Foot Drop (Drop Foot)

What is Foot Drop?

Foot drop, often called “drop foot”, is more of a general term. It is described as difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. Hence where the name came from. If you suffer from this, it is typical that the front of your foot might drag on the ground when you walk.

People who suffer from drop foot often avoid dragging their toes. And may lift their knee higher than normal. Or swing their leg in a wide arc to avoid their foot from dragging.

Foot drop is often mistaken for a disease, but it is not. It is, however, a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical issue.

Symptoms of the Disorder:

When experiencing drop foot, it’s often difficult for you to lift the front of your foot. Therefore, it might drag on the floor when you walk. When this happens, it can cause you to raise your thigh when you are mobile, as if you are climbing stairs, to help keep your foot off the floor.

It is typical for this injury to cause you to slap your foot down to the floor with each step, due to the unusual gait. There are some cases, where the skin on the top of your foot and toes might feel numb.

Always make sure to get your symptoms checked by a doctor for further evaluation.

Causes of Foot Drop:

• Nerve injury. The most common cause is compression of a nerve in your leg that controls the muscles involved in lifting the foot. This nerve can also be injured during hip or knee replacement surgery, which may cause your foot to drop. A nerve root injury — “pinched nerve” — in the spine can also cause this. People who have diabetes are more susceptible to nerve disorders, which are also associated.
• Brain and spinal cord disorders. Disorders that affect the spinal cord or brain — such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis or stroke — can also cause this disorder.
• Muscle or nerve disorders. Various forms of muscular dystrophy can contribute to the injury.

Treatment for Drop Foot:

Physicians typically treat it depending on the cause. At times, early treatment may improve the chance of recovery.

Lightweight braces (orthotics) are the usual treatment for this disorder. They are used to support the leg.

Another treatment your doctor may suggest is physical therapy. This is often used to provide greater strength to your foot and leg muscles. PT could improve a person’s chances to walk.

The last possibility of treatment for this disorder is surgery. Which may be recommended by your doctor to decompress or repair a damaged nerve. There are some cases though where foot drop is permanent but there are surgery options to help fuse the foot and ankle joint or transfer a tendon from a more prominent muscle to aid in improving stability and gait.

For a preferred drop foot specialist in Broward or Palm Beach County call us today at 954-906-9272 to schedule a consultation. For a South Florida foot doctor located in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs & Plantation, contact our office today.