Foot Neuropathy

Rianne

Rianne

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My mom had severe neuropathy in her feet late in life. Now I'm getting it. My feet tingle and burn, as though I'm walking on needles. It happens intermittently, but is so painful when it does. I've tried different shoes, socks, sandals. Skechers sandals help a lot, but when it gets cold the only remedy is to wear toe socks with them. I can't keep that up this winter. For so many years I've worn Merrell's. I've tried various inserts, some are so expensive. I love them for balance and overall comfort but this burning at the bottom of my feet, regardless of what shoes I wear is limiting what I do. I love to walk long distances. I met with a Doc and he basically mentioned meds or getting a neurologist to figure out why this is happening. I don't want to go through all the testing and find out I need surgery to correct nerve damage. Asking for tips on how to deal with this condition.
 
My neurologist put me on alpha lipoic acid to minimize the pain and said I needed to take it forever.
 
Rianne said:
My mom had severe neuropathy in her feet late in life. Now I'm getting it. My feet tingle and burn, as though I'm walking on needles. It happens intermittently, but is so painful when it does. I've tried different shoes, socks, sandals. Skechers sandals help a lot, but when it gets cold the only remedy is to wear toe socks with them. I can't keep that up this winter. For so many years I've worn Merrell's. I've tried various inserts, some are so expensive. I love them for balance and overall comfort but this burning at the bottom of my feet, regardless of what shoes I wear is limiting what I do. I love to walk long distances. I met with a Doc and he basically mentioned meds or getting a neurologist to figure out why this is happening. I don't want to go through all the testing and find out I need surgery to correct nerve damage. Asking for tips on how to deal with this condition.
Click to expand...
Some people say they help with the cold and can ease that burning feeling a little
 
Many of those foot/toe exercises are similar to ones I do for plantar fasciitis.
I have a couple of small neuromas on the back of one heel, I never thought to add that area to the exercises. I will try and see if they help. Although a podiatrist said nothing would help except surgery and not recommended now.
Thanks for posting.
 
I have had some success doing nerve flossing exercises.
 
I have peripheral neuropathy and my neurologist recommended alpha lipid acid, l methylfolate and PEA. I’ve been taking them for years and things seem to be stable.
 
You'll want to figure out why you have neuropathy. In my family people have that from diabetes another Parkinson's (the gait kind not the tremor kind). There are supplements and meds that can help.
 
DW has been dealing with serious neuropathy following chemo. Over two years now post chemo, feet and hands, some spots worse than others. Oncologist said it's temporary, wait 3 months, then 6 months, then a year. At a year suggested seeing a neurologist, but she had more than her fill of docs, procedures, etc., so delayed that until this fall. She has been doing supplements, exercises, etc. Did Gabapentin for an extended period. Has had physical therapy and wears an orthotic to deal with foot drop. Also uses a cane and walkers to help avoid falls, particularly when even a small jostle if in a crowd could throw her off. One fall resulted in a broken shoulder.

Neurologist visit suggested continuing with supplements, trying a new drug (Cymbalta), and also suggested a TENS unit. You can get one for a nominal amount ($35-40, IIRC). Electrodes have a limited lifespan due to their stickiness, so get some replacements.

She also recently had an EMG, and we know something about the results from being there but haven't had the followup appointment yet. One nerve in her leg and one in her arm did not register. Period. Nada. They couldn't pick up any transmission. The arm nerve, the ulnar, controls the little finger and half of the ring finger. This has gone on long enough that she has visible atrophy in those fingers, they are partially curled, and she can no longer get her wedding ring on and off. She's switched to a slightly larger silicon band because of the flexibility.

Not sure there's any great advice here, but that's been our experience. Best of luck to you! :cool:
 
When I was getting chemo treatments for my cancer, I had a tough time with neuropathy in my feet (mostly on the top surface of my left foot). I still have twinges from it, especially when trying to get to sleep. But, it is not extremely severe (presently?) so I have discovered that if I take extra strength Tylenol at bedtime I can usually mostly ignore it for a little while. I'll drift off to sleep for a while and then it wakes me up with a sharp jolt later, but then I can go back to ignoring it to whatever extent possible, so I can manage to get some sleep.

I suspect your neuropathy is more severe than mine, though, my sympathies. In my case it is apparently aggravated by my type 2 diabetes, so whatever I can do to get my blood sugar to more reasonable levels seems to help also. My endocrinologist put me on insulin because he felt my blood sugar was too high, and the insulin seems to help somewhat. I haven't really directly asked him for any help with this particular issue.
 
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I agree you need to find the root cause so you and try and stop or slow progression. It runs in my family too.

Going gluten free (COMPLETELY) did wonders for my sister for several years now. I am gluten free too . The addition of red ( near infrared) light for 10 min daily helped me get about 60% better and I am holding steady 3+ years later.
 
Sorry to hear you are having problems with nerve pain. I’ve dealt with the pain of peripheral neuropathy for years and have found several things that help. For shoes, I like Hoka, New Balance and Finn Comfort. There are a few medications that are effective for nerve pain. However, I would urge you to see a neurologist. Some causes of peripheral neuropathy are treatable, if found early. You seem to be letting your fear of surgery (a very unlikely possibility for peripheral neuropathy) keep you from discovering your best options for dealing with your disease.
 
Well, don't know as I've been taking them since he told me to 7 years ago. It's certainly way better than before I started taking them. If you start taking them, don't take them on an empty stomach.
 
Rianne said:
My mom had severe neuropathy in her feet late in life. Now I'm getting it. My feet tingle and burn, as though I'm walking on needles. It happens intermittently, but is so painful when it does. I've tried different shoes, socks, sandals. Skechers sandals help a lot, but when it gets cold the only remedy is to wear toe socks with them. I can't keep that up this winter. For so many years I've worn Merrell's. I've tried various inserts, some are so expensive. I love them for balance and overall comfort but this burning at the bottom of my feet, regardless of what shoes I wear is limiting what I do. I love to walk long distances. I met with a Doc and he basically mentioned meds or getting a neurologist to figure out why this is happening. I don't want to go through all the testing and find out I need surgery to correct nerve damage. Asking for tips on how to deal with this condition.
Click to expand...
Seems to me it's important to figure out why you have this condition, since according to several reputable medical websites there are many different possible causes, some of which are diseases you'd want to know you have so you can treat that underlying disease, and others are as simple as B-vitamin deficiencies - or excess B vitamins (from supplements). For example, the Mayo Clinic:

www.mayoclinic.org

Peripheral neuropathy - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org www.mayoclinic.org

Also know that you can order your own blood tests, without the hassle and expense of a doctor visit. Just search on "order my own blood tests" to find the companies that offer that. Costs are generally reasonable. Among the things you can check for are liver disease, thyroid problems, some vitamin deficiencies, elevated white blood cell counts, and more. A c-reactive protein test (the plain one, not the "high sensitivity" one) can suggest either an autoimmune condition or an active infection of some sort.

This do-it-yourself approach does require spending a fair amount of time searching online, reading, and thinking pretty hard.

But even better than saving money, it gives you the knowledge to better evaluate the quality of the medical care you receive when you do go to a doctor.

EDIT: I'm assuming diabetes has been ruled out as the cause, since the doctor you went to thought you should go to a neurologist to find out why this was happening to you. If diabetes has NOT been ruled out, then testing for it would be the first obvious step IMHO.
 
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I was tormented by burning, pins and needles, until eliminating green olives; which I love and ate frequently. Very quick improvement so went on to eliminated anything olive (black olives, oil). Couple of years now and no recurrence. Weird and I don’t know why but thankful for such an easy fix. Been more than two years. Staying the course.
 
I began having that issue, mainly over the past year. Just tingling, like my feet feel asleep but fortunately, no pain and all. My Dr (for diabetics, etc) suggested I take vitamin B-12, 2500 mg, and after 6 months said to dial it back to 1,000 - 1,200 milligrams per day which I do. So far, so good, but the feet tingle and nothing more. No pain, but, I'm watching it. I have a 6.6 A1C level that popped up in the last 2 years, so I'm hoping it doesn't get worse. Good Luck and I wish you well !!!
 
GLM said:
I agree you need to find the root cause so you and try and stop or slow progression. It runs in my family too.

Going gluten free (COMPLETELY) did wonders for my sister for several years now. I am gluten free too . The addition of red ( near infrared) light for 10 min daily helped me get about 60% better and I am holding steady 3+ years later.
Click to expand...
Hello, the red light therapy you’re talking about, do you do that on your face or on your foot directly? And where did you get the red light? I’m wondering if I have the same one at home that I bought for my plants. Thanks for the info.
 
It is good to know the cause of peripheral neuropathy. But often there is little that can be done AFAIK except treat the pain. But if you understand it there asre things you can do to mitigate problems. And my guess is in most cases where there is not something like diabetes (which I do not have) the cause will remain unknown.

Mine is hereditary (diagnosed with a blood test) and it affects most of my body in some way, mainly numbness. No pain really though many or most with mine have pain as a primary or at least serious symptom.

My concern is more losing abilities.

The reason it starts in the feet is those are the longest nerves. Think of a nerve as a lamp cord. Over time the thing may become frayed and the longer the cord the more risk that the electrical transmission does not make it the whole way.

That can lead to anything from light not always working (numbness), crackling or shorting (pain), or even fire (lost abilities plus pain).

But as this thread shows, symptoms may go away as quickly as they began, or wax and wane. They may or may not worsen.
 
MetalDetectingDonna said:
Hello, the red light therapy you’re talking about, do you do that on your face or on your foot directly? And where did you get the red light? I’m wondering if I have the same one at home that I bought for my plants. Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...
I put it on my feet daily. You need specific wavelengths and ideally photobiomodulation (see links at the bottom ) for the best result . You can use it on your face but it only works locally . It's suppose to help skin with collagen , and it speeds up wound healing. ( I'm not as interested in that) With some wavelengths you need goggles to protect your eyes. ( read the instructions)

I use this one at home
The stationary unit we have is the Joovv Mini , purchased in March of 2021 and going strong. We have the stand, but I lay it on its side to do my feet. Each session is 10 minutes. I've used it up to 3x/day ( spaced by 6 hours) but did not get "better " results so once a day is fine. After consulting with a Joovv person about my intended use, I am keeping my feet quite close to the unit (4-6 inches away)

I know the Joovv device is a class something medical device ( no prescription needed ) and HSA elligable. An email this morning was touting one of their frequent sales........
They have a lot of good educational information on their site.


The Mini 3.0


The portable unit we have is the Nushape Light Therapy wrap. It is almost a year old . I have had two of the power banks (portable batteries) die while under the one year warranty. They are very responsive and sent out replacements quickly.

Not sure the amount of light it delivers is ideal but it travels well.

Nushape Light Therapy Wrap


Both companies answered several questions I had before purchase, and Joovv advised on how close I could use the unit for my feet.
( closer than the standard guidance. )

The joovv unit lets you switch modes, choosing wavelength ranges and in/out of photobiomodulation which has other uses.

Photobiomodulation—Underlying Mechanism and Clinical Applications - PMC

The purpose of this study is to explore the possibilities for the application of laser therapy in medicine and dentistry by analyzing lasers’ underlying mechanism of action on different cells, with a special focus on stem cells and mechanisms of ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Photobiomodulation

Photobiomodulation (PBMT) is a form of light therapy that utilizes light sources including LASERS, LEDs, and broadband light for the relief of pain and inflammation.
www.aslms.org www.aslms.org



 
GLM said:
I agree you need to find the root cause so you and try and stop or slow progression. It runs in my family too.

Going gluten free (COMPLETELY) did wonders for my sister for several years now. I am gluten free too . The addition of red ( near infrared) light for 10 min daily helped me get about 60% better and I am holding steady 3+ years later.
Click to expand...
Wow, I just googled it, and Gluten Neuropathy is a known condition! Add one more possible neuropathy cause to the already-long list!

The good thing about this possibility is that you can check it out yourself at essentially no cost with a diet change - no expensive doctor visits or diagnostic whosiwhatsits needed. Be careful, though, an awful lot of surprising things contain wheat (or barley or rye). Many soy sauces have it as their first ingredient. Read food labels very carefully, and avoid restaurant food. Also note that beer has gluten.
 
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Rianne said:
Asking for tips on how to deal with this condition.
Click to expand...
One very good reason to investigate why you have this condition is that, depending on the cause, it can be reversed. Diabetic neuropathy can't be reversed, sadly, but some of the other kinds can.
 
It is hard at first and you need to be 100% gluten free. It can take 4-6 weeks to feel better. However my sister also had carpal tunnel issues for years. That was better in about 3 days. She called me ecstatic. She said that alone made gluten free worth it. It took months for her feet to improve.

My husband's long standing "arthritis" cleared up too. He went gluten free with me while I was doing the eliminate allergens diet. A meal with a tad of gluten and he will be in pain. A few hours to a day or too. It seems dose dependent. They call it a "non- celiac gluten sensitivity." Yes you have to read every label. Wheat, rye and barley are the big culprits. I learned to cook and bake all over. even so last week I ordered the bouillon I have used for years because it is gluten free (most are not). A learned the hard way the low sodium version of Beef better than bouillon has barley malt in it.

Early this year my our son went gluten free just to see. ( I had told him sometimes aches and pains are not just age....) He found out when he eats wheat he "feels like crap". Welcome to the club.......
 
engineernerd said:
Wow, I just googled it, and Gluten Neuropathy is a known condition! Add one more possible neuropathy cause to the already-long list!
Click to expand...

GLM said:
It is hard at first and you need to be 100% gluten free.
Click to expand...
I’ve suffered with this for quite awhile. It could be gluten, but more generically, it’s inflammation. I’ve actually found that it flares up on me when I eat a lot of sugar. The point is, work with your doctor and maybe even undertake an elimination diet to see if you can figure out what’s causing the inflammation in your body. There are tests for food sensitivities that can point you in the right direction. For example, while my holistic doctor would prefer I don’t eat gluten, his tests don’t show me being sensitive to it. With sugar, I’ve noticed to correlation all on my own.

 
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