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Foot Drop Physiotherapy

Foot drop, sometimes called drop foot, is a medical term to explain difficulty lifting the front part of the foot to walk or move. It basically means a

• weakness
• difficulty/inability
• paralysis

to lift up the foot, and this will cause the patient to drag one's toes or top of the shoes on the ground or to compensate by "slapping" the feet on the floor as one walks with the foot with drop foot.

No, drop foot is not a disease. In fact, it is caused by either/combination of:

• anatomical problem
• muscle problem
• neurological problem

Thankfully, it is usually a short term (temporary) condition, but in some patients, it may be a permanent condition.

Drop foot can affect young and old, men and women, and it can be so debilitating that even the most simple tasks can become ultra-difficult.

drop foot symptoms

The #1 symptom of drop foot is precisely the name of the condition "drop foot". Basically patients who has this condition find themselves being unable to lift up their foot at the ankle. Mostly it's due to an injury to the peroneal nerve, but it can be caused by other conditions such as stroke or even slipped disc.

Having drop foot makes it very difficult to walk normally, because of the mechanism of the symptom. Standing upright is ok, but walking requires one to move forward using a series of movement including lifting the feet up alternatively, and since this cannot be done, patients will usually compensate by lifting their hip higher and this results in a "foot slapping motion" onto the floor as they walk.

Thankfully, foot drop usually affects only one side (ie one foot), though in some instances, it may cause both feet to have foot drop. In some cases, patients with foot drop may also experience altered sensation in the affected foot such as

• numbness
• tingling
• pins and needles
• cold
  

foot drop physiotherapy and other treatments

Physiotherapy

Be it temporary or permanent foot drop, patients will 100% benefit and need physiotherapy interventions, and physiotherapy for foot drop will depend entirely on the cause of the foot drop. Most of the time, if the cause of the temporary foot drop is accurately diagnosed and accurately treated, the foot drop may disappear quickly and entirely. And conversely, if it isn't accurately diagnosed and treated, drop foot may become permanent.

Physiotherapy interventions includes:

• physio and rehab exercises that targets to strengthen your leg muscles
• improve and maintain the range of motion in your hips, knees and ankle
• gait retraining
  
• stretching exercises are also very important to prevent stiffness to set in your ankle and heel
• electrotherapy to stimulate muscle and nerve growth and maintenance
  
• referral to foot and ankle specialists and hand therapist for customized foot and ankle splinting
  

Hand Therapy

Patients with foot drop will benefit from having

• customized resting foot and ankle splint
• customized dynamic/walking foot and ankle splint

fabricated for your feet with foot drop. The resting version helps to keep your foot in 90 degrees flexion, to prevent it from stiffening in a flat/extended position (which will dampen your ability to stand upright or walk). The dynamic version is to help you keep your feet 90 degrees as you walk.

Deep tissue release / sports massage and Acupuncture

may be helpful to

• stimulate muscles and nerve growth
  
• stimulate blood circulation
  
• improve recovery rate
• prevent stiffness
• etc
  

Invasive corrective surgery usually is a last resort for patients with permanent irreversible foot drop. These patient may benefit from ankle or foot bones fusion. Sometimes in some specific conditions, the surgeon may recommend tendon transfer, but these are based on the expert advice on orthopedic doctors and surgeons.