You have an amazing body. No, really—your physical body has an impressive design that brings together bones, muscles, nerves, organs, and so much more to make you, you. That’s what the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science hopes to show you through “You: The Exhibit.” Hopefully you come out understanding more about your amazing body and how everything is connected. Sometimes these connections allow foot damage, though, like foot drop. However, the right care can help you stay on your feet.

Foot drop is a problem with nerve or muscles issues causing floppy feet. You develop nerve or muscle damage that makes it difficult, or impossible, to lift the front of your foot off the ground. Then when you try to walk, your toes drag along. This can make walking difficult and uncomfortable.

Successfully treating foot drop will depend on the underlying condition, so it does vary according to your needs. A few methods are generally helpful, though. Physical therapy is one of the more important ones. Exercises can help strengthen weak leg muscles and combat the foot’s flopping. You’ll need to stretch as well to help prevent stiffening in the heel area.

Most likely you’ll need to wear a brace or a splint, at least for a time, to help hold your foot in a normal position. This will help prevent your toes from dragging along on the ground when you take a step. Orthotics correct biomechanics and may even help your lower limbs deal with some nerve issues. Depending on nerve damage that caused the flopping foot, a procedure to stimulate the leg nerves may improve the problem. If the condition worsens or doesn’t respond to these more conservative methods, you may need to investigate surgery to correct the issue.

Foot drop can weaken your mobility and cut into your independence by making walking more difficult, but it doesn’t have to completely restrict your activities. Taking care of the problem can help you stay walking—and even prevent the damage from becoming permanent in some cases. Let the Parker Foot & Ankle experts in Houston, TX, treat your feet. Call (281) 497-2850 or use the web request form to reach us.