Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesFoot SoakFoot CareLifestyle ChangesAlternative TherapiesSupplementsTopical TreatmentMedical ManagementFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Foot Soak
Foot Care
Lifestyle Changes
Alternative Therapies
Supplements
Topical Treatment
Medical Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Peripheral neuropathy can be managed with a combination of self-care home treatments and medication.A foot soak is one of the best ways to relieve neuropathy pain. Special socks, lotions, and lifestyle changes are also effective.
This article takes a look at the causes of peripheral neuropathy and the various remedies that may help you manage thenerve pain in your feet.
Arman Zhenikeyev / Getty Images
What Causes Nerve Pain in Feet?
There are several different causes of nerve pain in your feet and toes. Some may be avoidable, and others happen without a well-understood reason.Regardless of the cause, you should see your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of pain, burning, or numbness and tingling in your lower extremities.
Diabetes
Diabetesis a condition in which your body’s ability to manage your blood sugar is compromised. This usually occurs as a result of changes in your body’s ability to makeinsulin. Management of diabetes involves frequent monitoring of yourblood glucose levelsand making adjustments to your diet. Getting injections of insulin or taking oral medications may be needed to keep your blood sugar at an appropriate level.
Long-term and chronic diabetes may cause damage to the nerves in your lower extremities, leading to symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. This is calleddiabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Small Fiber Neuropathy
Small fiber neuropathyis a condition that affects the tiny nerve endings in your skin. The condition often occurs for no apparent reason, and it causes painful pricks, tingling, and altered sensations in the feet or hands. Typically, the symptoms start in your feet and then progress up your legs.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Charcot-Marie-Toothdisease is a genetic condition that causes nerve damage to the small nerves in your arms and legs. This results in pain, abnormal sensations, and weakness in the muscles that these nerves serve. There is no cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Management involves remaining active and trying home remedies for nerve-related symptoms.
Heavy Alcohol Use
Alcoholic neuropathy occurs when someone consumes excessive amounts of alcohol over a long period of time.
Alcohol consumption alters the absorption of various vitamins and nutrients in the body. Some of these nutrients, like thiamin, folate, and vitamins B6 and B12, are essential for normal nerve conduction to occur. Altering the absorption of these nutrients may cause peripheral neuropathy.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndromeoccurs when a nerve in your inner ankle and foot becomes pinched. This can occur withadult-acquired flat foot syndromeand causes pain or tingling in your foot and toes. Adult-acquired flat foot syndrome is characterized as feet that become flat over time due to age and/or injury.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Complex regional pain syndrome, formerly called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), is a mysterious nerve condition that causes pain and abnormal swelling of the limbs. This typically occurs after an injury or surgery to the affected limb.
The pain, redness, and swelling that accompany CRPS are typically much greater than the injury or surgery that initiated it. Treatment involves a multifaceted approach, including physical therapy, pain management, and self-care strategies to manage the pain.
How Do You Know If You Need Physical Therapy?
Chemotherapy
If you have cancer, you may have to go through a course ofchemotherapyas treatment. The medication used during chemotherapy may have a deleterious effect on your nerves, and if nerves in your lower extremities or feet become damaged, peripheral neuropathy may develop.
Injuries
Some injuries to the lower extremities or low back may cause damage to the surrounding nerves. While some peripheral nerves are able to slowly heal, occasionally a nerve becomes irreparably damaged, leading to chronic long-term neuropathy.
Injuries affecting the nerves in your legs can include spinal problems like aherniated disk,spinal stenosis, or alower extremity fracture.
If you have nerve pain in your feet or peripheral neuropathy, follow your healthcare provider’s advice to get proper treatment. There are several home remedies that may offer you some relief. Keep in mind that not all treatments work for everyone, so you may have to try a few of them.
Soaking your feet, either in a specialized foot bath or your bathtub, may provide some much-needed self-care for your feet. Soaks with oils like peppermint or chamomile or Epsom salts have been shown to decrease pain in people with neuropathy.
Beware of HeatTest the temperature to be sure the water for your foot soak is not so hot that it burns your skin. Because you may lack sensation in your feet, you may not realize how hot the water is when you submerge your feet.
Beware of Heat
Test the temperature to be sure the water for your foot soak is not so hot that it burns your skin. Because you may lack sensation in your feet, you may not realize how hot the water is when you submerge your feet.
Taking care of your feet is one of the best things you can do if you have nerve pain in your legs and feet. Ensuring the skin, bones, and joints in your feet are healthy can keep your nerves feeling and operating well. Consider trying the following:
General health and well-being practices can help improve symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, as well as reduce your stress level.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Practice goodsleep hygiene. If you’re not sleeping well, then your body does not have a chance to rest and heal properly from the stresses of the previous day. Sleep hygiene—the process of prepping your body for a good night’s sleep—is an important component of managing nerve pain. This may involve avoiding caffeine, shutting off the television or computer screens, and dimming the lights prior to bedtime.
Control Alcohol Intake
Alcohol can have a damaging effect on nerve health, so avoiding it may be one way to prevent some symptoms of peripheral neuropathy in your feet.In addition to causing numbness or pain in the feet, excessive alcohol can affect nerves in other ways, causing confusion, difficulty speaking, and loss of balance.
Help Is AvailableIf you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol use or addiction,contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Help Is Available
If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol use or addiction,contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
While research is limited on how some alternative therapies can help, these options do offer some possible benefits:
Some people benefit from taking supplements. Common options include:
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About SupplementsAlways talk to your healthcare provider before adding a supplement to your care routine. It’s important to make sure the supplement is safe for you and won’t negatively interact with any other medications or supplements you’re already taking.
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Supplements
Always talk to your healthcare provider before adding a supplement to your care routine. It’s important to make sure the supplement is safe for you and won’t negatively interact with any other medications or supplements you’re already taking.
Some people have found that usingtopical creamscan provide relief from nerve pain in their feet. Specifically, topicals with capsaicin or lidocaine have been shown to decrease the symptoms of neuropathy. These tend to be more effective when combined with oral pain medications.
Use gloves or thoroughly wash your hands after applying these topicals and be careful to not get them into your eyes, nose, mouth, an open wound, or on your genitals.
Summary
Effectively managing nerve pain in your feet involves working with your healthcare provider to find the right medicine for your condition. Performing self-care (managing your blood sugar levels, exercising, not smoking) and using some simple home remedies can also help you find relief. Most cases of peripheral neuropathy can be managed well with a combination of traditional medical care and home remedies.
The Most Common Reasons Your Feet May Hurt
Learn MoreWhat Are Epsom Salts?
Learn MoreThe First Step to Better Sleep
19 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Murnion BP.Neuropathic pain: Current definition and review of drug treatment.Aust Prescr. 2018;41(3):60-63. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2018.022National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.Hovaguimian A, Gibbons CH.Diagnosis and treatment of pain in small-fiber neuropathy.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2011;15(3):193-200. doi:10.1007/s11916-011-0181-7Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1Mayo Clinic.Flatfeet.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.American Cancer Society.Peripheral neuropathy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Peripheral nerve injury.Gok Metin Z, Arikan Donmez A, Izgu N, Ozdemir L, Arslan IE.Aromatherapy massage for neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients: Aromatherapy for neuropathic pain and quality of life.Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 2017;49(4):379-388. doi:10.1111/jnu.12300American Diabetes Association.8 tips to protect your feet with diabetes.Haack M, Simpson N, Sethna N, Kaur S, Mullington J.Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020;45(1):205-216. doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0439-zRobins MT, Heinricher MM, Ryabinin AE.From pleasure to pain, and back again: the intricate relationship between alcohol and nociception.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2019;54(6):625-638. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agz067Jinich-Diamant A, Garland E, Baumgartner J, et al.Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: an updated review.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2020;24(10):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-020-00890-8Eke-Okoro UJ, Raffa RB, Pergolizzi JV, Breve F, Taylor R, the NEMA Research Group.Curcumin in turmeric: Basic and clinical evidence for a potential role in analgesia.J Clin Pharm Ther. 2018;43(4):460-466. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12703Yorek MA.Is fish oil a potential treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy?.CDR. 2018;14(4):339-349. doi:10.2174/1573399813666170522155327Pagano E, Souto EB, Durazzo A, et al.Ginger (zingiber officinaleroscoe) as a nutraceutical: Focus on the metabolic, analgesic, and antiinflammatory effects.Phytotherapy Research. 2021;35(5):2403-2417. doi:10.1002/ptr.6964National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.Çelik SB, Can H, Sözmen MK, et al.Evaluation of the neuropathic pain in the smokers.Agri. 2017;29(3):122-126. doi:10.5505/agri.2017.68815
19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Murnion BP.Neuropathic pain: Current definition and review of drug treatment.Aust Prescr. 2018;41(3):60-63. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2018.022National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.Hovaguimian A, Gibbons CH.Diagnosis and treatment of pain in small-fiber neuropathy.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2011;15(3):193-200. doi:10.1007/s11916-011-0181-7Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1Mayo Clinic.Flatfeet.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.American Cancer Society.Peripheral neuropathy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Peripheral nerve injury.Gok Metin Z, Arikan Donmez A, Izgu N, Ozdemir L, Arslan IE.Aromatherapy massage for neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients: Aromatherapy for neuropathic pain and quality of life.Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 2017;49(4):379-388. doi:10.1111/jnu.12300American Diabetes Association.8 tips to protect your feet with diabetes.Haack M, Simpson N, Sethna N, Kaur S, Mullington J.Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020;45(1):205-216. doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0439-zRobins MT, Heinricher MM, Ryabinin AE.From pleasure to pain, and back again: the intricate relationship between alcohol and nociception.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2019;54(6):625-638. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agz067Jinich-Diamant A, Garland E, Baumgartner J, et al.Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: an updated review.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2020;24(10):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-020-00890-8Eke-Okoro UJ, Raffa RB, Pergolizzi JV, Breve F, Taylor R, the NEMA Research Group.Curcumin in turmeric: Basic and clinical evidence for a potential role in analgesia.J Clin Pharm Ther. 2018;43(4):460-466. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12703Yorek MA.Is fish oil a potential treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy?.CDR. 2018;14(4):339-349. doi:10.2174/1573399813666170522155327Pagano E, Souto EB, Durazzo A, et al.Ginger (zingiber officinaleroscoe) as a nutraceutical: Focus on the metabolic, analgesic, and antiinflammatory effects.Phytotherapy Research. 2021;35(5):2403-2417. doi:10.1002/ptr.6964National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.Çelik SB, Can H, Sözmen MK, et al.Evaluation of the neuropathic pain in the smokers.Agri. 2017;29(3):122-126. doi:10.5505/agri.2017.68815
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Murnion BP.Neuropathic pain: Current definition and review of drug treatment.Aust Prescr. 2018;41(3):60-63. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2018.022National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.Hovaguimian A, Gibbons CH.Diagnosis and treatment of pain in small-fiber neuropathy.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2011;15(3):193-200. doi:10.1007/s11916-011-0181-7Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1Mayo Clinic.Flatfeet.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.American Cancer Society.Peripheral neuropathy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Peripheral nerve injury.Gok Metin Z, Arikan Donmez A, Izgu N, Ozdemir L, Arslan IE.Aromatherapy massage for neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients: Aromatherapy for neuropathic pain and quality of life.Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 2017;49(4):379-388. doi:10.1111/jnu.12300American Diabetes Association.8 tips to protect your feet with diabetes.Haack M, Simpson N, Sethna N, Kaur S, Mullington J.Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020;45(1):205-216. doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0439-zRobins MT, Heinricher MM, Ryabinin AE.From pleasure to pain, and back again: the intricate relationship between alcohol and nociception.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2019;54(6):625-638. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agz067Jinich-Diamant A, Garland E, Baumgartner J, et al.Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: an updated review.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2020;24(10):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-020-00890-8Eke-Okoro UJ, Raffa RB, Pergolizzi JV, Breve F, Taylor R, the NEMA Research Group.Curcumin in turmeric: Basic and clinical evidence for a potential role in analgesia.J Clin Pharm Ther. 2018;43(4):460-466. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12703Yorek MA.Is fish oil a potential treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy?.CDR. 2018;14(4):339-349. doi:10.2174/1573399813666170522155327Pagano E, Souto EB, Durazzo A, et al.Ginger (zingiber officinaleroscoe) as a nutraceutical: Focus on the metabolic, analgesic, and antiinflammatory effects.Phytotherapy Research. 2021;35(5):2403-2417. doi:10.1002/ptr.6964National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.Çelik SB, Can H, Sözmen MK, et al.Evaluation of the neuropathic pain in the smokers.Agri. 2017;29(3):122-126. doi:10.5505/agri.2017.68815
Murnion BP.Neuropathic pain: Current definition and review of drug treatment.Aust Prescr. 2018;41(3):60-63. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2018.022
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peripheral neuropathy.
Hovaguimian A, Gibbons CH.Diagnosis and treatment of pain in small-fiber neuropathy.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2011;15(3):193-200. doi:10.1007/s11916-011-0181-7
Julian T, Glascow N, Syeed R, Zis P.Alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Neurol. 2019;266(12):2907-2919. doi:10.1007/s00415-018-9123-1
Mayo Clinic.Flatfeet.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Complex regional pain syndrome.
American Cancer Society.Peripheral neuropathy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Peripheral nerve injury.
Gok Metin Z, Arikan Donmez A, Izgu N, Ozdemir L, Arslan IE.Aromatherapy massage for neuropathic pain and quality of life in diabetic patients: Aromatherapy for neuropathic pain and quality of life.Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 2017;49(4):379-388. doi:10.1111/jnu.12300
American Diabetes Association.8 tips to protect your feet with diabetes.
Haack M, Simpson N, Sethna N, Kaur S, Mullington J.Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications.Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020;45(1):205-216. doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0439-z
Robins MT, Heinricher MM, Ryabinin AE.From pleasure to pain, and back again: the intricate relationship between alcohol and nociception.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2019;54(6):625-638. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agz067
Jinich-Diamant A, Garland E, Baumgartner J, et al.Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: an updated review.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2020;24(10):56. doi:10.1007/s11916-020-00890-8
Eke-Okoro UJ, Raffa RB, Pergolizzi JV, Breve F, Taylor R, the NEMA Research Group.Curcumin in turmeric: Basic and clinical evidence for a potential role in analgesia.J Clin Pharm Ther. 2018;43(4):460-466. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12703
Yorek MA.Is fish oil a potential treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy?.CDR. 2018;14(4):339-349. doi:10.2174/1573399813666170522155327
Pagano E, Souto EB, Durazzo A, et al.Ginger (zingiber officinaleroscoe) as a nutraceutical: Focus on the metabolic, analgesic, and antiinflammatory effects.Phytotherapy Research. 2021;35(5):2403-2417. doi:10.1002/ptr.6964
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.
American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.
Çelik SB, Can H, Sözmen MK, et al.Evaluation of the neuropathic pain in the smokers.Agri. 2017;29(3):122-126. doi:10.5505/agri.2017.68815
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