Burning Foot Syndrome: Taking the Edge off the Fire

If you've ever traveled to London and Rome, you'll probably remember the sore feet. There's something about walking on uneven cobblestones all day that really tires one's feet out.  This post is about what I learned from this  trip.

First things first, if you suspect you may have Burning Foot Syndrome, the most important thing to do is to see a doctor--likely a podiatrist--for a diagnosis.  It's my understanding that the pain associated with this condition can also be misdiagnosed as a diabetic symptom, so a good specialist is the first step.  If you, like me, are on a prescription that only helps a bit, you may wish to consider experimenting with other products to see if a supplemental approach might be helpful. 

When I was flying from the USA to London, my right foot began to feel unusually bad.  There's not a lot you can do at 35,000 feet--or in an airport, for that matter--except for taking off your shoes.  I did what I could to manage the discomfort until our hot and tired group finally arrived at our temporary housing at the London School of Economics.  Thinking that I'd give my feet a rest, I made the ill-fated decision to wear deck shoes the next day rather than my usual Merrell hiking shoes.  By the time I returned to the apartment that evening, walking had become really painful.  Checking my feet, I found they were very badly blistered.  So, rule one for London and Rome trips is to ensure you are wearing your best walking shoes.  Even if they're warm, you're likely going to be sorry if you wear something not designed for a long day of walking.  My injured feet at the start of this trip made the total 110 miles walked in less than three weeks quite a painful experience.

As far as other suggestions relating to this condition, I have a couple.  First, consider supplementing your burning foot prescription with the homeopathic product called Arnicare.  Perhaps it is just the placebo effect, but I have found quite a bit of relief using the gel directly on my feet in the morning as well as taking the oral supplement on a daily basis.  It was actually a professor who suggested this product on the study abroad trip, and I'm very thankful for her recommendation.  It's worth a try.  (If it helps, I'd appreciated hearing from you.)  One more suggestion that may seem a little weird at first is to try putting your socks in the freezer overnight.  I often put mine in a ziplock bag.  One might not think that this would offer any help beyond first putting the icy socks on, but it seems to be helpful for me.  

(If you're elderly or suffer from circulation problems, please talk to your doctor before trying this last approach; better safe than sorry.)  

See also The Erythromelalgia Association.

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