A painful burning sensation in your feet — which you may hear referred to as burning feet syndrome or Grierson-Gopalan syndrome — may be caused by many different medical conditions. One of the most common causes is nerve damage in the legs, also called neuropathy, which often develops in people with diabetes. Most burning feet treatments focus on preventing further nerve damage and reducing pain.
There are many possible causes for a burning sensation in your feet. One of the most common is diabetic neuropathy. (Photo Credit: Yevheniia Ryzhova/Dreamstime)
What Causes Burning Feet?Most often, neuropathy causes burning feet. Damaged nerve fibers are more likely to become overactive and misfire. The damaged nerves send pain signals to your brain even though you he no wound.
Damage from neuropathy often starts in the legs. That can lead to tingling and numbness in your feet as well. Your feet may feel overly sensitive to touch (hyperesthesia) and can he varying degrees of burning pain, ranging from mild to disabling.
There are different types and causes of neuropathy that can lead to burning feet syndrome.
Diabetic neuropathy
If your blood sugar remains too high for too long, nerve damage can develop. This can happen to people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The type of neuropathy that causes burning feet is called peripheral neuropathy, which is the most common type of neuropathy. It affects the nerves in your feet, legs, and, sometimes, your hands. Up to 50% of people with diabetes develop peripheral neuropathy.
Alcoholic neuropathy
This is a common consequence of alcohol use disorder. Experts don’t fully understand why it occurs, but it’s clear that many factors contribute. Alcohol has a toxic effect on the nerves in your brain and spinal cord, which make up your central nervous system. It also affects your peripheral nerves, which include those in your feet. Also, people who abuse alcohol are often malnourished, which can lead to damaged nerves. As many as two-thirds of people with alcohol use disorder develop alcoholic neuropathy.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
PAD causes narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to your legs and feet. This reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood that reaches your nerves. If PAD becomes severe, you may develop a condition called ischemic rest pain, which causes severe burning pain in the soles of your feet. This pain gets worse at night.