Burning feet are a common condition and hard to reach the bottom of and hard to deal with as it can frequently not necessarily be obvious how you get it. The burning feet syndrome is generally described by a strange sensation of burning and heaviness occurring from the legs and feet. In the past, it was first described by Grierson in 1826 who was the first to record the signs and symptoms of burning feet. A more comprehensive description was written about by by Gopalan in 1946, so for a while the burning feet syndrome has also been referred to as Grierson-Gopalan syndrome.
You can find typically simply no particular aetiology or reason for burning feet syndrome and the cause is frequently idiopathic or unknown. It is usually linked to nutritional or endocrine causes such as a vitamin B deficiency, the painful neuropathy that develops in diabetes mellitus, in individuals with renal failure especially if on renal dialysis, or in hypothyroidism. It is more prevalent in individuals over the age of 50 years however it might and does occur at all ages. The signs and symptoms are generally characterised by a burning sensation, a heaviness, a numbness or a dull ache that occurs primarily in the foot. In most cases it is only on the bottom of the feet but might go up to affect the dorsum of the feet, ankles or on the lower legs occasionally. The forearms and palms of the hands are typically not impacted, but when they may be, then this has to be investigated further. Sometimes individuals could complain of ‘pins and needles’ or prickling kind of feeling in the feet and legs. Usually, the symptoms are even worse at night and they are somewhat better during the day time. Also, they are not made worse with additional amounts of activity or standing which will suggest an orthopaedic disorder instead of the neural involvement in burning foot syndrome. Assessment of your feet and legs by a doctor normally locates no objective signs or symptoms. A range of investigations, especially blood tests are frequently performed to look for some of the distinct problems that may cause the problem.
The management of burning foot syndrome may either have specific measures which are aimed at the cause (eg diabetic neuropathy, pinched nerves, thyroid gland conditions) and general actions which can be useful in every case. These general methods include the wearing of open and comfortable shoes, possibly those with arch supports, as well as putting on cotton hosiery is oftentimes beneficial. Respite from the signs and symptoms might be as a result of the placing your feet in colder water for approximately 15 minutes. It is also imperative that you avoid exposing your feet to sources of heat. There are pharmacological options that include tricyclic antidepressants and membrane layer controlling chemicals (such as carbamazepine and gabapentin) that happen to be utilized in the much more significant situations. There are side affects connected with these prescription drugs, but they are important at giving reduction to the symptoms when it’s required. Even with the usage of drugs, the treating of the symptoms could be a complex and some people will should be assessed by a consultant pain facility and presented approaches to help live with the pain.