, nerve entrapment, and sweaty feet can be also be treated.

Treatment of underlying conditions may bring relief (but this will depend on the cause).

Pain relief medication may be needed for the treatment of any of the chronic causes of burning feet.