What Can Cause Burning Feet and How to Treat It

Burning in the feet is a painful sensation that usually occurs due to an injury to the nerves of the legs and feet, usually due to situations such as diabetic neuropathy, alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies, infections or injuries that affect the spine or the path of the nerves.

Meanwhile, many people may have a burning sensation or heat in the feet for other reasons that can range from alterations in blood circulation, excessive use of the feet with the use of inappropriate shoes, hormonal changes, skin lesions or injuries in the ligaments and muscles of the region, as in plantar fasciitis.

Due to all these causes, when burning in the feet arises, the ideal is to consult a general practitioner or family doctor to be evaluated and the cause identified. To alleviate this sensation, it is necessary to perform the treatment indicated by the doctor, according to the cause, which can include glycemic control in diabetes, the use of comfortable or adapted shoes and perform exercises indicated by the physiotherapist.

What Can Be

The main causes of burning feet are:

• Peripheral neuropathy : it is an injury that occurs in the nerve fibers of the legs and feet, which usually arises in people with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and can cause diabetic foot, or due to chronic alcoholism, nutritional deficiencies such as lack of vitamin B12, certain neurological diseases , tumors or poisoning by some medications and heavy metals, for example.
• Plantar fasciitis : it is an inflammation of the fascia, a fibrous tissue located in the sole of the foot and that extends from the heel to the toes, and causes symptoms such as pain in the sole of the foot, burning sensation and discomfort when walking and run;
• Changes in circulation : venous or arterial insufficiency, known as poor circulation, causes blood to not circulate properly in the lower limbs, which causes varicose veins, swelling of the legs and burning sensation, pain or weight, depending of the place and the affected blood vessel;
• Changes in the feet : the feet can be overloaded in situations such as intense physical activity, wearing inappropriate shoes or alterations in the bones and muscles, such as flat feet or changes in the tread, for example, which can cause pain and burning, mainly at the end of the day;
• Infections : certain infections by bacteria or viruses can cause inflammation in the peripheral nerves of the body, which causes pain, tingling and burning in the affected region. Some examples of this type of disorder include herpes infections, shingles, mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus, HIV or Guillain-Barré syndrome.

In addition to this, other alterations in the organism can also contribute to the appearance of burning feet such as skin lesions caused by dermatitis, allergies or fungal infections, and even some hormonal alterations during the menstrual cycle and other endocrine problems that cause increase in body temperature

How to Deal With

To relieve burning in the feet it is necessary to perform the treatment according to the cause, which is indicated by the doctor. Some options include glycemic control, avoiding its lack of control, with the use of insulin and other antidiabetic medications, in the case of Diabetes Mellitus.

In some cases of peripheral neuropathy, the use of medications such as Amitriptyline, Gabapentin or Carbamazepine may also be indicated, being necessary to follow the neurologist to guide the dose of these medications, in addition to this may refer the individual to other specialties such as physiotherapy for performing exercises, or with the nutritionist to make changes in eating habits, promoting a healthy lifestyle that helps the regeneration of the nerves and the improvement of symptoms.

Keeping your feet at rest, with your legs up, or wearing elastic socks can be excellent alternatives for those who suffer from poor circulation in the legs. When the arteries are affected, the doctor may indicate the use of medications such as ASA. Follow-up with an angiologist is necessary, as in some cases surgery may be necessary.

Already in cases where there are alterations in the feet or in the form of stepping, the correction of the type of footwear or the use of insoles can be indicated, which can help reduce the overload of the muscles and bones of the region. Physiotherapy is also recommended, mainly as a way to relieve deformities and correct posture.