Exercises that strengthen your leg muscles and help you maintain the range of motion in your knee and ankle might improve gait problems associated with foot drop. Stretching exercises are particularly important to prevent the stiffness in the heel.
Treatment for foot drop
Sometimes it can get better on its own. Common treatments for foot drop include: physiotherapy to strengthen or stretch the muscles in your leg and foot. braces, splints or shoe inserts to help hold the foot in position.
Drop foot recovery can be expected in up to 3-4 months depending on the procedure or surgery required. Full recovery from a dropped foot is expected with most patients.
Can foot drop be corrected with exercise? – Related Questions
The most common cause of foot drop is peroneal nerve injury. The peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve. It supplies movement and sensation to the lower leg, foot, and toes. Conditions that affect the nerves and muscles in the body can lead to foot drop.
Foot drop, sometimes called drop foot, is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, the front of your foot might drag on the ground when you walk. Foot drop isn’t a disease. Rather, foot drop is a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical problem.
Some signs of foot drop recovery may include:
- Increased dorsiflexion.
- Improved gait (walking pattern) and balance.
- Enhanced coordination in the calf, foot, and ankle.
- Decreased frequency of tripping or falling.
- Increased independence with daily activities.
Foot drop can cause problems walking. Because you can’t raise the front of your foot, you need to raise your leg higher than normal to take a step to avoid dragging your toes or tripping.
Most people will fully recover from foot drop. Some patients who have foot drop that is caused by a more serious condition may never recover fully from the condition.
If the underlying cause can’t be treated, foot drop may be permanent. Some nerve damage can heal but full recovery can take up to two years. In addition to treatment of the underlying problem, specific treatment may include: Braces or splints.
Other, Non-Invasive Rehab Techniques for Foot Drop
- Rehab exercise to rewire the brain. The best way to treat foot drop naturally is to retrain the brain to activate the muscles that control dorsiflexion again.
- Electrical stimulation for foot drop.
- Ankle foot orthotics (braces)
With a rigid brace, you’ll find it easy to stand, but your movements will still be limited to walking. However, if you go with an articulated splint, you will recover nearly normal use of your legs. Our hinged AFO brace for foot drop will let you walk, run, drive any vehicle, and even practice any sport.
Foot drop caused by trauma or nerve damage usually shows partial or even complete recovery. For progressive neurological disorders, foot drop will be a symptom that is likely to continue as a lifelong disability.
Generally speaking, the nerves involved in foot drop heal at a rate of roughly 1/4” per month. That means it will take much longer for a nerve damaged at the spinal level to recover versus damage to the peroneal nerve. And while that recovery process is underway, muscles can waste away (atrophy), adding to the problem.
Results: The group of patients with drop-foot exhibited an increased force integral for all muscle groups, except for the ankle evertors. The highest increases were observed for hip adductors (112%), hip extensors (88%), knee and hip flexors (83% and 50%, respectively) and for the plantarflexor (47%).
A lesion of the L5 root, lumbar plexus, sciatic nerve, common peroneal, or the deep peroneal nerve can potentially lead to foot drop due to the weakness of the anterior compartment musculature.
How can I tell if I have foot drop?
- Dragging or scraping your toes on the ground when you walk.
- Loss of sensation on the top of your foot.
- Curled toes.
- Numbness in your lower leg.
- Feeling weak in your leg, ankle, or foot.
