12/10/2020
🔴Different Causes of Burning Foot Pain
Burning foot pain is a common complaint, usually as a result of damage to the nerves of the foot or leg.
Burning pain may develop due to an injury or medical condition either of which can cause compression of the nerves.
🔑Our nerves are the structures that carry messages to and from the brain. They tell our muscles when and how to work and are responsible for sensation including pressure and temperature. Damage to the nerves affects how these signals are transmitted resulting in abnormal sensations.
🔴Causes
ℹ️Peripheral Neuropathy
Burning foot pain is usually caused by damage to one of the nerves anywhere in its course from the back to the foot
➡️What Is It: Peripheral neuropathy is caused by damage to the nerves in the leg or foot, anywhere along their path from the spine down to the feet. Peripheral neuropathy is the most common cause of burning pain in feet.
➡️Causes: Various medical conditions e.g. diabetes, injury e.g. fractures, infections e.g. shingles or medication. In approximately 30% of cases the cause is unknown
➡️Symptoms: Burning foot pain often accompanied by weakness, altered sensation e.g. pins and needles or numbness, altered balance and co-ordination. It tends to affect both feet at the same time.
ℹ️Morton’s Neuroma
A Morton's Neuroma causes burning pain in foot and feels like you are standing on a pebble
➡️What Is It: A Morton's Neuroma is a thickening of the soft tissues surrounding one of the nerves in your foot
➡️Causes: Anything which places pressure on the foot such as abnormal foot position, repetitive high-impact activities e.g. running or poor fitting footwear e.g. narrow shoes or high heels
➡️Symptoms: The most classic symptom is that it feels like you are standing on a pebble. This may also be associated with burning foot pain in the ball of your foot and toes and numbness
ℹ️Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease
➡️What Is It: Charcot-Marie Tooth Disease is a group of disorders that affect the peripheral nerves
➡️Causes: It is an inherited disorder caused by genetic mutation
➡️Symptoms: Foot drop (inability to lift the foot up straight), high foot arches, muscle weakness, burning pain in foot, numbness and poor balance.
ℹ️Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia causes burning foot pain underneath the metatarsal bones. Wearing metatarsal pads can make a huge difference
➡️What Is It: Metatarsalgia is where there is irritation and inflammation of the metatarsal foot bones and surrounding soft tissues
➡️Causes: Overuse (e.g. lots of walking/running), repetitive stress, muscles weakness and tightness, poor-fitting footwear, abnormal foot position e.g. bunions, stress fractures, gout
➡️Symptoms: Burning foot pain in the ball of the foot, most commonly under the big toe, worse with standing or walking. Tends to come on gradually over time rather than suddenly.
ℹ️Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
➡️What Is It: Peripheral Vascular Disease is where there is an obstruction of the large arteries of the extremities (i.e. those not around the heart or brain) which limits blood flow. It is also known as peripheral artery disease (PAD)
➡️Causes: Atherosclerosis (thickening of the artery wall), stenosis (narrowing of the artery) or a blood clot. Prevalance increases with age.
➡️Symptoms: Burning foot pain especially when walking, weakness, muscle cramp, sores or ulcers, changes in skin colour (usually blue/purple), decreased hair and nail growth. May affect one or both feet. Symptoms usually get worse with activity and improve with rest.
ℹ️Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
➡️What Is It: Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is where there is compression of the tibial nerve as it passes through the tarsal tunnel (a space between the foot bones) on the inner side of the foot near the ankle.
➡️Causes: Bone spurs, tumour, foot swelling, cyst, ganglions
➡️Symptoms: Burning foot pain on the sole of the foot, pins and needles, numbness in the heel and toes. Usually only affects one foot.
ℹ️Diabetic Neuropathy
➡️What Is It: Diabetic neuropathy is a serious complication of Diabetes which damages the nerves causing peripheral neuropathy
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy can often lead to the formation of ulcers
➡️Causes: Prolonged high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels that supply the nerves with oxygen and nutrients and affect how the nerves transmit signals
➡️Symptoms: Symptoms usually start in the feet and legs and can spread to the hands. Tingling, numbness, burning foot pain often worse at night, hypersensitivity, muscle weakness, ulcers.
ℹ️Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
➡️What Is It: CRPS is a chronic (long-term), progressive disorder caused by dysfunction and over-sensitisation of the nervous system where peripheral nerves send inappropriate pain signals to the central nervous system. Previously known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), it is the most painful form of chronic pain
➡️Causes: CRPS is poorly understood but it is thought to be caused by the body responding inappropriately to an injury and a resultant inflammatory response. There are two types of CRPS defined by the initial cause, type 1 (the most common) develops after a soft tissue injury (often minor such as a sprain), disuse or crush injury, type 2 develops after a nerve injury
➡️Symptoms: Intense, constant, extreme burning foot pain that is much greater and lasts longer than would be expected after the initial injury. Associated swelling, spasms, changes in skin temperature (e.g. excessive sweating), redness, allodynia (hypersensitivity to light touch), stiffness, sleep disturbance and affected mood. Starts in one limb but often spreads.
ℹ️Erythromelalgia
Erythromelalgia is a rare condition where blood vessels are intermittently blocked causing burning foot pain
➡️What Is It: Erythromelalgia is a rare neurovascular disorder where blood vessels get intermittently blocked
➡️Causes: A problem with the neuropathological and microvascular systems
➡️Symptoms: The most defining symptom is redness of the foot with associated swelling and burning foot pain.
ℹ️Burning Feet Syndrome
➡️What Is It: Burning Feet Syndrome is a medical condition, also known as Grierson-Gopalan Syndrome, where there is damage to the small nerve fibres of the foot
➡️Causes: There is often no clear cause but it is thought to be linked with factors such as vitamin B deficiency, diabetes, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, renal failure and abnormal foot biomechanics. There is also thought to be a genetic link
➡️Symptoms: Burning foot pain, usually on the soles of the feet but occasionally spreading up the lower leg which is worse at night-time. Sometimes accompanied by pins and needles and numbness. In most cases there is no redness or tenderness in the affected region. It can also cause affect vision.
