Foot drop occurs when the muscles that flex your feet are damaged or weakened. This means you have trouble lifting your toes off the ground, which causes you to drag your foot along the ground. For this reason, playing certain sports may be difficult, but exercises can help treat this condition.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Your doctor will diagnose the condition by assessing your ability to walk normally using a heel-to-toe action. If you can’t raise your toes to lift your foot off the ground, it is likely you have foot drop. This often causes you to raise your affected leg higher to avoid the foot dragging – an action referred to as a high-stepping gait, wrote Dr Grant Cooper on the Spine-health website. You may also experience pain and tingling in the injured foot and have trouble performing such everyday activities as walking or driving a car.
Causes of Foot Drop
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, foot drop can be caused by a range of conditions. These include neurological disorders that affect the brain, such as multiple sclerosis and stroke, motor neurone disorders like polio, conditions affecting your spinal muscles and nerves, and compression of the nerves in your foot. Treatment and duration of foot drop depends on the cause and, in the case of degenerative disorders, may be permanent. However, if your condition is caused by nerve compression, it’s not uncommon to make a full recovery.
Physical Therapy
Two of the main muscles affected by foot drop are the anterior tibialis and the extensor digitorum longus, which run down the front of your shins, says Dr. Cooper. Physical therapy for foot drop will usually focus on strengthening these muscles, enabling you to return to regular sports or, at least, some activity, once your strength improves. The anterior tibialis allows you to flex your foot upward and turn it inward, reports the GetBodySmart website. Your extensor digitorum longus also aids in foot flexion, as well as allowing you to turn your foot outward.
Strengthening the Anterior Tibialis
Repeat both parts of this exercise 10 to 20 times and focus on extending the foot as far as you can in each direction. Sit on a bench or bed with your legs straight and your feet hanging over the edge, says the PhysioAdvisor website. Point your toes as much as you can, then flex your foot so the top is facing you and your toes are point up toward the ceiling. For the second part of the exercise, keep your foot flexed as you turn your ankle inward, then outward for the recommended number of repetitions.
Strengthening the Extensor Digitorum Longus
Sit in a chair with your knees bent at about 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor, says the Sportsinjuryclinic website. Lift your toes and front part of the injured foot off the ground as high as you can while keeping your heel in contact with the floor. Focus on squeezing through your shins and trying to point your toes toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a few seconds then relax and repeat as many times as you can.
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