Has anyone beat foot drop?

[Diva1976]

Has anyone fought foot drop with doing the exercise, standing on your tip toes? Pretty excited to see if it will work for me. Read this on other MS site. Someone from two years ago said they would do so many sets 3x a week. And they no longer have foot drop! Interesting....

[Juleigh21]

I was just diagnosed with this yesterday. I’m going to have two MRIs done to see if there’s anything going on in my back that’s causing it. If not, then it’s probably the MS and the ocrevus wearing off. I see more PT in my future.

[Diva1976 in reply to Juleigh21]

Yeah I recently found that not just MS, but something else is going on with my back affecting the mobility too. Double whammy...

[greaterexp]

I would think that strengthening muscles in our legs and feet would have a positive effect. I would wonder about the efficacy of this in advanced foot drop since the cause is from damaged nerves, rather than muscles.

Please let us know how you get on with these. It sounds encouraging.

[Diva1976 in reply to greaterexp]

David Lyon I think his name is did it with exercise. Strengthen the legs is what I need to do! They feel so heavy and barely want to lift depending on what exercise I do.

[greaterexp in reply to Diva1976]

I hope this really helps.

[Diva1976 in reply to greaterexp]

I hope so too, thanks!

[Kenu]

Did years of therapy and still have drop foot because of where the nerve damage is. Ken 🐾🐾

[Diva1976 in reply to Kenu]

Wow, I'm beginning to think standing on the tip of my toes will not work. I've had foot drop for a long time before they even knew what was going on with me!

[erash in reply to Diva1976]

Standing on toes strengthens plantar flexion which is in the same direction as foot drop. I’m thinking, dorsiflexion, pointing toes and foot up to ceiling against resistance might help recruit muscles that could help foot drop? But if innervation not there, not sure how much recruiting and strengthening would help? Can’t hurt to try...maybe discuss with PT

And yes, I had foot drop because of a spine problem not MS that was improved after spine surgery.

[Diva1976 in reply to erash]

When I mentioned to PT yesterday, his expression said enough. As to say he doubt that.

[BettysMom]

While exercise is wonderful for persons with MS, standing on tip toes (plantar flexion) could not cure foot drop. First of all, if one has foot drop the "weakness" is in the dorsum (the front) of the lower leg. So you need to strengthen the muscles in the front of the calf that raise the foot up. This is dorsiflexion. Plantar flexion strengthens the muscles in the back of the leg, the ones that pull the foot down. That could potentially make the foot drop worse.

[erash in reply to BettysMom]

Yep. Had not read your post when I posted similar

[Diva1976 in reply to BettysMom]

And lord knows I don't wanna do that! I want to improve it!

[jorrell]

For early foot drop (mine happens towards the end of the day), there is that tiny bit of muscle on the front of your calf along the shin bone. It is very difficult or nearly impossible to rebuild that muscle once it has atrophied. Exercise wise, having a small weight attached to your foot near the toes and pivoting your foot upwards with the ball of your foot on the ground is about the best exercise. If that does not work, there are e-stim methods to help trigger the muscles. One thing outside exercising that I have found helpful is a lighter shoe, I have switched from my six inch heel combat boots to very lightweight driving shoes. To help prevent tripping, if the shoe allows it, file or sand the bottom of the front tip to a curved shape, that way it is less likely to snag a sharp edge.

They have the standard brace that fits inside your shoe and holds your foot up as the upper part is tied to the back of your calf, not a fan. They also make an e-stimulator that straps to your calf, it detects the force of your foot going up and down, as the foot goes down, it triggers the nerves and causes the front of your foot to lift. I have tried these and the work, butt... the insurance companies consider it experimental so they refuse to pay. They run around $4K.

I know, lots of information to take in, but there are a lot of ways to help deal with it. Left foot drop has caused me concussions, a fractured shoulder, and enough bruises to get the spousal abuse pamphlet at the hospital.

Hope some of this helps, and no, I am not a Doctor and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[IFwczs in reply to jorrell]

Thank you for your post. Could you please send a link for that e-stimulator? Thanks again.

[Diva1976 in reply to jorrell]

Yes I'm trying to see if I can get Bioness covered by insurance. Seems to be impossible. It cost over 5K. It did enable me to lift my left foot. I have foot drop on left and right. But it's really bad on left. Two days ago I found AxioBionics, who also has a stimulator that does the same. These FES should be covered by insurance. You know its bad when hospital is handing you a pamphlet for spousal abuse. How many times must we fall to get the things we need to support our health?

[rjoneslaw in reply to Diva1976]

I have Bioness and it works great I’ve had it since 2016. I have the whole system if I didn’t have it I wouldn’t be able to walk.

I know someone who has the walkaid they went from not having wire to having wires.

[Diva1976 in reply to rjoneslaw]

What does it mean to have walkaid with wires vs no wires?

[rjoneslaw in reply to Diva1976]

Before walkaid came out w the new one they only had the brace for the foot drop.

Now the new brace has wires connected to it and it has a sensor which the prior one didn’t also they have a remote now

[Diva1976 in reply to rjoneslaw]

Oh okay. Definitely a new world with all the technology!

[jorrell]

It is called walkaide but is not sold directly. Below is a seller's link. Also, these are normally fitted by Doctors that do prosthesis for missing limbs. So yes, the Dr. will fit the device to you, calibrate it, and sell it to you. Here is the link: acplus.com/walkaide/

Please note that I wore it for about an hour and it did work with only a minor tingle in the leg. What stopped me was the price.

[Diva1976 in reply to jorrell]

It’s good to know it’s many options out here. I didn’t realize more companies have the same thing as Bioness. Bioness is doing a lot of marketing. They’re so expensive but works. It was a lot of vibration with the one I tried on. But I would rather deal with vibration that will pick my leg/foot up than these AFO’s that have done me no good! All Insurance companies need to get on board!

[rjoneslaw in reply to Diva1976]

I don't know why u were feeling vibrations during ur fitting 4 Bioness the rep should have adjusted that. The brace is adjusted to ur comfort level

[Diva1976 in reply to rjoneslaw]

Yeah I kept telling her it was a lot of vibration that I would have to get use too. Rep agreed as though it was normal.

[rjoneslaw in reply to Diva1976]

ur rep may have been new but once u get your own u can get it to how u like it and u adjust every now and again u may have needed the intensity to be adjusted

[Diva1976 in reply to rjoneslaw]

Good to know! Hope to hear something soon.

[jorrell]

Diva1976, it sounds like you have gone down the same road as myself, just with a different manufacturer. If your insurance chokes, look into the MS support organizations to see if they can help. When it comes to the pamphlet, I've gotten that a few times. The last was after the car accident as they saw bruises that were not consistent with such a violent impact. The one that really ticked me off was after my wife fell down the stairs. At the hospital she was given the pamphlet and I was questioned by the cops. It took hours to clear the situation despite the fact I could not walk a straight line and at the time required help to walk.

[anaishunter]

My experience has been quite positive in using exercising to push back on MS' negative effects on your body.

Before diagnosis I was tripping a lot, due to early stage of foot drop. Actual foot drop would happen when I was really tired and after work out.

I've been at it for 18 months since diagnosis: everyday targeted exercises + yoga + DMT have pushed back many of the bad physical symptoms. Proof is that I have not tripped once in the past 6 months. Foot gets weak when I'm really tired, but I have more control because I have rebuilt muscles.

I believe that if it's still early in the MS process, you can use your body's ability to rebuild connections around the lesions. Just like patients who have had a major head trauma and lose speech or other key functions, they can learn again. MS is different but the brain is plastic and can adapt. A bit harder when lesions are on the spine.

[Diva1976 in reply to anaishunter]

Keep at it anaishunter! I believe my downfall was not being consistent with exercise. Although, I went periods without P.T. I could've still exercised without being monitored. I wanna believe with diet and exercise I can get better. But, its hard when affected with lesions in both areas. And something additional going on with back.