Tingling pains in the foot can be a sign of serious disease or a precursor to long-term problems from something as easy to fix as changing your shoes. Injuries, high heels, neurological problems, diabetic neuropathies and circulatory diseases are some of the sources of foot pain that is experienced as pins and needles, burning, tearing, icy-cold brittleness and numbness. Foot health is essential to overall well-being, and suffering from debilitating pain impacts daily activities. If you suffer from tingling pains in the feet or other incapacitating foot pain, some solutions can minimize or even eliminate the condition.
Uncross your legs or cross from ankle to knee instead of knee to knee when sitting. It is best to sit with both feet on the floor or elevated to increase circulation.
Make sure you wear comfortable shoes that fit properly. Tight shoes and those that have heels that are too high cramp toes, cut circulation and over time create painful feet, blisters, deformities and tingling due to lack of proper blood flow.
Choose another form of exercise for your aerobic workout. Running and other high-impact exercise where feet pound pavement or hard floors can contribute to loss of feeling, tingling, greenstick fractures in legs and feet, and other injuries causing tingling and pain.
Have your thyroid levels checked. Low thyroid creates a multitude of symptoms and sensations, with tingling, coldness and pins and needless in the toes. If your blood levels are low, your doctor may prescribe thyroid medication.
Ask your doctor about any medications you take and examine drug side effects. Certain drugs cause tingling and burning pains in the extremities. These mimic peripheral neuropathies, and should be replaced with medications that are less troublesome.
Rule out Raynaud’s syndrome, gout, inflammation and frostbite when looking for problems causing tingling pain in the feet. These diseases have poor circulation as a common theme, and helping increase blood flow through medication, gentle exercise and warmth will bring some relief.
Increase vitamin B complex in your diet, especially inositol, one of the B vitamins. In a study at the University of Alabama, researchers reported significant improvement for neuropathies in diabetics after the inclusion of high levels of inositol in the diet. Robert Atkins, M.D. has reported that doctors at St. James Hospital in Leeds, England, have also shown that adding inositol to the diet helps reduce the pain from diabetic peripheral neuropathies.
Purchase compression socks or hose to stimulate circulation. Check with your doctor first, though, to be sure that this is the right thing to do for your condition.
Keep feet warm throughout the year. Foot-warming slippers and electric foot mats are available; and, of course, remember to wear socks in chilly weather.
The suggestions offered here are for educational purposes and not meant to take the place of medical advice.
By Susan Kaye
Originally published by www.livestrong.com