I have drop foot. I have a different diagnosis than you causing my drop foot. It started with left foot and then the right foot a few months later. Should you experience a situation where you feel the front of your foot gets "caught" and would stumble forward. at that point, please make certain you get good medical advice. I now wear ankle foot orthotics (AFO's) to prevent tripping. Wish you the best with your 6-month treatment.
I seem to have the same thing with foot drop. About 3 weeks after my spine surgery (fusion L3-S1) I noticed that I couldn't raise my left foot without raising my leg. Now my right foot seems to be getting as bad. I never had any of these symptoms before surgery even though I've had PN for 12 years.
I have drop foot. I have a different diagnosis than you causing my drop foot. It started with left foot and then the right foot a few months later. Should you experience a situation where you feel the front of your foot gets "caught" and would stumble forward. at that point, please make certain you get good medical advice. I now wear ankle foot orthotics (AFO's) to prevent tripping. Wish you the best with your 6-month treatment.
Hi Jake - At one time prior to drop foot, I did walk heal to toe. Since I've developed drop foot, I am unable to walk heal to toe. Without my AFO's on, I walk like I have flippers on and I'm ready to snorkel. I walk by lifting my knees high, so my feet clear the floor. My drop foot came on sudden, no symptoms, just a foot slapping the floor in the spring of 2019. Now with AFO's I walk more normal but not quite 100% normal. with an abnormal gait. I can walk heal to toe with AFO's but it is an effort, and I must concentrate to do so. Are you experiencing drop foot?
Ed
I seem to have the same thing with foot drop. About 3 weeks after my spine surgery (fusion L3-S1) I noticed that I couldn't raise my left foot without raising my leg. Now my right foot seems to be getting as bad. I never had any of these symptoms before surgery even though I've had PN for 12 years.
Sorry to hear about your drop foot. Just curious, does your surgeon know about this development post-surgery? Was any physical therapy suggested? I know what you mean about not being able to lift the foot. There are various supports to help with drop foot. I got a prescription from my primary doctor. My insurance paid for the AFO's. I went to a company that fits people with prosthetics, and they determined what kind of ankle foot orthotics was best for me. I've had mine for 5 years which help with balance.
Hi Jake - At one time prior to drop foot, I did walk heal to toe. Since I've developed drop foot, I am unable to walk heal to toe. Without my AFO's on, I walk like I have flippers on and I'm ready to snorkel. I walk by lifting my knees high, so my feet clear the floor. My drop foot came on sudden, no symptoms, just a foot slapping the floor in the spring of 2019. Now with AFO's I walk more normal but not quite 100% normal. with an abnormal gait. I can walk heal to toe with AFO's but it is an effort, and I must concentrate to do so. Are you experiencing drop foot?
Ed
@njed
I don't know if I have any degree of dropfoot or not when I bought my Hoka shoes just recently the sales clerk said I wasn't walking correctly and I felt as though I was just slapping my foot on the ground like you described a swim fin.
I doubt it's dropfoot, but I do know a a couple guys who have it so I hope it's just incorrect walking. In order to walk heel to toe I do have to concentrate a lot on getting it right. right now I'm waiting for an authorization to go to a physical therapist for balance training and asking him about my walking..
thanks a lot, Ed
Jake
@njed
I don't know if I have any degree of dropfoot or not when I bought my Hoka shoes just recently the sales clerk said I wasn't walking correctly and I felt as though I was just slapping my foot on the ground like you described a swim fin.
I doubt it's dropfoot, but I do know a a couple guys who have it so I hope it's just incorrect walking. In order to walk heel to toe I do have to concentrate a lot on getting it right. right now I'm waiting for an authorization to go to a physical therapist for balance training and asking him about my walking..
thanks a lot, Ed
Jake
Hi Jake and Ed, I struggle with balance also and have thought about seeing if gate training/therapy would help. I think @sueinmn has experience and might have some suggestions or thoughts. I did find some exercises and have been doing a few of them but I haven't looked into physical therapy for the training.
-- Boost Your Mobility With These Gait Training Exercises: https://www.verywellhealth.com/gait-training-in-physical-therapy-5069884
Interesting thing I've been trying to exercise and help with my numb feet is a Sand Dune Stepper - https://www.sanddunestepper.com/what-is-the-sanddune-stepper/. I purchased it about 4 years ago and used it for a month or so but gave up because of balance issues and not wanting to fall while using it. Recently found it again after another members asked about the device and started using it along with two extended trekking poles and am now able to use it safely. It does really feel like walking in some deep sand on the beach and I think it will help with my leg muscles and balance when walking.
Neuropathy nerve pain. Constant, never ending, especially at night. Take 1600 mg gabapentin at one time along with topical lidocaine. Often, that is not enuf to enable me to fall asleep.
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand
“neuropathy nerve pain”. Can you tell me more about where the pain is located, what it feels like and the typical pain level from 1 to 10?
@njed and @jakedduck1 Balance and gait training are a special subset of PT - usually done by rehab therapists after either a traumatic injury or a stroke.
In my case, I had been walking with seriously BAD hips and one foot that toed in for 10 years or more. After surgery and normal PT, I was having back pain and the awesome (2nd) ortho surgeon referred me to a clinic that was dedicated to just that sort of therapy.
My posture, balance, strength, leg length, posture, stride...everything was evaluated. I was sent out to buy brand new athletic/walking shoes, but told not begin wearing them yet. Then the work began - 3 weeks of strength and balance exercises (several of them I still do 3X week). Next was walking in the new shoes - towards a mirror, with instruction how to stand, point my toes, move my arms, "rock" my foot from heel to toe as I stepped. As I progressed, we working on up & down stairs, in the grass, in water...
A few years later, my Mom had a stroke - and I took her to those same therapists, where she started with assisted aqua therapy, then a walker, and progressed to a cane. I truly believe she would have ended up in a wheelchair without that therapy - she was a trouper!
People here may view me as a PT nut, but after 11 orthopedic surgeries I have mostly regained full use of every joint they messed with - still working on my shoulder that was done in October.
@sueinmn Hi Sue and thanks for your information. I am a strong believer in physical therapy. I've had torn rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders and a bunch of other things that have landed me in PT many more times than I'd like to admit, and those people are essential to quality recovery. I had been in PT for several years relating to PN, but the problem I ran into is Medicare will not pay for PT unless there are improvements. And on top of that, there is a yearly limit to what Medicare will pay. So, even if you start to improve....uh oh, time is up and insurance ran out, see you in January. And, in Jan or Feb.....I'd start all over again. My physical therapist has a doctrine degree in many areas of PT and rehab and took a strong interest in my case being an unusual one. I see my doctor in April and will discuss with her what therapy might be best for me at this time based on my current issues. Thanks again for sharing your information and you certainly brought up some good points.
Hi Jake and Ed, I struggle with balance also and have thought about seeing if gate training/therapy would help. I think @sueinmn has experience and might have some suggestions or thoughts. I did find some exercises and have been doing a few of them but I haven't looked into physical therapy for the training.
-- Boost Your Mobility With These Gait Training Exercises: https://www.verywellhealth.com/gait-training-in-physical-therapy-5069884
Interesting thing I've been trying to exercise and help with my numb feet is a Sand Dune Stepper - https://www.sanddunestepper.com/what-is-the-sanddune-stepper/. I purchased it about 4 years ago and used it for a month or so but gave up because of balance issues and not wanting to fall while using it. Recently found it again after another members asked about the device and started using it along with two extended trekking poles and am now able to use it safely. It does really feel like walking in some deep sand on the beach and I think it will help with my leg muscles and balance when walking.
John, the years I was in and out of PT, some of the exercises on the link you posted I did to improve my balance. Well, try to. The last time I was in PT, I had about 15 exercises to do for strength and to hopefully improve balance. Interesting you can use trekking poles and use the sand dune stepper. I have trekking poles and live a mile from the beach where we have lots of soft sand before the sand near the water. Weather soon improving perhaps I'll give it a try.
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I seem to have the same thing with foot drop. About 3 weeks after my spine surgery (fusion L3-S1) I noticed that I couldn't raise my left foot without raising my leg. Now my right foot seems to be getting as bad. I never had any of these symptoms before surgery even though I've had PN for 12 years.
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1 ReactionNJ Ed
Are there other symptoms to drop foot? Do you walk heel to toe with drop foot?
Jake
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1 ReactionHi Jake - At one time prior to drop foot, I did walk heal to toe. Since I've developed drop foot, I am unable to walk heal to toe. Without my AFO's on, I walk like I have flippers on and I'm ready to snorkel. I walk by lifting my knees high, so my feet clear the floor. My drop foot came on sudden, no symptoms, just a foot slapping the floor in the spring of 2019. Now with AFO's I walk more normal but not quite 100% normal. with an abnormal gait. I can walk heal to toe with AFO's but it is an effort, and I must concentrate to do so. Are you experiencing drop foot?
Ed
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3 ReactionsSorry to hear about your drop foot. Just curious, does your surgeon know about this development post-surgery? Was any physical therapy suggested? I know what you mean about not being able to lift the foot. There are various supports to help with drop foot. I got a prescription from my primary doctor. My insurance paid for the AFO's. I went to a company that fits people with prosthetics, and they determined what kind of ankle foot orthotics was best for me. I've had mine for 5 years which help with balance.
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1 Reaction@njed
I don't know if I have any degree of dropfoot or not when I bought my Hoka shoes just recently the sales clerk said I wasn't walking correctly and I felt as though I was just slapping my foot on the ground like you described a swim fin.
I doubt it's dropfoot, but I do know a a couple guys who have it so I hope it's just incorrect walking. In order to walk heel to toe I do have to concentrate a lot on getting it right. right now I'm waiting for an authorization to go to a physical therapist for balance training and asking him about my walking..
thanks a lot, Ed
Jake
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Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHi Jake and Ed, I struggle with balance also and have thought about seeing if gate training/therapy would help. I think @sueinmn has experience and might have some suggestions or thoughts. I did find some exercises and have been doing a few of them but I haven't looked into physical therapy for the training.
-- Boost Your Mobility With These Gait Training Exercises:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/gait-training-in-physical-therapy-5069884
Interesting thing I've been trying to exercise and help with my numb feet is a Sand Dune Stepper - https://www.sanddunestepper.com/what-is-the-sanddune-stepper/. I purchased it about 4 years ago and used it for a month or so but gave up because of balance issues and not wanting to fall while using it. Recently found it again after another members asked about the device and started using it along with two extended trekking poles and am now able to use it safely. It does really feel like walking in some deep sand on the beach and I think it will help with my leg muscles and balance when walking.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI’m sorry, but I don’t understand
“neuropathy nerve pain”. Can you tell me more about where the pain is located, what it feels like and the typical pain level from 1 to 10?
@njed and @jakedduck1 Balance and gait training are a special subset of PT - usually done by rehab therapists after either a traumatic injury or a stroke.
In my case, I had been walking with seriously BAD hips and one foot that toed in for 10 years or more. After surgery and normal PT, I was having back pain and the awesome (2nd) ortho surgeon referred me to a clinic that was dedicated to just that sort of therapy.
My posture, balance, strength, leg length, posture, stride...everything was evaluated. I was sent out to buy brand new athletic/walking shoes, but told not begin wearing them yet. Then the work began - 3 weeks of strength and balance exercises (several of them I still do 3X week). Next was walking in the new shoes - towards a mirror, with instruction how to stand, point my toes, move my arms, "rock" my foot from heel to toe as I stepped. As I progressed, we working on up & down stairs, in the grass, in water...
A few years later, my Mom had a stroke - and I took her to those same therapists, where she started with assisted aqua therapy, then a walker, and progressed to a cane. I truly believe she would have ended up in a wheelchair without that therapy - she was a trouper!
People here may view me as a PT nut, but after 11 orthopedic surgeries I have mostly regained full use of every joint they messed with - still working on my shoulder that was done in October.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
5 Reactions@sueinmn Hi Sue and thanks for your information. I am a strong believer in physical therapy. I've had torn rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders and a bunch of other things that have landed me in PT many more times than I'd like to admit, and those people are essential to quality recovery. I had been in PT for several years relating to PN, but the problem I ran into is Medicare will not pay for PT unless there are improvements. And on top of that, there is a yearly limit to what Medicare will pay. So, even if you start to improve....uh oh, time is up and insurance ran out, see you in January. And, in Jan or Feb.....I'd start all over again. My physical therapist has a doctrine degree in many areas of PT and rehab and took a strong interest in my case being an unusual one. I see my doctor in April and will discuss with her what therapy might be best for me at this time based on my current issues. Thanks again for sharing your information and you certainly brought up some good points.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsJohn, the years I was in and out of PT, some of the exercises on the link you posted I did to improve my balance. Well, try to. The last time I was in PT, I had about 15 exercises to do for strength and to hopefully improve balance. Interesting you can use trekking poles and use the sand dune stepper. I have trekking poles and live a mile from the beach where we have lots of soft sand before the sand near the water. Weather soon improving perhaps I'll give it a try.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction