How can one tell if the pain in the foot is nerve pain?

Burning, tingling, stabbing or shooting sensations are characteristic of nerve pain, explains About.com. Nerve pain due to peripheral neuropathy, or damage to the nerves, sometimes causes a feeling of tightness or numbness and excessive sweating of the extremity, reports Healthline.

If a doctor suspects that a person is experiencing nerve pain in one or both feet, he usually orders blood tests to check blood sugar and vitamin levels, explains Healthline. Other tests include a nerve conduction study and electromyography, both of which measure how well the nerves conduct electricity. Sometimes, an MRI or a CT scan is indicated. Treatment of nerve pain is often difficult, and the pain may never completely goes away, states WebMD.