How is foot drop diagnosed?
To diagnose foot drop, a healthcare provider will perform a physical exam, which may show:
- Loss of muscle control in your lower leg(s) and foot/feet.
- Muscle atrophy in your foot or leg.
- Difficulty lifting your foot and toes.
The provider may order any of the following tests to find the underlying cause of foot drop:
- Imaging tests, such as X-rays, ultrasound and/or MRI scans, to look for compression or damage in your legs, spine or brain.
- Certain blood tests, such as a blood sugar test to check for diabetes and diabetes-related neuropathy.
- Nerve conduction tests to examine how your nerves are functioning.
- Electromyography to measure the electrical activity in your leg muscles.
Nerve conduction studies and electromyography are very useful in finding where the nerve problem is.
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What is the treatment for foot drop?
Foot drop treatment depends on what’s causing it. In some cases, treating the cause will also fix foot drop. If the cause is a chronic condition, like multiple sclerosis or ALS, foot drop may be permanent.
Possible treatments include:
- Physical and occupational therapy to help stretch and strengthen your muscles and help you walk better.
- Braces, splints or shoe inserts (orthotics) to help support your ankle and foot and keep it in a more natural position.
In some cases, people need surgery to relieve pressure on their peroneal nerve or to try to repair it.
For chronic foot drop, your provider may suggest fusing your ankle or foot bones. Or you may have tendon surgery in which a surgeon transfers a tendon from your other leg to the muscle in your affected leg to help it pull your foot up.
Can drop foot fix itself?
If the cause of foot drop is temporary, such as nerve inflammation or minor nerve damage from compression, foot drop can go away on its own once your nerve heals. In other cases, it may go away with treatment. For people who have underlying chronic conditions, like a neurodegenerative condition, foot drop is usually permanent.
As foot drop has several possible causes, there’s no way to know for sure what’s causing your case and if it will fix itself. Because of this, it’s important to see a healthcare provider so you can get a proper diagnosis.
What can I do at home to help foot drop?
You’re at higher risk of tripping and falling if you have a foot drop. Some steps you can take to help avoid this include:
