Foot Drop

What is Foot drop?

When the person with foot drop walks, the foot slaps down onto the floor. The foot drop patient may use a tip-toe walk on the opposite leg, raising the thigh, as if walking upstairs, while letting the toe drop. This serves to raise the foot high enough to prevent the toe from dragging, and prevents the slapping.

Causes of Foot Drop

Foot drop is caused by weakness that occurs in muscles of the ankle and the foot. The affected muscles participate in the downward and upward movement of the ankle and the foot.

Treatment

Foot drop that can’t be treated by surgery is often treated using an AFO custom brace that provides normal range of motion to the foot and ankle during walking. Other people with foot drop can benefit from nerve stimulation therapy. 

When the cause of foot drop is a muscular or nerve problem surgery can be beneficial. Surgery can relieve the pressure on a trapped nerve, repair a muscle, and even restore a normal gait by lengthening the Achilles tendon or replacing a defective tendon.

AFO Braces

There are many different types of AFO braces.  Once Dr. Lafata would evaluate you he would be able to make a professional decision as to the best treatment option for your condition.