Burning feet

by aliseid
(las vegas)

: I have been having constant burning and tingling sensation under my feet ( more on my left foot ). Sometimes, I experience some pins and needles feeling too. Most of the times, I had to remove my shoe to get relief. Though the feeling is more at the night time, it has been there constantly throughout the day. The general physicians and the Podiatrists that i have visited ruled out any diabetic / pinched nerve causes after detailed examination. I would appreciate if you can throw some light on this.

RESPONSE

Hi Aliseid,

You say you have had thorough examinations by various doctors, but I wonder if that includes nerve conduction studies by neurologists, an MRI and extensive blood work by your primary care doctor. If that is not the case then that has to be done first.
The most common cause of neuropathy outside of diabetic neuropathy is probably what is known as a radiculopathy which is an irritation of the nerves coming out of the spinal column. I do not know how old you are, but something as simple as an arthritic degeneration of the spine could create this problem. To make this diagnosis will require sophisticated testing starting with a simple x-ray leading all the way up to an MRI.
The next most common cause of neuropathy would be a tarsal tunnel. This is an entrapment of the nerves that come down into your foot at just below the level of the ankle joint on the inside of the ankle.
Although it can occur on both feet generally I see it more in one foot than both feet. In most cases the symptoms will worsen the more you walk and will be less bothersome at night.
Ok, so lets assume you have had nerve conduction studies and possibly an mri of your spine and everything has come back normal.
At this point you have to start thinking outside the box.
For example, there are medications that may cause neuropathy. Statin drugs for cholesterol and medications for gout are two classes of medications that come to mind. So one place to begin would be to research any medication you are taking and see if any of them may cause neuropathy.
Another area that might be worth exploring is whether or not you have been exposed to any toxins. Again, not knowing anything about you makes it difficult to decide if this is a course worth exploring. Being exposed to fumes of some sort like paint fumes if you happen to be a painter or long term exposure to hair spray, if you happen to be a hair stylist would be examples where a person's exposure to toxins might lead to neuropathy.
In this day and age most people do not suffer from vitamin deficiencies but a vitamin B deficiency could cause neuropathy.
The last thing I would mention would be alcoholism. Over consumption of alcohol can lead to neuropathy.
In closing the only thing you can do is keep researching and exploring until you come up with the source of the problem.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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