Foot drop

[newbie but goodie]

I have been having weird problems with my foot and had a light bulb moment today... I wonder if this is that "foot drop" I keep hearing about.

My left leg seems to have a little more "floppiness" (for lack of a better word) and is turning in towards the center which is causing me some pain in that leg. I seem to be accumulating more and more symptoms as time goes on, so annoying.

[Thinkimjob]

I suppose the big question is how's your walking? I don't know whether what I've got technically meets the criteria for "foot drop", but I can't walk in bare feet without some difficulty.

I need that nice stable rubber sole under my feet, because I can feel the tops of my feet, but not the bottoms. Velcro is indeed my friend.

"Floppy" describes my left leg beautifully. Tried using a disabled- friendly shopping trolley the other day and kept tripping over the wheel. There's an irony there somewhere.

[naphappy]

Could be

I have foot drop in both feet now.

I didn't realize it in my left at first because it began before I was diagnosed.

I catch my foot alot while walking if i don't have my AFOs on, especially if I am tired, stressed, or too hot or old.

But mine turns outward and I end up with a sore hip from circumducting that leg too much.

Perhaps you should call your neuro and ask for a PT eval. They would be able to check what is goin on and give you some direction.

Take Care,

[HellsBells1]

I have been told by neurologist that foot drop is dx'd when you are standing, and you try to keep your foot flat on the floor and lift your toes off the ground toward your shin, and then try to lift all of your foot up without letting your heel leave the floor. If you can do neither, then you have foot drop which is paralysis of certain muscles that control those movements.

Because of the paralysis (or possibly extreme weakness in the case of MS), when you walk, you have to lift your whole leg higher in order for your foot to clear the ground, and then it "slaps" down because the muscles that would just "set" it down don't work.

Hope this helps.

[newbie but goodie]

yes that does help. I think mine falls into one of those "who knows" MS categories. I will chalk it up to general floppiness and keep an eye on it. Will also peek at my shoes to see if they need updating.

[BigA]

You can have "a little" foot drop if you only have a little weakness. You should find out about exercises to strengthen what you've still got.

[SmartyPants196]

Foot drop my solution

I have been having weird problems with my foot and had a light bulb moment today... I wonder if this is that "foot drop" I keep hearing about.

My left leg seems to have a little more "floppiness" (for lack of a better word) and is turning in towards the center which is causing me some pain in that leg. I seem to be accumulating more and more symptoms as time goes on, so annoying.

My foot drop was causing me to fall and sprain my leg, thigh and ankle, so my dr sent me to a prosthetic maker and he made a cast of my leg. It came out as a brace that fits from my lower knee down my ankle and under my foot, what a miracle, it fits in my shoe and it prevents my foot from dropping and making me fall. Now mind you you will have to get a larger shoe, and asking for help in a shoe store helps, i went to Birches in Eugene Oregon and brought my brace and they steered me to shoes that it would fit and give me the best support. I selected a boot by Keen, which i needed to take the liner out of the bottom. And there you have it, it keeps me from falling and as i age i wouldn't want to fall again and break a hip. The brace limits the type of boot you can wear but its so worth it to not have that foot dropping. Good Luck

[limppy]

Me Too

I also have foot drop on my right foot , it's worse the longer I walk.. I tried the "shock box" on my knee for a $400 fee it works great but insurance would not cover the $7000 cost.. so now I take Ampyra and I think it's great , I can now pick my foot up mostly. This drug is actually helping with my M.S.

[slckjebw]

foot drop

My foot drop was causing me to fall and sprain my leg, thigh and ankle, so my dr sent me to a prosthetic maker and he made a cast of my leg. It came out as a brace that fits from my lower knee down my ankle and under my foot, what a miracle, it fits in my shoe and it prevents my foot from dropping and making me fall. Now mind you you will have to get a larger shoe, and asking for help in a shoe store helps, i went to Birches in Eugene Oregon and brought my brace and they steered me to shoes that it would fit and give me the best support. I selected a boot by Keen, which i needed to take the liner out of the bottom. And there you have it, it keeps me from falling and as i age i wouldn't want to fall again and break a hip. The brace limits the type of boot you can wear but its so worth it to not have that foot dropping. Good Luck

I have AFO's (braces) and they are the best things but it is difficult to find shoes. But at least they keep me from tripping!

[LisaL77]

Check You Tube

They have videos on examples of foot drop.

I found out I have foot drop and my leg swings up and out before hitting the floor.

[SmartyPants196]

footdrop your post

They have videos on examples of foot drop.

I found out I have foot drop and my leg swings up and out before hitting the floor.

perhaps your swinging out and up could be helped by anti spasm medication, or even PT to retrain your leg. I had a similar problem with my foot drop leg wanting to curve inside when i was riding a stationary bike, i had to concentrate on it and keep re positioning my foot on the pedal and sure enough it trained my thigh and lower leg muscles to keep straight. Good luck, i always say it could be worse, i swear every time i go out in public and am thinking about my limp i always see some person in a wheel chair, even one time someone had just one leg, it always humbles me, it could indeed be worse. Visit your neurologist maybe after you have a PT eval.

[MS TOO]

SmartyPants, you are so right that it is humbling at times when you see what someone else is living with, I feel the same as you. When I am out limping and gimping around having a rough day and notice someone in their wheelchair or on a prosthetic, I always try to make eye contact and smile and say good afternoon or evening or something to acknowledge them. Most of the time a smile shoots right back. I have much more empathy for others now that I am older and disabled.

[SmartyPants196]

Right on, keep on keeping on, being positive

SmartyPants, you are so right that it is humbling at times when you see what someone else is living with, I feel the same as you. When I am out limping and gimping around having a rough day and notice someone in their wheelchair or on a prosthetic, I always try to make eye contact and smile and say good afternoon or evening or something to acknowledge them. Most of the time a smile shoots right back. I have much more empathy for others now that I am older and disabled.

What is rather ironic is that i worked in service to people with disabilities for 35 years and then got MS. So i spent a lifetime not seeing them as disabled but as people and i learned the skills how to deal with doctors, and accessing services for them, talk about feeling humble when i sat in the waiting room to apply for energy assistance, when for so many years i was their with my clients, but boy when i got 500 bucks credit on my power bill i was smiling all the way through that same waiting room.

All the years i learned how to navigate through getting SSDI, applying for grants, and making sure my wheelchair and meds and anything i could access for myself was put in place, they my clients taught me how to strive to be the best person i could be.Now i am the one riding on the ride source bus and i feel i am an example to the world, a representative of the disabled community.

i too give people disabled and non-disabled a big smile showing its great to be disabled!!Some people look back at me in wonder. Its all what we put out there. and all the good comes back to me all the time. Just like getting your post , its coming back to me, thanks!
from girlpower

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