Melody, when my feet hurt at their worst, at their very worst, applying pressure to them would help. I came to think of it this way. There's really nothing going on in the foot to cause the pain fibers to be firing; if I could send a REAL signal back via sensory fibers, it replaced whatever defective one my brain was getting. So a foot massage would remove the pain.

Even now, I think that replacing one sensation with another is sometimes adequate for a LOT of pain. For my back, for instance, I use a TENS unit at times. It sends a pleasant buzzing feeling. When its firing, it overtakest he pain sensations. That's kind of the theory behind it.

But physical therapy, myofascial release, mainly, has lead to real improvement in my neuropathy. And I had TOS until my PT worked under the armpit and freed those nerves. I do think compression is an under-rated cause of nerve decline, and it's incredibly important to never stop validating our own experiences and what we can learn from them.

If relieving pressure helps Alan, it might help again. If rubbing and massaging help, that's good to know. (I have a friend who just bought himself one of those compressive calf and foot massagers, kind of like what they use in the hospital.)

Good luck.