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Foot Drop Pain

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Posted 8/7/2013 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
Oh sure, there's the weakness.  Actually, my lower leg and foot aren't strong enough to even "register" as being weak.  It feels like I have a flipper attached to my ankle.  It's kind of creepy having this "pseudo-dead-like" limb flop about when I move my leg.  Zero control.

So my question is (in addition to the oodles of other queries I've made touching on this subject), I'd like to ask others who suffer (or feel discomfort) due to foot drop, and what do you do about it?  What helps?  What makes it worse?

I was offered zero help by every single practitioner, including my neurosurgeons, about dealing with the evolution of foot drop pre and post op.  So I had to investigate and do this all on my own.  My terrific PT's were the only ones who stepped in so I could get a carbon fiber AFO brace.  Good thing I'm not one of those "shoe gals" because my idea of footwear that I enjoy includes supportive sneakers and Red Wing boots.  So, no love lost there.

But I went on instinct, and without an ounce of guidance....I got a plantar fasciitis brace to wear at night that I tape tightly because the foot drop is so severe it'll just "de-Velcro" the sucker right off.  I wear a plantar fasciitis gel pad in a sleeve around my left foot arch.  I wrap the same spun wool we used to stuff in our ballet pointe shoes, weaving it around my toes to keep them from curling under as I try putting my foot into a shoe, or as they'd tend to do over time on their own.

I know in other posts I brought up devices I found online that appeal or are more appropriate for an athletic person who doesn't want to risk over bracing (which I think I'm doing).

If I go a day or two without wearing one brace or the other, I'm stuck in a "permanent high heeled" foot position and it's extremely painful and if not rebraced a.s.a.p. it will take at least a few days before I can even put that foot flat on the ground.

I'm assuming I'm not the only one working around this pain.  Anyone else have any success or ideas?  I'm getting tired of "jury-rigging" random bits of this and that to stuff into my shoes, under my feet, and between my toes.  There must be more to reprogramming this foot of mine!

Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?

Sookie

Posted 8/7/2013 2:51 AM (GMT 0)
This only happens to me after I sit for a long period of time...but it's been getting worse. Right now...it's mostly pin and needles...hoping it doesn't get too worse.

Wish I had something to offer...Hope you are able to find something to make it more bearable Sookie!
Posted 8/7/2013 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
Sookie, I too have right foot drop, that was exacerbated after my last back surgery. The AFO, for me, is a double edged sword. When I wear it, my gait is so good and I feel kind of "normal." However, I know the more I wear it, the more muscle strength I lose. "If you don't use it you lose it." I work with a neuro re education unit, like the ones we have discussed in other posts. Yes, it is painful. It is weird how my foot feels asleep and numb, yet it is so very sensitive to stimuli. I wear the brace sparingly. I use it only in situations that require a lot of walking or uneven surface walking. It is a safety issue. I never ever wear it around the house. Over bracing is a real concern. I use the home stim on a neuro re ed setting 4 times per day for 15 minutes each time, since surgery 4 months ago. Nerve damage is hard to overcome, but unless there has been a complete severing of the nerve, it can come back even a little bit. It sounds like you may have an Achilles contracture that is keeping your foot plantar flexed. If this is the case, no amount of anterior tibial strength will be able to overcome the tendon shortening. I have treated many children with Achilles contractures, and have had good success with them after they receive Botox injections in the Achilles region. Also, serial casting used at night can keep the muscle in a lengthened position, while you sleep.
Posted 8/7/2013 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
I suffer left foot drop as a result of almost tearing my lower left leg off below the knee I have no calf muscle left in the leg and no tendons attached to the ankle I have no rotation in my ankle only a small bit of up and down movement with most of my toes clawed over . mi foot does not sit flat on the grouns when I walk this further adds to my knee /hip and lower back pain .

my ankle gets very painfull sometimes when I try to walk on it I find a hot weatbag and my tens machine help some what . when I get out of bed every morning I stand on my toes and lower myself slowly forcing the ankle to move it usually makes a loud craking sound and frees up to what movent it has .

I find leaning on a wall facing forward and kind of bouncing my weight thru the foot helps somewhat a bit as well. I did have surgery on the ankle but once they got in there and saw what they was dealing with all they could do was remove some scar tissiue away from the ankle joint and force my foot further back and forwards while I was in the general antiseptic . but all that did was make the ankle swell up to over twice its size and turn it black and blue for a few weeks and it it locked up solid till the swelling went down in the end I did not gain any movement .
cause of he lack of movement in my foot I find it hard to walk up sloping ground or even pedal a push bike as my feet wont stay flat on the pedals . I walk with quite a limp and use a walking stick when its really bad .
I haven't found a way that works t strap it up tight while in bed my foot always wins and ends up in the full drop position during the night

cheers dean
Posted 8/7/2013 8:32 AM (GMT 0)
I think the biggest thing to remember is without the brace drop continues to occur. The trick is not how much time you spend in the brace but how much you spend out of it working and massaging the muscles.

I know people who wear their braces, one night brace, one walking or up brace and they do good with no further drop occurring.

One's mobile and the others wheelchair dependant but you will see both continuously massage their foot when they have down time. Flexing, and just stretching it whenever possible helps. Then of course they do a rigorous 30 minutes at night and once during the day exercise session religiously.

They both agree the constant pull of gravity allowing the foot to just dangle unsupported is what contributes to their pain.
Posted 8/7/2013 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie, that is EXACTLY what I notice as well, and I find it difficult to explain. Looking back, I remember years ago just always sticking my left leg out of the blankets, I just didn't like it covered. Now with total foot drop it's exacerbated just sitting with no brace, being in bed (and I have a backup hospital bed, but where it bends for the knees, just doesn't fit my short body and feels like it pulls worse, just from gravity. Mere gravity hurts. What a bizarre concept).

Pandora, same thing. I have to choose my poison because as much as I am concerned with over bracing, I'm also not fond of tripping,...I've got enough replaced parts and repaired broken bones, I don't have much left of my original parts.

Since I was a child, I've always had very large calves. Rock climbing, riding horses, mountain biking, and good ole German genetics. It's always been natural to me to stretch my gastrocs and my soleus as well, all the time, waiting in line, in the car, doing dishes,...even laying in bed, I'm a big calf stretcher. I still do it unconsciously with my right leg. I put my left Achilles atop my flexed toes of my right foot, and use my right toes to try and stretch that tendon while activating my tibs.

In the back of my mind I've had this fear of contracture with that tendon. Even passively my foot won't bend much, and it does not feel like it's calf related, THAT I am familiar with extremely well. This,...well, this is new stuff and I don't know what, if anything (?) I can do about it?

Everyone's on point though about that weird combination of feeling numb, yet being in pain. Feels like a contradiction, but try explaining that to someone, a non CP'er, and I see the eyes start to glaze over.

Right now, my foot is still in the most pain it's been in for ages, the instep and arch hurt, the heel, the toes feel like constant needles are being stuck into them, and bees are working their way UP my foot, not down my leg. Weird, huh?

I keep trying to maintain faith that feeling pain is better than not feeling anything, but I'm getting at the edge of my rope.... Not denying good days, because I have those too, thank God. Just now, not a particularly good time.

Sookie

EDIT:  This sounds "off" but,....I swear it feels like even my toenails hurt on those curled up toes.  The great toe has some strength to it, but that's a double edged sword too because the more it remains closer to normal, the greater the intensity of the "dropped" toes pulls.  I never thought I'd write that my toenails feel like needles are being stuck underneath them and run up to the metatarsals....one doesn't think that comes up in daily conversation, you know.

Post Edited (Sookie Snows) : 8/7/2013 11:44:48 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/8/2013 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
Oh d'uh, oh d'uh. I wonder.

This never occurred to me until now. I have broken my left foot a few times. Now I can see it quite likely was due to foot drop and tripping, my foot "folding" and breaking.

One of the breaks required pins, so I have pins in the metatarsal and phalangeal regions of my left foot....and I'm wondering if that's part of the reason that toe isn't curling like the other 4 toes, and if, as sensation is returning, (with a vengeance) that the greatest pain happens to be right along where the pins are and along my instep.

Is this logical? Or am I overthinking this whole foot drop nerve regeneration pain thing going on?

Hmm....


Sookie


My toenails still hurt if anyone's curious. ;)
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