Brief Answer:
I highly DO NOT RECOMMEND ICY HOT, XXXXXXX XXXXXXX or similar products

Detailed Answer:
Good evening. Thank you for placing your consult question before us here on this network. I would strongly urge your husband (and everyone for that matter) to not use products such as ICY HOT, XXXXXXX XXXXXXX or other similar types of products which are creams that when placed on the skin cause a liberation of heat. These can:

1. Make the symptoms he has of numbness and other problems WORSE by way of the destructive action they have on nerves as it is when they are rubbed into the skin

2. Actually do cause severe burns of the skin, muscle, nerves, especially in someone of an age such as your husband where skin and muscle mass is getting less and thinning out to some extent...damage can go deeper and be more extensive.

His symptoms are suggestive of a peripheral neuropathy of some type. The question is to the find the cause. Your husband should consult his primary doctor first who may either choose to do the examination themselves or more likely refer you out to a specialist such as a neurologist (such as myself) who will first do a good physical examination to see if the problem in your feet could possibly be due to a pinched nerve or narrowed spinal canal in the lumbar spines..especially if there is any possibility of your husband suffering from arthritis of some sort...which at 74 he'd certainly have the right to have a little arthritis, wouldn't you say?

I would also make sure that a full metabolic got performed checking for chemical and/or hormonal imbalances. I would get a full set of labs starting with a CBC with differential, electrolytes, liver and kidney function tests, FREE T4 AND TSH LEVELS (THYROID), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, D2, and D3, testosterone levels ( TOTAL and FREE), ANA, C-reactive protein, ESR, Rheumatoid Factor, Folate, and Hemoglobin A1C. Of course, I would let my history and physical findings guide me ultimately to the tests that were really useful and necessary instead of just throwing the whole kitchen sink at him....because anybody can do that... So, perhaps the devil is in details? And maybe we should be checking FIRST and FOREMOST....any medications he may be taking that be causing these sorts of symptoms due to side effects.

If I've satisfactorily addressed your question then, could you do me the kindest of favors by CLOSING THIS QUERY and be sure to include some fine words of feedback and a 5 STAR rating to our transaction if you feel the response has helped you? Again, many thanks for posing your question.

Do not forget to recontact me in the future at: www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi for additional questions, comments, or concerns having to do with this topic or others.

This query has utilized a total of 16 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement.

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