What Are the Treatments for Drop Foot at Night?

Drop foot, or foot drop, is diagnosed from a variety of causes, including foot injury, diseases such as diabetes, muscular or brain disorders, or pharmaceutical side effects. Drop foot causes the foot to weaken, become limp and fall away from the body. Therefore, the front of the foot doesn't lift, and the foot drags. To cure this condition, daytime and nighttime treatments are available.

Treatment

• Depending on the cause of your drop foot, treatment usually includes a combination of orthotics and exercise. If this treatment fails, surgery is needed.

Nightime Devices

• Nighttime devices keep the foot in place while you sleep, helping to decrease pain. While nighttime devices keep the ankle in a natural position, they also lengthen and stretch the tendons, allowing the soft tissues to heel.

Materials

• Night braces come in all different materials, usually lighter and more comfortable than daytime braces. These include molded plastics, elastic materials and soft foam pieces.

Warning

• Night braces may cause skin problems, especially if your foot sweats or the material rubs against the skin. Soft pieces, such as foam, tend to cause fewer

Advice

• Because the causes of drop foot are so various, be sure to check with your doctor to see what the best treatment is for you. Numerous websites have nighttime braces available, if that is what the doctor prescribes.