A burning sensation in your feet can have many causes like diabetic neuropathy, athlete’s foot, alcohol use, and so on. Identifying the cause is vital for focused medical treatments. Besides this, you can also try several home remedies.
What causes a burning sensation in the feet?
Many diseases and infections can cause burning pain in your feet.
- Diabetic neuropathy: If you have diabetes, gradually, your nerves can get damaged. This nerve damage starts in the feet. Damaged nerves may send incorrect signals to the brain, inducing pain sensations even when there is no wound or another injury.
- Heavy alcohol use: If you have a practice of regularly consuming alcohol in large amounts, then you can face nerve damage.
- Erythromelalgia: This condition produces a shooting and burning pain in your feet, without any recognizable cause. It is a rare disease. If you have it, then the pain can get worse after stressful activities like long walks, running, or standing for a long time.
- Infectious diseases: Infectious diseases like Lyme disease, athlete’s foot, shingles, and HIV can induce a sharp pain in your feet.
- Kidney Disease: Kidney dysfunction results in a build-up of toxins as the kidneys are no longer capable of clearing the waste and toxins from your body. Thus, this can result in pain in your feet.
- Hypothyroidism: Underactive thyroid results in low levels of thyroid hormones. A low level of these hormones can cause your feet to swell up and feel painful.
- Nutritional deficiencies: Vitamin B deficiency can cause burning pain in feet.
Treatments for burning pain in the feet
Depending on the cause of the burning pain, treatments may vary. For instance, burning pain in the feet caused by diabetic neuropathy may require you to keep your blood sugar levels in control by taking the right medications.
Kidney disease-induced burning feet pain may be relieved by dialysis, which is a process that removes toxins from the body. You may have to take vitamin B supplements if you have a deficiency. For athlete’s foot, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal medication.
To get relief from the burning pain in your feet, you can try some over-the-counter medicines but always consult your doctor first.
Clinical and traditional therapies
For severe burning pain in the feet, you may get relief through electrical nerve stimulation, laser therapy, and magnetic therapy. You can also try acupuncture.
Simple remedies to get relief from pain in the burning feet
You can try following these simple remedies at home:
- Cold water therapy
Fill a tub with cold water. Put your feet in it for a few minutes. Take your feet out, rest for a minute or so, and then soak it again. You can repeat this treatment option two or three times a day. However, avoid this therapy if the pain is due to erythromelalgia. - Epsom salt and warm water soak
Epsom salt helps in reducing inflammation. Put a cup of Epsom salt in a tub of warm water. Keep your feet in this water for around 15 minutes. You can repeat this once every three or four days. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, consult your doctor before trying this remedy. - Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can help balance your body’s pH levels, thus providing relief from the burning feet pain.
You can try adding some ACV to the Epsom salt foot soak, or you can use only ACV and skip Epsom salt altogether. Create a warm water bath for soaking your feet. Keep your feet in it for a few minutes.
Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water. Mix it well and drink it. Besides pain relief, it also provides other benefits.
- Thyme
Thyme relaxes blood vessels and promotes blood circulation to the affected feet. For this remedy, you need two tubs, one filled with warm water, and one filled with cold water. Keep them side-by-side. Take some thyme, put half of it in one tub and half in the other one.
Put your feet in the warm water tub for 5 minutes. Next, switch to the cold water tub and keep your feet in this for 5 minutes. Repeat this for twenty minutes to get relief from burning feet pain.
- Hawthorne
This herb is capable of dilating constricted blood vessels and improving blood flow. Make a herbal tea with it by boiling Hawthorne in water for some time, then allowing it to cool. Filter it and drink this tea to get relief from the burning pain in your feet. - Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and also improves blood circulation. Peel a tiny piece of ginger, and make a herbal tea. After it has cooled down, filter it, add some honey and drink this mixture.
You can also extract ginger juice from fresh ginger, mix a small amount with coconut oil, and massage this on your feet.
- Bitter gourd or bitter melon
Grind a bunch of freshly picked and cleaned bitter gourd leaves. Add some water to it and make a smooth paste. Apply this on your feet. - Turmeric
Turmeric has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can boost your immune system as well.
Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to milk or water, boil this to blend it properly, and drink it.
Make a paste of turmeric powder and water, or turmeric powder and coconut oil. Apply this on your feet.
- Exercise
If the cause of the burning pain in your feet is the stress due to vigorous activities, you should rest your feet. Otherwise, walk or jog for short distances to improve blood circulation. - Massage
Massage your feet using warm coconut oil or olive oil. The oil will lubricate your skin and soothe it. The massage will stimulate your feet and enhance blood circulation. Just perform a mild massage and do not exert pressure.
Burning feet pain may have many causes. Besides treating the underlying condition with medications, you may also try some home remedies to get relief from burning feet pain.
