$Unique_ID{BRK01945}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{What is "Drop Foot"?}
$Subject{Drop Foot dropped dropped-foot stumble stumbling test tests testing
surgery surgeries nerve nerves injury injuries weak weakness muscle muscles
flex toes cause causes disease diseases atrophy waste wasting treat treatment
treatments remedy remedies tendon tendons circulation circulate}
$Volume{}
$Log{
Anatomy of the Ankle and Knee*0016901.scf}

Copyright (c) 1993  Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What is "Drop Foot"?


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QUESTION:  After stumbling on more than one occasion, I finally saw my doctor
who offered me a diagnosis of "dropped foot".  He claims there is still much
to do, expensive tests and even possibly surgery, but I still don't know what
this condition is, where it comes from, or even what the term "dropped foot"
means.  Can you help me?  I can tell you it is a very frustrating situation.

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ANSWER:  If you sit on the edge of an examining table, and the front part of
your foot hangs down, toes pointing to the ground, it is a sign of dropped
foot.  It is the result of either a nerve injury or weakness of the muscles
that normally flex the foot upward.  When these muscles don't operate in a
normal fashion, the toes drop downward and the point of your foot can catch on
the ground when you are walking, causing you to stumble.  These muscles must
be able to contract properly when stimulated by a nerve impulse.  And the
nerves must be healthy to pass the stimulation to the muscles.  So a good deal
of testing is in order to determine just what system is malfunctioning.  Some
of the causes include an injury to the area, a muscle disease causing atrophy
(wasting), or a nerve disease that prevents the nerves from carrying the
stimulations to the muscles.
     An accurate diagnosis is needed before the doctor can decide on the
proper treatment.  There are some cases in which no treatment is used, or
remedies can be prescribed that seek to correct either the nerve or muscle
problem.  In other cases, braces or special shoes are used to help pull up the
front of the foot, and allow you to walk without tripping.
     In some cases surgery can be used to move a tendon from a working muscle
in the back of the leg to a new position on the foot.  Rehabilitation
exercises can train the muscle to lift the toes upward.  In some cases the
big tendon at the back of the foot (the Achilles tendon) can be lengthened to
restore a more normal position to the foot.  It won't make everything normal,
but this method can help improve your gait and avoid stumbling.  So you see,
all these tests are very important to provide you with the best solution.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.