Foot drop, out of the blue 2 weeks ago

Foot care
1

Hello, I'm a 40 year old male, non-smoker, light drinker, relatively active (lots of walking everyday, weightlifting three times a week), and average BMI score (bit higher due to muscle mass).

A month ago I travelled to a new country to begin a several-month long trip.  Two weeks ago I suddenly developed what I understand is foot drop on my left foot.  I initially thought it was a stress fracture from recently carrying heavy bags and moving to an area with hills and uneven sidewalks (I've spent most of my life on flat city streets).  I have trouble lifting my left foot when I walk, and it comes down with a smack.  I can minimize this by walking very, very slowly, but my foot ends up hurting after a while because of the way it's coming down.

A couple of days ago I tried a series of self-diagnostic tests and realized that I could not walk on my left heel.  Further tests showed that dorisflexion was very limited, I can't point my toes towards my nose any closer than 90 degrees.  Compared to my right foot, this is very limited.  (Right foot goes perhaps 45 degrees.)  There is no problem pointing them down (away from nose).

I don't think my foot is sore but it may tingle slightly, and I think it's a bit swollen.  That may be due to the punishing nature of my new gait.

For most of my life I have crossed my legs while sitting, and at my new location I have an office where I was doing the same thing - and perhaps a bit more awkwardly due to the lower seat height.  I've sworn off doing that ever again.

Obviously the best advice is that I go see a doctor, but I'm living in a country where I can barely communicate (although they have a high level of care here - equal or surpassing my home country).  I have emergency travel medical insurance but I'm not sure if this will qualify.

Some Internet posters have said this may clear up on its own after several weeks.  Others have said that treatment options become more limited the longer you put off a proper diagnosis.  And even others have said that most doctors are going to tell you to wait several weeks to see if it goes away before ordering any tests.

What should I do?  This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I have gone from being active and happy to a painful limp and fearful.

2

Coming back to report on this in case someone finds it helpful (or reassuring).

There was a period of about 4 weeks where I couldn't dorsiflex my foot at all - perhaps 1cm from a standing position, if I leaned back with the rest of my body (i.e. cheating).  By comparison, I could dorsiflex my right foot by at least 3 inches.

I read everything I could on foot drop, and I went on Youtube in search of PT treatments.  The most useful one has Peroneal Nerve Flossing in the title.  I followed their exercises nightly for a couple of weeks.  After each session I'd swear I could dorsiflex my foot maybe 2cm instead of 1cm.  Eventually I started taking alternate days off from PT because the verdict seemed to be mixed as to whether a foot drop needs PT or rest.

One day, after a couple of days rest, I found I could suddenly dorsiflex my foot about 1.5 inches.  Nowhere near as high as my unaffected foot, and I couldn't rock back on that heel - and my foot was still painfully slapping when I walked - but it felt like great progress.  i basically stopped doing PT except to try to dorsiflex every now and then.  A few days after that I discovered I could rock back on my affected heel for perhaps a second or two before it collapsed.  Only a few days later, I could rock back on that heel and hold the position for a bit longer.

Now, roughly 7 or 8 weeks after it all started, I can dorsiflex nearly 2.5 inches and I can rock back on that heel nearly as long as I can on the unaffected foot.  (The first time - if I try rocking back on that heel and holding it for a few seconds, after several tries it is "tired" and can't rock back on it anymore, even though I could probably rock back on my unaffected foot's heel all day long.)  My gait when I walk is significantly better - I would say my gait has pretty much returned to normal, and it's only during these self-tests that I noticed any difference between my feet.  I'm hoping that in another few weeks this will all just be memories of a bad start to an otherwise awesome period of traveling.

What caused it?  Although I never saw a doctor, I did speak to a few nurses (in social situations) and they all agreed it was probably from crossing my legs.  If nothing else, this has been a very effective way to make me break that habit.

If you're suffered foot drop as a result of a suspected pinched nerve, then don't give up hope.  I was worried it would never recover but I seem to have bounced back inside of 2 months.  I've read other testimonials from people who have had strokes, difficult births, and massive trauma, and they've seen improvements or total recovery after 6 minths to 2 years.  If you have the option, I strongly recommend seeing a doctor.  They (allegedly) don't do much right away for a pinched nerve, but if you don't see any improvements then they'll be ready to escalate your treatment.

3

Hi Andrew. I hope by now your problem has improved. If not, I will tell you my Aunts problem. Although not necessarily yours. She has had Dementia for years when it suddenly happened to her. The powers that be, say it is related to the brain, and it is not relaying instructions from the brain to the foot. I'm not suggesting dementia, but maybe you need to check it out.