Arthritis and burning feet pain

by Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR

Nathan Wei is a nationally known board-certified rheumatologist and author of the Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit. It's available exclusively at this website... not available in stores.

Click here: Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit



Burning feet are a common complaint and can be caused by a number of conditions. “Burning feet” is actually a syndrome... meaning it is a symptom that may be due to many causes.

This problem frequently causes people to lose sleep because it is particularly severe at night. It is more common in those over the age of 50 years, but burning feet can occur in younger age groups. Burning feet are more common in those with diabetes as part of the neuropathy (nerve damage) that can develop. A burning foot may be mild and local and easily treatable or it may indicate a more serious general medical problem that needs further investigation.

This condition is sometimes referred to as Grierson-Gopalan syndrome.

Patients complain of symptoms such as: severe burning and aching of the feet, hyperesthesia (painful touch), pain, elevated skin temperature, and vasomotor changes of the feet, associated with excessive sweating.

Ocular complications may include scotoma and amblyopia. This condition is most common in women and tends to come on between 20 and 40 years of age.

The more common causes of burning feet are:

• Mechanical overload- many feet just ache and burn at the end of a long day, especially in those who are on their feet all day or are overweight
• Hot and sweaty feet can cause a burning foot sensation (and may be related to the mechanical overload problem)
• Neuropathy that occurs in diabetes can cause a burning feet
• Other types of neuropathy (nerve damage) that can cause a burning foot include those that occur in chronic alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies (usually B) and heavy metal poisoning
• Blood disorders (eg thrombocytopenia, pernicious anemia) can cause burning feet• Erythromelalgia is a rare circulatory disorder can can cause burning feet
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome can follow trauma (including surgery) and cause a burning foot sensation
• Nerve entrapments, such as tarsal tunnel syndrome, which is the compression of a nerve at the inside of the ankle joint can cause a burning sensation
• Other causes: If its in the forefoot only, it could be metatarsalgia, Morton's neuroma or some other cause.
• Athletes foot or a fungal infection can also cause a burning sensation in the area of the infection.

Burning feet may also be due to a sensitivity to chemical substances in socks and shoes (contact dermatitis).

Nerve entrapment due to sciatic mononeuropathy and spinal arteriovenous malformation can also cause burning feet.

Arthritis can also cause burning feet either directly in the case of patients who develop tarsal tunnel syndrome or peripheral nerve entrapment as a result of arthritis... or because of the side effect that sometimes occurs from some drugs used to treat arthritis.

Burning is usually limited to the soles of the feet but may ascend to involve the top of the ankles or lower legs. The arms and palms of the hands are spared. A few patients occasionally complain of paresthesias (‘pins and needles’) in the lower extremities. Symptoms show worsening at night with day time improvement. Patients with underlying psychiatric disorders may present with a myriad of psychosomaticsigns and symptoms in association with burning feet.

On examination, there is a paucity of objective signs. The overlying skin and blood vessels are normal in most, while in some patients there may be accompanying erythema of the feet. There is no local tenderness over the affected parts.

The most important part of managing burning feet yourself is to get it checked to make sure it is not caused by one of the rare serious problems.

Once the cause is established, there are a number of things that you can do to help your burning feet, but this can depend on the cause:

General treatment consists of wearing open and comfortable shoes, especially those with arch supports, and wearing cotton socks is helpful. Soaking the feet in cold water (not ice cold) for around 15 minutes can bring symptomatic temporary relief. Avoidance of feet exposure to heat should be advised. Certain creams and vitamin B supplements can help reduce burning feet.

• if its mechanical, good fitting shoes with support is a good place to start to help.
• if hot and sweaty, there are various self treatments for the sweaty foot
• some creams or ointments with cooling properties can help relieve the symptoms
• some relief in some people has been shown to occur with the use of magnets
• wear socks made of cotton rather than synthetic fabrics
• bath feet in cool water
• avoid prolonged period of standing
• cushioning or shock absorbing insoles may make standing more tolerable


In mechanical cases such as tarsal tunnel syndrome, conservative treatment with arch supports and wider shoes may successfully relieve discomfort. If burning feet is due to flat feet, orthotics may help restore the foot’s arch.

Pain relief medication may be needed for the treatment of any of the chronic causes of burning feet.

If due to arthritis, more aggressive treatment of the underlying disease should be implemented.

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