Hello again! In our last physiotherapy article we looked at a condition affecting the spine called scoliosis but this time I thought we would head down to the lower extremity and examine foot drop. This is an extremely difficult condition that affects a large number of people and causes significant difficulties with walking. Just to remind anyone who is not a regular reader of this physiotherapy blog: we are a home visit physiotherapy service based in Lichfield and offering services in Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Rugeley and Walsall.

Foot drop is a neurological condition that causes the person to be unable to raise their foot or toes upwards in order to not catch their foot on the floor when walking. Foot drop is a sign of an underlying problem such as the nerves of the lower leg not transmitting signals or part of the brain not being able to control the muscles in the shin and foot. Foot drop is extremely problematic for most people as not being able to lift the foot clear of the floor causes alterations in gait, difficulty walking long distances and commonly causes falls. Foot drop can be caused by a number of underlying conditions such as:

• Peripheral nerve compression (this usually happens at or near the fibula as the peroneal nerve wraps around it)
• Peripheral Neuropathy. This is where the nerves of the lower limb are damaged and no longer able to transmit signals effectively. This is commonly caused by diabetes that is not well controlled.
• Stroke: a common side effect of having a stroke is that the area of the brain that controls the action of tibialis anterior (the muscle that lifts the foot up) is affected and the brain is no longer able to control this muscle.
• Spinal Cord Trauma; if the spinal cord is damaged at a particular level, then foot drop can be a side effect.
• Other neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy that cause muscle weakness.

Foot drop is diagnosed by a comprehensive physical examination and if you suspect that you or someone you know has foot drop then one of our experienced phsyiotherapists will be able to assess and help guide you as to how best to manage your foot drop. After a thorough assessment it may be necessary to have further tests such as an MRI and possibly a nerve conduction study to determine the underlying cause.

At ThreeSpires Physiotherapy our physiotherapists will be able to help with managing and treating your foot drop in a number of ways:

• Orthotics such as AFOs which will help keep the foot in an upright position.
• Strengthening and stretching exercises to help retrain the muscles and prevent cramping
• Soft tissue mobilisations of the lower limb to reduce compression of the nerve.
• Gait re-education to help with walking.

If you would like to book an appointment to help with or diagnose foot drop, then please get in touch.

For anyone reading: we are a home visit physiotherapy service, based in Lichfield but serving anywhere within a 20 minute drive including areas such as Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Burton and Rugeley. We offer a wide range of services including paediatric physiotherapy, post-operative rehabilitation, neurological physiotherapy and neck and back pain relief. If you need further information or would like to book an appointment we can be contacted on 0788 428 1623 or via enquiries@threespiresphysiotherapy.co.uk