drop foot was one of my first symptoms, i fell flat on my face in the pub twice. and i hasnt even hd a drink.
the podiatrist made me some insoles and they worked a treat, but it was a real palaver putting them into other shoes.
last year i bought a pair of reebok easy tone trainers and they are fab. you have to walk carefully because the soles are deliberately off kilter. best of all they have taught me to pick my feet up.
i’ve just been to buy another pair and they were half price - happy me!
Your shoes sound perfect, like the Masai shoes. I thought that they would be good for my dropped-foot, but when they arrived and i tried them, they were pulling me and pushing me all oiver the place. I have this idea that perhaps the nerves in my own legs are too damaged to use them, but they seem a great idea.
i have the same trouble - the splint that was made for me was a real hassle to transfer from shoe to shoe. have found that fitflops are very good so sticking with them. sad that i cant wear some of my fav shoes but better than tripping over
HI CAROLE, i’M GOING TO TRY AN ‘FES’ FOR DROPPED FOOT. hAVE YOU EVER TRIED THIS? i HADN’T HEARD OF IT BEFORE, BUT MY PHYSIO SUGGESTS i GET ASSESSED FOR ONE. i’M A NEVOUS WRECK WALKING AROUND TERRIFIED OF CATCHING MY FOOT ON THINGS, AND HARDLY BEING ABLE TO LIFT THE FOOT OFF THE GROUND, AFTER A FEW MINS WALK. Yours new footwear sounds interesting tho’ and great that they are helping you so much. cheers.
I am so envious of anyone who has managed to get hold of a FES on the NHS. My neurological physio. said that this would be ideal for me, but I was refused it. I still intend to get one, but I will buy one at the end of the year when funds allow. I am sure that this is just another Cameron ploy, but as I can only get one if I shell out, then that I will have to do, as otherwise I am only hurting myself. Joan, FES are amazing, and you will be so impressed when you try one!
My problem was not just “dropped foot”, but not being able to bend my left knee either. Now, I am 5 months into the FES program, and there is a tiny bit of flex coming back into my left knee (it’s all down to where the two ends of the relevant muscle are attached).
I moved from walking longer distances with FES, to shorter distances, to using it around the house; and the difference is substantial. For me, the real down-side is remembering to switch it off when in the car (you only forget to do that once).
My timing says that it adds 15 minutes to getting dressed in the morning (I guess that I could get a couple of minutes off this if I had to), but all this really means is a change in routine (and I do the Copaxone injection in the morning as well).
I found that the “solutions” from the Orthotics people were surely in the “chocolate fireguard” class, while FES worked. I can now manage short distances without the walking sticks (looks like I have has a few, but who cares?).