Do you know who bears the maximum load? Our legs and, to be particular, our feet. Our mobility depends on our legs to a significant extent. Leg injury or we can say foot injury steals this mobility, and it can also be painful.

In our daily rushing lives, we often end up hurting our feet. While engaging in sports activities or sometimes simply walking, we do get muscle strains that stay for a day or two before we get back to our everyday lives. But these injuries are not always short-lived, and it’s not always a muscle strain.

According to the most reliable spine hospital in Ahmedabad, IndoSpine, the reason behind the pain your experience in your foot can be related to your bones, nerves, and sometimes muscles. The different types of pain make the difference. Today Ahmedabad’s best spine surgeon explains everything you need to know about drop foot.

When Ahmedabad’s best spine surgeon explains everything you need to know about drop foot, it starts from the very definition. Let us understand what actually a drop foot is with IndoSpine, the most reliable spine hospital in Ahmedabad.

A drop foot is the inability to move the foot upward or toward the body. In other words, the patient feels pain in this condition while pointing their toe toward the body or simply moving the foot inward and upward. The pain can also be accompanied by a tingling sensation or numbness, weakness, etc. This condition makes the patient drag their foot while walking, and sometimes they might not even be able to place the foot on the ground resulting in a high steppage gait.

Learn about the symptoms, Ahmedabad’s best spine surgeon explains everything you need to know about drop foot.

Drop foot is not a disease but an effect of other neuromuscular disorders. Diseases in the lower or lumbar region of the spine are the primary cause of drop foot.

The most reliable spine hospital in Ahmedabad, IndoSpine says, our spine is made of several bones called vertebrae and is connected through a cushion-like substance called the disc. When the disc becomes herniated (the nucleus comes out through the torn part of the disc.), it compresses the nerves of the nearby area. Herniated disc mainly occurs in the lower or lumbar region of the spine, and as a result, it compresses the sciatic nerve, which extends from the lumbar region of the spine.  The peroneal nerve, which runs down the legs and feet, transmitting signals to the muscles of the feet, is the division of the sciatic nerve.

So, when the sciatic nerve is compressed, it affects the peroneal nerve, which ultimately causes the drop foot.

Several causes are contributing to drop foot. These are: –

The most common reason behind the drop foot is the Peroneal nerve injury. These injuries can be caused by accidental events and sometimes certain surgeries such as knee replacement.

Diseases that cause muscle weakness can contribute to the drop foot. These diseases can be inherited as well.

Disorders that affect the brain or spinal cord, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, can lead to the drop foot.

Learn about the injuries that cause drop foot with IndoSpine, the most reliable spine hospital in Ahmedabad.

This is a progressive nervous system disease. In this condition, the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord are affected. This disease affects the motor neurons, which send signals to the muscles to move. The motor neurons deteriorate and die in this condition because the signals do not reach the muscles, and the patient becomes unable to move his muscles.

In this disease, the immune system attacks its tissues and destroys the fiber that protects the nerves, because of which the communication between the brain and the body gets blocked. The intensity of this disease depends on the nerve which has been affected.

In this condition, the neurons in the brain that produce dopamine die, and the decreased level of dopamine leads to abnormal brain activity and movement.

According to the most reliable spine hospital in Ahmedabad, IndoSpine, though drop foot results from several neuromuscular diseases, certain risk factors exist.

People who always cross their legs while they sit might increase the chances of dropping foot because sitting with legs crossed can compress the peroneal nerve.

Some occupations, including constant kneeling or squatting, can increase the risk.

To detect the problem, your doctor can perform physical tests such as walking, shock reflection, etc., or neurological tests such as MRI, EMG, X-ray, CT scan, etc.

When Ahmedabad’s best spine surgeon explains everything you need to know about drop foot, he says, the treatment process of drop foot varies from person to person. Physical therapy is prescribed in most cases where the drop foot is not so severe.

Physical therapy depends on the cause. If the compressed sciatic nerve causes the drop foot, lower back exercises might help ease the nerve compression, which will ultimately help you regain the strength of your foot. If You have lost your balance due to muscle weakness, balancing exercises might help. Other exercises such as rotating the feet and walking can also be prescribed. There are also some non-surgical procedures in which the compressed nerves are stimulated through electrical waves.

Surgery is required in such conditions where the drop foot is permanent. Some surgical procedures are –

In this procedure, to remove the tibialis anterior, the tendon that goes to a different part is transferred to the top of the foot.

In this procedure, the foot and the ankle are fused to remove the burden from the surrounding muscles.

A lot of people, continue with physical therapy. Some exercises if done on a regular basis can have a beneficial impact on the pain

In this procedure, pieces of bones from the lumbar region of the spine are removed to relieve the pressure from the nerves.

Some problems might appear not so severe, but sometimes it has a direct connection to your spine, and drop foot is one of those problems. So, it is essential to understand the pain first and then identify the reason behind it. IndoSpine, the most reliable spine hospital in Ahmedabad, specializes in treating every spine problem. The team of experts is available round the clock to provide the best treatment for your spine.