What is Foot Drop?
Foot Drop is a muscular weakness or paralysis that makes it difficult to lift the front part of your foot and toes.
It’s also sometimes called Drop Foot or Flaccid Paralysis Drop Foot and can cause you to drag your foot on the ground when you walk. It usually only affects one foot, but both feet may be affected, depending on the cause. It can be temporary or permanent.
Foot Drop is a sign of an underlying problem rather than a condition itself. This could be muscular, caused by nerve damage in the leg, or the result of a brain or spinal injury.
Common conditions which can cause Foot Drop include; muscular dystrophy, motor neurone disease, trapped nerve during hip & knee replacements, neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis.
What does Foot Drop look like?
A patient suffering from Foot Drop will usually present with a high stepping gait, increased knee lift and foot drag. Usually the foot strikes the ground with the toe rather than the heel and with poor foot clearance during the swing phase of gait.
The condition may also have an impact on knee control and stability. A typical indication of foot drop is excessive wear at the toe end of the patient’s shoe on the affected side.
What are the treatment options for Foot Drop?
There are various treatments available for the management of Foot Drop, these include:
- Ankle Foot Orthoses more commonly known as drop foot splints.
- Physiotherapy, muscle strengthening.
- Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)
- Surgery such as tendon transfers.
Most popular medical device for Foot Drop treatment?
The most popular product Orthotix supplies to the NHS patients across Wales and England for effective treatment of Foot Drop is known as the Boxia™ Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO).
This clinically proven ankle foot orthosis utilises the latest in technological advances and materials to provide a drop foot support that is modern, comfortable and discreet by design.
It’s low profile soft fabric design consists of two components; a cuff situated above the ankle and a non-slip hook attachment which fixes externally onto footwear under the lacing closure. The device can also be worn without footwear by combining it with the Boxia Shoeless Attachment
How does the Boxia Drop Foot AFO work?
The Boxia™ Drop Foot AFO support raises the forefoot, providing vital foot clearance during swing phase. This reduces the risk of tripping over everyday items such as rugs, kerbs and uneven surfaces. The Boxia™ encourages natural gait pattern by allowing normal ankle movement when stepping off the foot.
View our professional fitting video below to learn more about this simple but effective product which is helping thousands of people suffering from Foot Drop across the UK.
