Story Content

A burning sensation in feet is today, a commonly occurring disorder and may occur for many reasons. One of the most known reason is nerve damage in the legs, which is also called neuropathy. These nerve fibers are probably becomes overactive and misfire and send pain signals to the brain even without any wound. The other reason is due to poor circulation of blood to the feet causing burning feet and pain, making this condition sometimes intolerable. Burning sensation is feet is also termed as Burning Feet Syndrome (BFS). 

BFS are generally seen in old age people, affecting top and sole of the feet, ankles and lower leg side, showing symptoms from mild to severe, depending on the cause of disease. Peripheral neuropathy, commonly called nerve damage, is a common cause of BFS. The other symptoms includes weakness in the foot and lower leg muscles and feeling difficulty in foot lifting, while walking.

Different medical conditions which cause burning feet.

Diabetes: This medical condition is the most common, as high blood sugar level in these patients can damage nerves and blood vessels. Reports suggest that 50% of the diabetic people have this type of disorder.

The other medical conditions includes: 

• Small fiber sensory neuropathy (SFSN) - This condition damages the small sensory nerves, causing pain and discomfort in the feet and hands
• Over use of alcohol - Excessive alcohol consumption damages the nerves in the feet and other body parts, as alcohol is toxic to many nerves. This condition is known as alcoholic neuropathy
• Vitamin deficiency - Deficiency of vitamins like vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin B6 cause nerve damage, which gives burning sensation. 
• Hypothyroidism - Low level of thyroid hormone in patients cause changes in body hormones, which result in causing pressure in the nerves. Burning feet is the common symptom of hypothyroidism.
• Chronic kidney disease - Burning feet sensation also occurs in those, whose kidney is not functioning properly, as when proper function is not performed by kidney, toxin accumulated in blood, causing swelling or burning sensation.
• HIV/AIDS - Patient having this disease show the common symptom of this disease is hot or burning feet. 
• Drug side effects - This includes vitamin B6 overdose, Amiodarone, Metformin etc. which cause nerve damage and thus burning sensation.
• Athlete’s foot - It is a contagious fungal infection, mostly seen in athletes and the most common symptoms are burning, tingling, or itching sensation between the toes or on the soles of the feet.
• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) - This cause the impairment of sensory function and long term weakness in legs and arms, causing a tingling or burning sensation in the feet and hands.
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) - Causes damage to the peripheral nerves.
• Erythromelalgia -This is rare occurring condition, mainly affect feet, resulting strong pain and heat sensations in the feet and hands.
• Malnutrition - Burning feet caused due to nutrient deficiency are commonly seen and nerve damage occurs due to malnutrition.
• Chemotherapy - Chemo drugs also cause nerve damage which results in tingling or burning sensation on feet.

Many treatments are available for burning feet, to treat nerve damage. Different types of treatments are also available which improve the neuropathy and its symptoms. This includes:

• Diabetic Neuropathy: patients suffering from this disease, are given oral medications or injections which helps to reduce symptoms.
• Vitamin supplement: Taking vitamin supplement like vitamin B12 orally or by injection can enhance the nutrient deficiency.
• Quitting excessive alcohol drinking 
• Thyroid supplement: oral thyroid hormone therapy available which increases the low thyroid levels, help to reverse neuropathy as well as burning feet symptoms.
• Electrical nerve stimulation
• Magnetic or laser therapy

Home Remedies

Few home remedies are also available, which can give relief from the symptoms. Some of them are as follows 

1. Cold water or an ice bath Treatment

Soaking feet in cold water will give nice relief but temporarily. However, a person suffering from erythromelalgia should avoid this, skin can be damaged.

2. Epsom salt Treatment

Epsom salt foot bath is another good option, as it contains natural compound magnesium sulfate, which helps to treat many problems like pain, the symptoms of athlete’s foot etc. 

However, a person with diabetes should consult with doctor before using an Epsom salt foot bath, as it may cause foot damage in diabetic people.

3. Turmeric supplements

Curcumin is the compound which is present in turmeric, having multiple benefits. It is effective to treat many skin problems and many neurological disorders as well. 

Turmeric intake as supplement helps to treat Burning Feet Syndrome. Positive effect of it was shown in one study, which suggests that if a person takes curcumin in the early stages of neuropathy it might be effective to prevent chronic neuropathy from developing.

4. Fish oil Supplement

One of the previous study suggest fish oil slow down the progression or reverse the diabetic neuropathy, which says that taking fish oil supplement is beneficial. Having anti-inflammatory properties, it is also helpful in reducing pain and discomfort. 

5. Foot massage 

Massage is another a relieving option for those having burning feet sensation, which increases the blood circulation to an effected area. Thai foot massage found to be helpful in people with diabetic neuropathy, which improve the movement and sensation in their foot.

Summary

Burning feet syndrome is the tingling or burning sensation in the feet, which is now is a common occurring syndrome.  Several home remedies are available to treat this, if persist needs to visit doctor to understand the actual cause of this problem.