my right foot feels weird. It is difficult to explain but after 10 minutes walking normally it will need help from my knee to lift it. Is this foot drop.
do other people with this walk ok to start with and then somehow it needs more assistance. Also I find it very tiring and I have to really slow down.
I tried explaining it to my husband but it is really difficult to.
Do other people experience this and if so how would you describe it?
It has really degenerated over a 6 week period. Christmas shopping is tricky!
You really need to see a physiotherapist to work out exactly what’s causing the problem. It’s possible that it is foot drop, I thought that usually crept up on people rather than quite early on. But maybe that was just me.
The other thing I’ve not experienced has been a foot that does what it’s supposed to for a while, then when it gets a bit knackered it stops working.
But MS is different for everyone. My foot drop might be unusual.
Do you have an MS nurse yet? If so, ask how you get to see a neurological physio. If you don’t, you could ask your GP, or phone your neurologists secretary and ask.
Had this foot drop for about 5 years and as Carole says your front toes catch the floor when you walk.
It is just my left leg and when you look at the bottom of my shoe it is badly worn under my big toe, in fact I have worn out several shoes like this over the years.
I have never fallen with it fortunately, as I always look at the floor when walking.
Bought all the aids to lift up my foot but no real success.
Neuro phsio did help me with the NHS for 12 weeks but then had to go private and after forking out a small fortune for 2 years, stop it off last month.
Read you struggle after 10 minuted walking that is about half a mile, when I could walk a bit used to stop every few hundred yards and have a sit down on a bench or wall and then my leg recovered.
My neuro consultant said I had lots of stiffness in my legs and that is the problem, gave me some drugs but send me to sleep.
Unfortunately my left leg, if I now walk too much with my stroller, stops working and will not lift and feels like it is nailed to the floor, I then have to sit on the stroller for 5 minutes for it to recover.
This may seem extreme at the moment but if you bought a mobility scooter for £600 and then parked it outside the shop and then walked about inside as normal, this may have help with the Christmas shopping and give you the freedom of walking and then your legs would recover when driving to the next shop.
Parked my scooter outside the barbers today and walked in for a quick trim.
Hello Sally. I was finally diagnosed just over a week ago and foot drop is my biggest problem. It started with my foot slapping on the floor about 8 years ago… now I have a very numb foot and heavy leg and walk like a drunk even when sober. I’ve sprained my ankle badly 3 times this year and now have to wear lace up boots all day. I’ve got ppms so my leg just gets gradually worse with no remission and walking on my own is scary. I did get a splint from orthotics but fi d it too painful to use so I’m trying a stick now. I am being referred to a neuro physio so may be you could ask your ms nurse or neurologist for a referral… hope you get some help. Karen
I’ve had drop foot for over 10 years now. The only thing that’s worked for me is a SAFO - a lightweight, silicone brace. My walking is ok with the SAFO on. I can barely walk at all without the SAFO. I’m on my second one now after I wore out the first one. Cost about £800, but the first one last me eight years, so for me, It was well worth the money. Hope you find something that works well for you. Derek
You know Derek, I would find the SAFO perfect and exactly the right answer for foot drop, but I have one pair of (old) shoes into which the SAFO fits and isn’t a boat on my non droppy foot. And I’m female. Therefore shoes are important to me. I have found the most use from my SAFO was using it to walk in a hydrotherapy pool.
But, apart from the fact that I can’t squeeze my SAFO into most of my (many pairs of) shoes and boots, it would be perfect. Meanwhile it sits in a forlorn corner silently asking why I persevere with FES while it sits there unused.
i had to get rid of a few pairs of shoes a few years ago because I couldn’t get them on with the SAFO.
now, the SAFO is fine with all the shoes I still have. Clarks are great for wider fitting shoes. I also have a few pairs which don’t have laces but have a Velcro strap - even some black formal shoes. These are great with the SAFO and also are great when the fingers choose to go on strike and I have difficulty in tying laces.