Use of Topical Lidocaine to Reduce Pain in Patients With Diabetic Neuropathy

Inclusion Criteria: * Group 1: 18-70 years of age, non-diabetic with no nervous system disease (healthy control group) * Group 2: 18-70 years of age with Type I or Type II diabetes with significantly painful diabetic neuropathy (VAS \> 40mm at Baseline) * Group 3: 18-70 years of age with Type I or Type II diabetes with non- painful or insignificantly painful diabetic neuropathy (VAS \< 40mm at Baseline) Exclusion Criteria: * History of clinically significant liver disease, serious peripheral vascular disease, a blood clotting disorder, or any other medical condition felt to be exclusionary by the investigator * Allergy to lidocaine * Unwillingness to sign informed consent or any other reasons for which the investigator feels the subject cannot complete the study * Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant * History of slow-healing diabetic foot ulcers * Current skin or soft tissue lesions on the foot that will interfere with application of the lidocaine patch and or skin biopsies * Subjects taking Class I antiarrhythmics * HgA1c \> 11% * Active cancer within the previous two years except treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin * Co-morbidities that can produce neuropathy * Subjects taking sodium channel blockers within one week of study treatment and throughout the study * Subjects taking any other experimental drugs within 30 days prior to Screening Visit (Visit 1) * Application of lidocaine patch to either foot within two weeks of Screening Visit (Visit 1)