Foot Drop (AKA “Drop Foot” or “Peroneal Nerve Injury”)
What is it?
● Foot drop is when you have difficulty raising the front part of your foot due to paralysis
or weakness to the muscles that lift your foot.
● This leads to difficulty walking as your toes may drag on the floor or have to compensate
by bending at the knee to lift the foot higher off the ground to avoid dragging of the toes.
● Foot drop is usually a symptom of another disorder; it is not technically a condition itself.
Causes?
● There are many reasons as to why this can occur but the most common cause is injury to
the peroneal nerve. The peroneal nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve that travels down
the back of your leg. The peroneal nerve is responsible for supplying movement and
sensation to the lower limb, foot, and toes.
● Other conditions that may cause impairments to the muscles/nerves in your lower limb
include:
○ Stroke
○ Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
○ Muscular Dystrophy
○ Peripheral Neuropathy
○ Polio
○ Sciatic Nerve Neuropathy
Common Symptoms
● Frequent tripping or dragging of the foot/toes
● Numbness in lower extremity
● Frequent falls
● Symptoms are unilateral (occurring in just one extremity)
● Weakness in lifting the ankle joint upward
● Flexing the hip or knee to assist with clearing the foot/toes while walking
● Slapping foot/toes on the ground with each step while walking
How Can We Help?
● AFO Education (ankle foot orthosis)
● Gait Training
● Improve Joint Mobility
● Strengthening to lower extremity kinetic chain
● Improve ankle stability with static and dynamic balance activities
● Electrical Stimulation Device: Help stimulate the peroneal nerve during dropping of the
foot
