Early signs of foot drop - 10 red flags of foot drop

Inability of your foot to clear the ground while walking, causing the foot to scuff along the ground. This results in a feeling of dragging the foot while you are walking. You may also feel like you have an inability to hold your footwear, like your shoes are loose.

Trips, falls and general stumbling and clumsiness are also early signs of foot drop. This is because the foot is not clearing the ground while walking, leading to instability.

A change in walking pattern, such as steppage gait or circumduction gait. Because the toes are being dragged along the ground, the body tries to compensate in order to lift the foot up and so be able to clear the ground. One way that this can be achieved is by raising the hip, referred to as steppage gait. To get your foot to clear the ground you may also try to swing your leg around to the side in a semi-circle, known as circumduction gait. Due to the weakness of the anterior tibialis muscle that lifts the foot, your foot may also turn outwards when walking.

Numbness and tingling from the calf down to the foot.

Changes in the calf muscles, such as atrophy due to misuse, cramping and spasticity.

Leg and foot fatigue after walking a short distance. You may feel like your foot is limp.

A slapping sound when the dropped foot hits the ground while walking. This is due to reduced flexes in the ankle.

Difficulty standing on your toes or heels, and your foot may flop downward.

Instability at the ankle joint and a tendency to twist the ankle and go over on it.

Romberg’s sign means that you are unable to balance when you are standing with your eyes closed.

The symptoms of foot drop may be constant, or they could be intermittent with periods of normal foot strength and function in between.

When should I be worried about foot drop?

While foot drop can be a serious and debilitating condition, there are treatment options that can limit the effects of foot drop. The experts at Health Design Collective have been researching foot drop and possible treatments for many years, and they can offer the most up to date evidence-based guidance on best practice. This means that not only can you live with foot drop, but you can live well and continue to enjoy activities of daily life. As with any condition, the sooner that you can identify and detect problems and get help and support, then the better the outcomes. If you start to experience any of the symptoms of foot drop, no matter how mild or severe, then you should speak to a health professional in the first instance. While foot drop cannot be cured, there are options in how to manage the condition, and prevent further problems, like the effects of a fall. The research team at the Health Design Collective have not only extensively researched foot drop, but they have used their knowledge and expertise to innovate around the traditional treatments for foot drop to develop new products. If you would like to become involved in testing some of these new products then please visit the contact us.