I've had this peripheral neuropathy for a year now. I'm 61. It was a gradual progression over several months. I've had every test under the sun. My diagnosis is idiopathic. I can't wear socks or shoes. I wear Birkenstock sandals. I can't walk very far. It stems from the balls of my feet, which feel swollen, wooden & numb. I can't walk flat foot anymore. I can't exercise. My feet cramp, burn & vibrate like a cell phone. It's constant all day until I fall asleep at night. It's difficult to take a shower. It's constant physical & mental torture. I take Gabapentin & it only works about 50%. I've tried all the other usual medications. They either don't work or I have a reaction. Until this hit me, I was a hiker. I climbed all 67 4000 footers in New England, several many times. I'm very depressed & sad. The outlook for my life is dismal. I'm glad my kids are grown & on their own. I go to work & suffer, then come home & sit to watch TV until I go to bed. You aren't alone in this.