If you or your loved one has suffered a stroke and now has foot drop or ankle weakness, you may be left with lots of questions. Our podiatrists at Masterton Foot Clinic have put together this short guide to help you better understand what happened during the stroke and how the feet and other parts of the body may have been affected. As we’re privileged to work with both stroke patients and those with foot drop resulting from various neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, we’ve also shared our #1 recommended treatment that is enabling those affected to walk confidently, comfortably and without tripping or falling.

What Happens During A Stroke – And How Does It Cause Foot Drop?

When a person’s blood supply to their brain is interrupted very suddenly, this is a stroke. Just like how people refer to a blockage in the blood flow to the heart as a heart attack, a stroke is a brain attack. Strokes are more common than many people realise, affecting one New Zealander every 45 minutes. 

A stroke can be caused by a blood vessel leading to the brain either becoming blocked or rupturing. When the blood supply to your brain is cut off, damage can occur and the feet and legs can be affected alongside other areas of the body.

When it comes to foot drop, this occurs when the symptoms of the stroke include muscle weakness or paralysis at the front of the foot or leg, meaning you don’t have the strength and control to be able to lift your toes upwards to clear the ground when you walk. This is why foot drop often appears like you’re dragging the feet, and is a big risk for tripping and falling.

How Else Can The Feet And Legs Be Affected By A Stroke?

Often the effects are related to weakness, nerve damage which alters the feeling in the feet and legs, and muscle wasting. This can manifest as: 

• Neuropathy – nerve damage that changes the way you experience feelings in the feet and legs. Some may experience this as pins and needles, numbness, tingling or burning feelings along the nerves in the feet. Others may lose the ability to feel anything in these areas.
• Muscle spasticity – our muscle tone is controlled by signals that come from our brain. If a stroke damages the part of the brain that sends these signals, then the muscle may become too active, meaning they may become stiff, spasm, produce uncontrollable contractions and more.
• Can’t bend your knees well – when it comes to making any movements, our muscles need strength and coordination to make it happen – including bending the knees. If a stroke causes muscle weakness or paralysis, normal movements like bending may not be able to happen, often leaving a person needing to change the way they walk
• Altered gait – given the potential changes to muscle and nerve function creating an altered gait pattern (a different way of walking), this can lead to corns, calluses, toe deformities, toenail problems and more.

Managing Foot Drop: Our #1 Solution

With almost two decades of experience helping people with foot and ankle weakness and instability, we are pleased to say that it has never been easier to effectively manage the symptoms of foot drop as it is today. Gone are the days of large, clunky and heavy braces that are difficult to walk in, don’t fit your shoes – or that can even throw you off balance. 

Since introducing the EXO-L UP in mid-2021, we’ve seen the best results for foot drop in our whole time as podiatrists. The EXO-L UP is a 3D-scanned and 100% custom-made device that attaches seamlessly through personalised modifications to your shoe. It has a light and slimline design that is discreet and comfortable. It’s easily adjusted to work with you. Aside from strokes, we also successfully use the EXO-L UP for:

• Cerebral palsy
• Lumbar nerve injuries or other nerve injuries to their feet or legs that result in drop foot
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neurological disorders (like those that cause muscular dystrophy)
• Nerve injuries (can occur from sports, surgeries and even postural problems)

Getting an EXO-L UP brace starts with an appointment for a foot and ankle scan, as well as a consultation to make sure that the brace can help you get the result you want. We’ll always advise you if we don’t think it will be a good fit for you, or won’t deliver the results you’re hoping for.

Book your appointment online or call us on 06 370 4057