Question about foot drop

[Corriel]

Happy Friday everyone!

During my physiatry appointment this week it was mentioned that I have a mild foot drop starting.

I haven't noticed it every day and my foot isn't slapping down so much as dragging around the toe area.

I'd like to try to get a handle on this but am not sure if there is anything preventative to be done or if I just wait and see if it gets bad enough to require a splint or something like that.

Any suggestions would be awesome. My hip is really bad on that side from osteo/bone spurs so I don't want the foot to add to the issue on that side. :-)

Corrie

[Corriel]

Thanks Alex, that move will be easy enough to incorporate into my exercise routine. :-)

Corrie

[HVAC]

My PT has me stand with my back to my kitchen counter a foot away. I fall backward and lightly hit the counter and keeping my feet on the ground stand back up. It strengthens the muscles that cause foot drop. It helps.

Alex

[Corriel]

Thanks so much everyone! I am hoping this is related to my hip issues and not the MS.

I don't have any sensory issues with that foot but the physiatrist noted brisk ankle reflexes on that with only a couple of beats of clonus.

I am supposed to see the PT at this rehab centre for an updated balance assessment soon so she might be able to help me out and if not I have a neuro appt next month.

In the meantime I will check out the links you provided JJ and incorporate more hip flexor exercises.

Thanks so much!

Corrie

[bbassel]

I have severe foot drop on my right side. Everything on my right side from my eyes to my feet is messed up and weak. This happened abbout three months after diagnosis and it has been over two years now.

I did get a brace about three months ago and it does help some but my walking is still really bad and I use a walker or two canes (rarely when I am feeling really good)

So you see we are all different with our MS and ffoot drop. It could go away or be permanent.

Barb

[immisceo]

My foot drop, with total numbness and paralysis lasted, for a week. I literally woke up one day and it was gone. If I had a recurrence, I wouldn't be so stubborn and gotten myself a brace to help hold my foot in position and benefitted from the use of a walking stick.

I would say that as mine was 100% neurological (some forms of foot drop involve injury or damage to the periphery), physiotherapy would have done nothing other than frustrate me. The signals were just not making it to the foot, and no amount of training would have changed that.

I think in the case of mobility is is vitally important to have the pros at least try to narrow down where the damage is as the list of things that may or may not be helpful is so dependent on the cause.

[supermum_ms]

Foot drop can be neurologic, muscular, or anatomic and even a combination and depending on where it's coming from depends on what you can do about it. I totally disagree that foot drop is irreversible, sure it can be but it depends on what's causing it as to whether it's irreversible or not....

IF you have a dodgy hip it is possibly related to it because foot drop is commonly associated with hip problems, hip flexors often end up weaker than other leg muscles so might be worth getting your physio to check if it is stemming from your hip or not, there are strengthening exercises, AFO's etc that can help compensate or even reverse the problem.

Though foot drop is extremely common in MS, as we have learnt not everything is directly caused by MS, and whilst it probably is another of your MS issues, i still think it's worth finding out and being proactive whilst it's still 'mild' if you can....  

Oh btw when my MIL had her hip replaced, she had about 6 months of physiotherapy sessions and daily home weight training exercises because of the resulting severe foot drop, she had a combination of neurologic and muscular but she hasn't had the foot drop for well over a year now.

Information:
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/foot-drop-causes-symptoms-treatments

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.mscare.org/resource/resmgr/2014amslides/AllPresenters-Foot_drop_CMSC.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3tv5OUmigc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbzy0Guwiys

http://www.activemsers.org/exercisesstretches/tipsexercisingwithms.html

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/foot-drop/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/leg-pain/what-foot-drop

hope that helps...........JJ

[caregiver222]

Generally and unfortunately foot drop is irreversible.