Pain Management Health Center

Burning Feet

Treatments for Burning Feet

The most important treatment for burning feet due to neuropathy is to stop any ongoing nerve damage.

For people with diabetic neuropathy, this means keeping blood sugar levels in the normal range. This usually requires dietary changes, oral medications, and often insulin injections.

For people with other forms of neuropathy that cause burning feet, preventing further nerve damage is equally important. Specific burning feet treatments in these conditions include:

• Vitamin deficiency. Taking additional vitamin B12 orally or by injection can replace low levels of this nutrient.
• Alcoholism. Stopping excessive alcohol intake prevents ongoing nerve damage and allows nerves to heal.
• Chronic kidney disease. Dialysis may be necessary to eliminate toxins causing neuropathy and burning feet symptoms.
• Hypothyroidism. Taking oral synthetic thyroid hormone raises low thyroid levels, often reversing neuropathy and burning feet symptoms.

Burning feet treatments also include treating the pain and abnormal sensations created by neuropathy. Some commonly prescribed medications for burning feet include:

• gabapentin (Neurontin)
• amitriptyline (Elavil)
• desipramine (Norpramin)
• carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• pregabalin (Lyrica)
• duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• topiramate (Topamax)
• venlafaxine (Effexor XR)

Other pain medications are often necessary to reduce the severe discomfort some people experience from burning feet. Over-the-counter medicines like Advil, Aleve, Motrin IB, and Tylenol control pain in many people with burning feet. Prescription pain relievers like tramadol (Ultram) or low-dose opiates (narcotics) may be necessary for severe pain in people with burning feet.

For burning feet caused by athlete's foot, antifungal drugs can cure the fungal infection and relieve burning feet symptoms. Over-the-counter medicines like terbinafine (Lamisil AT) or miconazole (Micatin) should be used first. Prescription antifungals like naftifine (Naftin), itraconazole (Sporanox), and fluconazole (Diflucan) are also available.