High blood glucose levels do not cause pain. However, having high glucose levels for many years can lead to nerve damage in the feet (called neuropathy), which can be painful. It is estimated that 25% of newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes have pain or numbness in their feet from neuropathy.
Other complications related to many years of high blood glucose levels can cause pain. For example, people with diabetes are more at risk for carpel tunnel syndrome, which is a common condition in the general population. With this problem a large nerve going to the hand is squeezed causing pain in the hand. Often, surgery is required to fix this. People with diabetes are also more at risk for certain infections that may be painful. Some examples include infections of the skin (cellulitis and abscess) and even the kidney.