Does Epsom salt & Capsaicin Lotions Really Effective in Managing Burning Feet Syndrome?
What is burning feet syndrome? And What are its Causes?
Burning feet syndrome as the name indicated, is a condition in which a patient feels burning, heat, or pain in the feet along with heaviness, numbness and tingling sensations. These sensations may remain limited to the sole of feet but sometimes also affects the top of the feet, ankle and the lower leg as well. The burning becomes more sever at night in some patients. This condition is also known as “Grierson-Gopalan syndrome”.
What are its Causes of Burning feet Syndrome?
A person may feel burning feet due to the following reasons:
What is Epsom Salt and How to use it for Burning Feet Syndrome:
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is a naturally occurring mineral, first discovered in the saline spring in Epsom, England due to which it is named as Epsom salt. It has a very bitter taste due to which it is not suitable for consumption.
Epsom Salt Bath:
It is often used as foot bath, prepared by dissolving Epsom salt, almost 300g (1.25 Cup), in lukewarm water poured in bathtub, in which feet are soaked for 15-20 min, for the relief of muscle pain, mental stress and inflammation, acting via absorption in the skin.
Epsom salt is also incorporated in lotion often with capsaicin, available in the market by the name of CAPSIDOL-F® lotion, indicated especially for the numbness & burning of feet.
Warning: Epsom salt bath should not be used if the person has open wounds, burns, irritated skin, cuts, or other infections
What is Capsaicin?
Capsaicin is an extract of chilli pepper of genus Capsicum. It is widely used for the treatment of burning pain, with the concept of “treating like with like” or counter irritant. On first application it increases substance P, causing initial neurogenic inflammation but after repeated applications it depletes substance P, which caused reduction in the sensation of pain.
Capsaicin is available in the forms of creams, lotions, topical patches, and intradermal and subcutaneous injections. It is formulated alone as well as in combination with other pain relivers. Some of the most common brands of capsaicin are as follow:
- CAPCIDOL Lotion®
- CAPCIDOL F Lotion®
- CAPCIDOL cream®
- CAPSIFLEX Cream®
- CARTI 5 Gel®
- ACHFREE Gel®
- SALOAN’S PAK pain relief patch®
- BELLA PASS Plaster®
Warning: Some asthmatic patients are allergic to capsaicin, so, it shouldn’t be used in such patients. It is also noteworthy that the topical patches of capsaicin can cause local swelling, redness dryness, bronchitis, inflammation of nasal and pharynx linings, and sinusitis.
Is there any scientific evidence for the use of Epsom salt or Capsaicin?
Yes, there are present many researches regarding the use of Epsom salt and Capsaicin for the temporary relief of burning feet syndrome. So, let’s discuss that in detail.
Evidences Based on Efficacy of Epsom Salt for Burning Feet Syndrome:
Epsom salt foot bath has proven efficacy in relieving chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy- a major cause of burning feet syndrome. Along with this Epsom salt water bath have also shown promising results in relieving foot pain especially in patient with arthritis, when compared to the patients who didn’t receive any such bath.
However, it is not highly recommended for the diabetic patients to soak their feet for longer time. They can use Epsom salt bath once a week for burning feet syndrome, followed by moisturizing the feet. However, they can use Epsom based lotions for the temporary relief of burning.
The word temporary is noteworthy, it’s because the Epsom bath can’t provide permanent relief of burning feet syndrome, the underneath causes mentioned in the above flow chart must be addressed and treated accordingly.
Evidences Based on Efficacy of Capsaicin for Burning Feet Syndrome:
There are many scientific evidences regarding the efficacy of capsaicin in the reduction of symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy – a cause of burning feet syndrome. Capsaicin 8% patches and 7.5% cream have shown more prominent results as compared to the low concentration (<1%) products available in market. Thus, low concentration (<1%) products are limited to be used as adjunct for relieving the pain and burning sensations.
đź”–KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate baths) and capsaicin (topical cream/patch) indeed provide only symptomatic relief. They are not disease-modifying agents.
- The primary management depends on the cause:
- Nutritional deficiency (esp. Vitamin B1, B6, B12) → correction with supplements.
- Improper footwear/pressure → lifestyle or footwear modification.
- Systemic diseases (diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, etc.) → require disease-specific management first.
Relative Positioning
- In cases where the underlying cause is already diagnosed and managed (e.g., diabetic neuropathy, arthritis), capsaicin is indeed more efficacious than Epsom salt.
- Epsom salt baths can be considered adjunctive/supportive therapy for comfort, stress relief, and mild symptom reduction.
References;
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Burning feet (Grierson-Gopalan) syndrome. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17773-burning-feet-syndrome
Cleveland Clinic. (2021, August 4). Epsom salt: Potential benefits and how to use it. Health Essentials. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/7-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-epsom-salt
Whittle, B., & Diaz, J. (2025). Capsaicin. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459168/
Nasrin, S., & Jahan, R. (2025). Assess the efficacy of Epsom salt foot bath in preventing or delaying the onset of chemotherapy-induced neurological manifestations in cancer patients. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/389216955
International Journal of Health Sciences and Research. (2023). [Article PDF]. IJHSR, 13(9), Article 21. https://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR_Vol.13_Issue.9_Sep2023/IJHSR21.pdf
[Author(s) not listed]. (2025). Article in PubMed Central. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12156485/
Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences. (2025). Assess the efficacy of Epsom salt foot bath in preventing or delaying the onset of chemotherapy-induced neurological manifestations in cancer patients. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 17(Suppl 1), S70–S75. https://journals.lww.com/jpbs/fulltext/2025/05001/assess_the_efficacy_of_epsom_salt_foot_bath_in.70.aspx
Smith, T., et al. (2019). [Exact title not accessible]. Journal of Physiotherapy, 65(4), 209–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2019.06.002
Choi, J., et al. (2020). [Article title]. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 59(3), 482–490. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32147053/
[Author(s) not listed]. (2013). [Article title]. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3886382/
Â
