04/05/2023
Foot Drop
➡️ the term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, the front of your foot might drag on the ground when you walk.
➡️ It can also be defined as a significant weakness of ankle and toe dorsiflexion. The foot and ankle dorsiflexors include the tibialis anterior, the extensor hallucis longus (EHL), and the extensor digitorum longus (EDL). These muscles help the body clear the foot during swing phase and control plantarflexion of the foot on heel strike.
➡️ Weakness in this group of muscles results in an equinovarus deformity. This is sometimes referred to as steppage gait.
Causes:
ℹ️Nerve injury. The most common cause of foot drop is compression of peroneal nerve. This nerve can also be injured during hip or knee replacement surgery, which may cause foot drop.
A nerve root injury — "pinched nerve" — in the spine can also cause foot drop. People who have diabetes are more susceptible to nerve disorders, which are associated with foot drop.
ℹ️Muscle or nerve disorders. Various forms of muscular dystrophy, an inherited disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, can contribute to foot drop. So can other disorders, such as polio or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
ℹ️Brain and spinal cord disorders. Disorders that affect the spinal cord or brain — such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis or stroke — may cause foot drop.
Rehabilitation Exercises for Foot Drop
➡️Towel Stretch
➡️Toe to Heel Rocks
➡️Marble Pickup
➡️Ankle Dorsiflexion
➡️Plantar Flexion
➡️Ball Lift
