Several features of pain can be helpful in clarifying what is going on and the next steps for diagnosis and treatment. Type of pain. Burning mostly means a nerve is having problems. This can be either a sick nerve or a nerve that has had an injury. Electrical, shooting would be others implying nerve source for pain. Location of pain. There is a lot to this. First, if something goes in the pathway of a nerve, then that is the nerve involved. Nerves are long and the pain is in a belt-like long pathway. Smaller areas are smaller nerves. This also tends to say what might be going on. Obviously if there was an injury to the area and then there was pain outward from it hit a nerve would be a possibility. Sick nerves are MULTIPLE areas and tends to be the TIPS of the nerve not the whole nerve Ok, so, what causes sick nerves. Diabetes can do it. and that tends to be at the tips of the nerves (feet and hands). Electrolyte abnormalities, however, often cause more widespread nerve problems/pain. Simple blood tests can show if potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium are at normal levels.