I have had a feeling of weakness in my left leg for ages, but when people (docs, osteopath) have tested it by pulling and pushing against it they tell me it’s fine. I end up sometimes catching the bottom of my foot against the ground as I walk, and just thought perhaps they were right I am worrying over nothing (not dxed BTW).
Anyhow, yesterday was playing “simon says” with my daughter and she decided to say “simon says walk like this” and walk on her heels. When I tried the left foot wouldnt do it properly, and to lift the front of my foot off the floor even a little meant all of my toes splayed out, and it was virtually impossible.
Hi, well what foot drop means to me is sightly different.
Let me tell you my experience with this.
It was my first symptom of something neuro going wrong.
Without thinking about how I walked, as everybody does instinctively, I would think I had lifted my left foot, only the toes wouldnt clear the ground and I would stumble or fall…it happened more and more and I had some terrible landings!
I didnt have any knowledge of my toes splaying out though.
Just because your expereince is a bit different, doesnt mean it isnt foot drop.
Actually that’s kind of what I meant when I was saying that the bottom of my foot catches on the ground when I walk. It doesn’t happen very often but it’s like I trip up on the flat! (though I haven’t fallen over). I always have a sense of the leg not being quite right when I walk, but have never been able to describe well enough what I mean.
The toe thing only happens when I try to walk on my heels, as if I had painted my toenails and wanted to keep them off the carpet. I get the sense that the toes are splaying out because they are tensing up in my efforts to lift the front of my foot. On my right I can lift the front of my foot normally. On the left, the front of my foot lifts only about a centimetre/half and inch no matter how hard I try.
Hi Leah foot drop was my first symptom and mine came on gradually I finally decided to go to docs when like you I couldn’t walk on my heels I kept trying and it wouldn’t work couldn’t lift my foot off the floor either! It did resolve eventually altho I do have residual damage it certainly better than it was…does sound like foot drop but probably best to get advice from doc or ms nurse…take care Emma x
Mine came on after a couple of relapses. In the beginning it was like some of the others - I could just bend my (left) knee, the heel came up but the ball of my foot stayed on the ground. Then my ability to flex my ankle at all went. Now the foot is dragging on the ground and trying very hard to trip me up.
My neuro at that time took one look and did an instant referral to the FES centre at Salibury. A couple of months later I was into the FES program, and could not function without it now. You need to get onto your neuro and/or MS nurse, say that your dropped foot is getting dangerous, and ask for an FES referral.
Yes, the equipment can be a touch unsightly, you would not want to wear a skirt with it (not my scene, really) and it can add 15 minutes to getting dressed. You need fairly flat shoes. The up-side is that I have never had a fall wearing mine (but several in the house when not wearing it).
Dropped foot is fairly common with MS. Get help for it. Don’t settle for anything less than an FES. And, please, do it before you have a serious fall.
Hi all thanks so much for your replies. So it sounds like the beginnings of foot drop then? I definitely have the ability to lift my toes up somewhat but (to me at least) it is worryingly poor. DrGeoff, it sounds like yours has been much worse than mine, and It sounds like that brace has been a godsend! Emma - did you find you were still able to walk almost normally? I have a neuro appointment in a couple of months so I will mention it then. Thanks again! Leah
Hi Leah while my foot drop was at its worst no I couldn’t walk normally in fact I did fall down a few times but thankfully indoors so be careful!..I was also given a foot brace but was so uncomfortable I had to wear it tho to keep my foot from going over to the side and dragging along the floor! I even had carpet burns on my toes (kinda forgot about it being so bad) But hopefully if it does get bad it will also resolve a bit mines has…I also have a fes but find all the fiddling with wires a pain so don’t use it as much as I should…I can’t walk very far nowadays without my leg talking on a very pronounced limp but hey I can walk and I’m grateful for that…hope it resolves soon Emma x
Your problem sounds exactly like mine. There are two types of foot drop, the first and most common is when there is weakness in the peroneal nerve (shin) which lifts up the foot up and is helped greatly by FES as its purpose is to stimulate that nerve. I suppose that is traditional foot drop which most doctors look for.
The second is when there is spasticity in the calf muscle which acts as a resistance when the peroneal muscle trys to pick up the foot. I have this type and at the start I only had problem when I had been out for a long walk as the walk increased spasticity. I attended GPs, physios and podiatrist and they all tried to pull my foot down when I had my foot flexed and I was told time and time again that I didnt have foot drop. They were essentially only testing for peroneal weakness which I didnt have. I even went one day after a long walk so they could see the true problem but having to wait for the appintment which was running late the spasticity relaxed leaving my foot normal and I again left the appointment with them thinking I was mad.
That was 3 years ago and the spasticity has progressed and is always there now. I keep have to stretch all the time. This is my advice to you - keep stretching your calf muscle. Finally the docs take me seriously although the FES does not work. Baclofen helps a bit to dampen down the spasticity.
I dont have a dx yet either just one lesion on spinal cord caused by myelitis… they say
thanks again, I really appreciate you taking the time to help with this. I definitely can walk, without too much bother, but it doesn’t feel right, I am aware that there is something wrong with that leg when I walk… This started at my first relapse and has persisted, pretty much unchanged, so I think maybe this “weakness” when heel walking has been there all along, but I had no call to notice? So it sounds as if mine isn’t true foot drop, maybe more like Moyna describes?
Moyna - how do you know you have spasticity in the calf muscle? I ask this because one of the things I have noticed of late is in that leg, I have what I would call a low grade cramping in my calf -in other words like a cramp but not as painful and lasts much longer than a “normal” cramp… Again it’s not there all of the time, but it is there often enough to have taken note of it in my mind as unusual…
The ‘cramp’ you are experiencing does sound like spasticity linked to MS. To stretch your calf muscles you need to bring your toes up towards your knee. lf they do not do that on their own - put a belt/tie around your toes and pull towards you. Then try bringing you heels up behind you and try to touch your bottom - or as near as you can. Both can be done lying down - even on your bed. Also, sit up and reach down and grab toes and try to fold yourself down to get your ‘nose’ as near to your knees as poss. Each time you try - you will be able to get closer.
Now ‘breathe’
Pilates/Yoga exercises are very useful for keeping your muscles and joints supple.
Foot drop - Do ask to be referred to a orthotist about a FES. Do not be talked into having a splint. These will cause muscle weakness. While a FES actually works the muscle - and will preserve it.
ln the Pathways mag - [MS-UK - worth subscribing to] they have Pilates DVD’s especially for us with MS - some exercises on a chair and some sat down.
I just came on to update and noticed Judi and spacejacket had added responses which I hadn’t seen so thanks, both really useful thanks.
Spacejacket - I have been to see the osteopath today and showed her the weakness and she checked it out and agreed there was weakness there (I spied what she wrote and she wrote dorsiflexor). she also said that the muscles in my calf are very tight, so she worked on those to release them and has given me some calf stretching exercises to see if they help, but if not she wants me to see the GP because she feels it would be neurological.
Judi - I don’t know if I would qualify for anything as yet, because I am not diagnosed. So I am more in the phase of proving I have something wrong, rather than getting help for it! lol
I just came on to update and noticed Judi and spacejacket had added responses which I hadn’t seen so thanks, both really useful thanks.
Spacejacket - I have been to see the osteopath today and showed her the weakness and she checked it out and agreed there was weakness there (I spied what she wrote and she wrote dorsiflexor). she also said that the muscles in my calf are very tight, so she worked on those to release them and has given me some calf stretching exercises to see if they help, but if not she wants me to see the GP because she feels it would be neurological.
Judi - I don’t know if I would qualify for anything as yet, because I am not diagnosed. So I am more in the phase of proving I have something wrong, rather than getting help for it! lol
