Burning feet are a common issue and hard to get to the bottom of and difficult to cope with as it could commonly not be clear why you have the symptoms. The burning feet syndrome is typically characterized by a strange experience of burning and a heavy feeling occurring within the legs and feet. In the past, it was first written about by Grierson in 1826 who had been the first to record the signs and symptoms of burning feet. A more in depth explanation was recorded by by Gopalan in 1946, so for a while the burning feet syndrome have also been referred to as Grierson-Gopalan syndrome.
There is certainly frequently virtually no particular aetiology or cause of burning feet syndrome and the cause is often idiopathic or not known. It may be linked to nutritional or endocrine causes such as a vitamin B deficiency, the neuropathy that occurs in type 2 diabetes, in individuals with renal failure particularly if on renal dialysis, or with hypothyroidism. Burning feet are more common in people over the age of 50 years but it may and does occur at any age. The symptoms are typically characterised by a burning discomfort, a heaviness, a pins and needles or a boring ache occurring predominantly in the foot. It is almost always just on the bottom of the feet but can ascend to include the dorsum of the feet, ankles or on the lower legs sometimes. The arms and palms of the hands are typically not impacted, but in the event that they can be, then this needs to be looked into further. At times people may possibly report of ‘pins and needles’ or prickling type of sensation in the feet and legs. Commonly, the signs and symptoms are usually a whole lot worse during the night and they are relatively improved throughout the day time. They are also not made more intense with an increase of amounts of activity or standing which would indicate an orthopaedic condition rather than the neural involvement in burning foot syndrome. Assessment of your feet and legs by a doctor generally locates no objective signs or symptoms. A selection of investigations, especially blood tests are often performed to search for some of the specific problems that can cause the condition.
The treatment of burning foot syndrome can either have specific actions which can be aimed at the main cause (eg diabetic neuropathy, pinched nerves, thyroid gland disorders) and general actions that may be helpful in some cases. These general measures range from the using of open and comfortable footwear, possibly those having arch supports, as well as wearing natural cotton hosiery might possibly be handy. Relief from the symptoms could be brought about by the soaking the feet in colder water for approximately fifteen minutes. It’s also extremely important to avoid exposing the feet to sources of warmth. There are drug options including tricyclic antidepressants and membrane stabilizing drugs (such as carbamazepine and gabapentin) which have been made use of in the much more severe situations. You can get side affects connected with these medications, but they’re significant at providing relief for the signs and symptoms when it is necessary. Despite having the use of drugs, the treating of the symptoms could be a troublesome and a few individuals will ought to be evaluated by a specialist pain center and given approaches to help deal with the pain sensation.
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Article by: Craig Payne August 27, 2022