9 Foot Drop Exercises for Better Mobility
Key takeaways:
Foot drop is the inability to lift the front of the foot. This can cause difficulty walking and a higher risk of falls.
Nerve damage, neurological disorders, and spinal cord injuries can cause foot drop.
Treatment options include foot drop exercises, ankle-foot orthosis, electrical stimulation, and surgery in some cases.
Table of contents
Foot drop, or drop foot syndrome, is the inability to lift the front of the foot, which can result in difficulty walking. It occurs when the dorsiflexor muscles at the front of the lower leg –– which allow you to bend your ankle and pull your toes back toward your shin –– are weak. Nerve damage and neurological disorders can cause this type of muscle weakness.
Foot drop often only affects one foot. And it changes a person’s gait (walking pattern). The early symptoms of foot drop might include:
Dragging your toes or feeling the foot slap on the ground when you walk
Changes in how you walk, such as lifting your knee higher with each step or swinging the leg
Tingling or numbness at the top of your foot or along your shin
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If you have symptoms of foot drop, a healthcare professional can recommend the best treatment approach, which may include physical therapy and foot drop exercises. Here’s what you need to know about how foot drop exercises can help manage or treat your symptoms.
What causes foot drop?
Various injuries and conditions can cause foot drop. For example, if an injury damages the nerves that control the dorsiflexors of your foot, it can cause muscle weakness and foot drop.
Examples of injuries and conditions that can cause foot drop include:
Peroneal nerve injury from trauma to the knee, fibula fracture, or crossing the legs for long periods
Stroke
Muscular dystrophy
Spinal stenosis
Peripheral neuropathy, often from diabetes
Polio
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Spinal cord injury
If you have symptoms of foot drop, get a clinical evaluation as your first step. This is important to pinpoint the cause and develop a treatment plan. Your treatment may include physical therapy and foot drop exercises.
What exercises can help correct drop foot?
Consider trying the following foot drop exercises and stretches. But talk with a healthcare professional first. The strengthening exercises target the tibialis anterior muscle at the front of the lower leg. The tibialis anterior is the strongest dorsiflexor of the foot. It enables you to lift your foot and turn it inward. And it’s critical for a healthy gait. These exercises also address the hip and ankle to improve stability and balance.
These exercises might be difficult at first, and that’s OK. Depending on the cause of your foot drop, some exercises may not be accessible to you, so feel free to skip them. Do the best you can, and don’t worry if you don’t get the recommended number of repetitions.
Foot drop can throw off your gait and your balance. But doing targeted balance exercises can help you feel more steady on your feet.
Mobility exercises: Regardless of age or physical condition, mobility exercises can benefit most people. Try these simple exercises to improve your function.
Shoulder exercises: Shoulder mobility exercises are widely applicable. Improving range of motion in your shoulders can help prevent injury.
1. Assisted toe raises
Toe raises help strengthen the tibialis anterior muscle. You’ll need an exercise strap for this move.
Step 1: Sit in a chair with both feet on the floor.
Step 2: Place a strap around the affected foot, beneath your toes. Hold each end of the band in your hands.
Step 3: Flex your ankle as you pull up on the strap to lift your foot up so your toes are pointed toward the ceiling.
Step 4: Remove the strap and try to hold the position before slowly lowering your foot to the floor.
Step 5: Repeat 2 sets of 10 reps. When you first start out, you may only be able to do a few repetitions as your muscle strengthens.
2. Elevated toe taps
Once the assisted toe raise exercise becomes easy and you no longer need a strap to help, it’s time to move onto the elevated toe tap. This exercise strengthens the tibialis anterior muscle throughout its full range of motion.
Step 1: Sit in a chair and place your heel on a step, letting your toes hang off the edge.
Step 2: Keeping your heel on the step, let your foot drop down to the floor and then pull your toes back up toward the ceiling.
Step 3: Continue this down-and-up motion with your foot, moving your ankle through its full range of motion.
Step 4: Work up to 20-30 reps for 2-3 sets.
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3. Dorsiflexion with resistance
This exercise adds resistance to toe raises, so consider waiting until you master the first two exercises before trying this one. You’ll need a resistance band for this dorsiflexion exercise.
Step 1: Sit up tall on an exercise mat with your legs extended in front of you. Place a looped resistance band around the soles of both feet.
Step 2: Hold the back of your thigh of your affected leg and pull your knee toward you. (At this point, your affected foot should be off the floor.) The band, which stays wrapped around both feet, will create tension as you pull your knee back.
Step 3: Flex your raised foot, moving your toes toward you (dorsiflexion) as the band applies further resistance. Release the flexed position slowly, keeping your resistance band in place.
Step 4: Return your leg to the starting position.
Step 5: Repeat 10-15 times.
4. Ankle inversion and eversion
This ankle inversion and eversion exercise works the muscles that move your foot inward and outward. This is important for balance, stability, and ankle strength.
Step 1: Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2: Place your hand on the knee of your affected leg. This is a reminder to keep your knee still as you move your foot.
Step 3: Lift the outer edge of your affected foot off the floor. Then, lower it back down.
Step 4: Lift the inner edge of your foot off the floor. Then, lower it back down. Remember, you only want to move your foot, not your entire leg.
Step 5: Repeat 2 sets of 10 reps.
5. Single-leg stand
Single-leg stands are a great way to strengthen foot and ankle muscles and improve your balance.
Step 1: Stand near a sturdy chair, wall, or table in case you need support.
Step 2: Hold onto the stable surface if necessary. Lift your unaffected leg, bending your knee to a 90-degree angle as you stand on your affected foot.
Step 3: Hold for 10-15 seconds and then lower your leg.
Step 4: Repeat the move 5 times, letting go of the stable surface for short periods of time to balance without support when you feel comfortable.
6. Seated calf stretch
When you can’t flex your foot, your calf muscle can become tight. The seated calf stretch can keep your muscles flexible and help you maintain mobility in your ankle. You’ll need an exercise strap or a large towel for this move.
Step 1: Sit on the floor with your affected leg extended in front of you. You can bend your unaffected leg, placing your foot flat on the floor. Or you can extend your unaffected leg.
Step 2: Loop an exercise strap around your affected foot while your leg is stretched straight out in front of you.
Step 3: Hold the ends of the strap in each hand and gently pull back until you feel a stretch at the back of your leg.
Step 4: Hold for 10-15 seconds.
Step 5: Repeat 5-10 times. Then, switch to the other leg.
7. Hip rotations
It’s important to improve strength and flexibility in the hip muscles, as they play a role in ankle and foot control during walking. Strengthening your hip muscles with this hip rotation exercise can improve lower body stability and balance.
Step 1: Sit in a chair with your legs hanging down.
Step 2: If your feet touch the floor, you must first lift your hip up on the affected side so your foot is off the floor.
Step 3: Move your knee outwards and your foot inwards, externally rotating your hip. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
Step 4: Next, move your knee inwards and your foot outwards, internally rotating your hip. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
Step 5: Continue rotating your hip inwards and outwards 5-10 times. Keep the movement in your pain-free range. Repeat 2-3 sets.
Step 6: Repeat on the other leg.
8. Heel and toe walks
This heel and toe walk exercise strengthens the muscles that support your ankle and foot, as well as improves your balance. When you first try this exercise, ensure you have a ledge or wall to hold onto for support, or someone nearby for assistance.
Step 1: Start by doing a heel walk, in which you lift your toes off the ground. If you can, walk on your heels with your toes lifted for 10 steps.
Step 2: Next, do a toe walk. Lift your heels off the ground and walk on your toes for 10 steps.
Step 3: Alternate between heel and toe walks for 3-5 sets.
9. Lumbar extension
If you have foot drop from a lumbar spinal disorder –– such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis –– back exercises may help. This lumbar extension exercise aims to improve foot drop symptoms by relieving pressure on the nerves in your spinal canal.
Some people might have a temporary increase in back pain or leg tingling when they do this move. This should subside within a couple of minutes. If it takes longer for the pain to go away, stop doing this exercise.
Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Place your hands on your hips.
Step 3: Slowly bend backward within a comfortable range of motion.
Step 4: Hold for 30-60 seconds.
Step 5: Repeat 2-5 times.
What are other treatment options for foot drop?
The best treatment depends on what’s causing your foot drop. Treating the underlying cause can sometimes resolve foot drop completely. In some cases, foot drop may be permanent.
In addition to exercise, other treatment options for foot drop include:
Electrical stimulation: Severe muscle weakness, such as from a stroke, may require functional electrical stimulation. This research-backed treatment stimulates muscle movement and helps promote easier walking.
Leg braces, shoe inserts, or ankle-foot orthosis: These devices provide support to improve your balance, stability, and mobility.
Physical therapy: A physical therapist can develop an exercise program specific to your condition. They can provide walking aids, such as a walker or cane, evaluate you for bracing and/or the use of electrical stimulation if needed.
Botox injections: For those with a foot drop due to spasticity, botox injections in the calf muscle may help promote better mobility.
Surgery: In some cases, surgery is needed to correct foot drop. This can include surgical decompression of the nerve or tendon-transfer surgery.
What are signs that your foot drop is healing?
The most noticeable sign that foot drop is healing is an improvement in walking. Signs that indicate your foot drop is healing include:
Your toes don’t drag when you walk.
You don’t have to flex your knee as much to step forward.
You have better balance and experience fewer falls.
Any tingling or numbness should start to go away.
You experience muscle twitches as the nerves reactivate.
How fully a person recovers depends on the cause of the foot drop and the extent of any nerve damage. Some people will recover completely, while others will have permanent foot drop.
Early diagnosis and treatment allow for the best outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Exercise plays an important role in recovering from foot drop. Research suggests that foot drop exercises may help:
Prevent muscle atrophy
Maintain range of motion in the ankle
Improve nerve function
Restore your usual gait
It depends on what’s causing your foot drop. If you have a mild injury to the nerve, foot drop often resolves on its own within 3 months. More severe traumatic injuries may need surgery to recover from foot drop. Chronic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, or more serious conditions, like a stroke, may result in a permanent foot drop. Permanent nerve damage that causes foot drop cannot be cured naturally.
Having foot drop affects your balance and your gait, which puts you at risk of falling. You should use caution when using the stairs, as well as walking on uneven surfaces. Make sure your rooms and stairways are well lit. To keep yourself safe, avoid the following with foot drop:
Throw rugs and clutter on the floor
Running or other high-speed activities, especially involving treadmills
High heels and shoes with platforms
The bottom line
Foot drop often affects people who have nerve damage or a neurological disorder. Foot drop is a result of muscle weakness that makes it hard to lift the foot. This leads to changes in walking, as they try to avoid dragging their toes while walking.
Treatment and recovery depend on the cause of foot drop. So it's essential to talk with a healthcare professional if you have symptoms of foot drop, because addressing it early is key. Your treatment plan may include foot drop exercises to strengthen specific muscles, and stretches to maintain mobility and range of motion. Other treatments, such as ankle-foot orthosis and electrical stimulation, can also help.
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References
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