Why Does Drop Foot Happen From a Herniated Disc?

Drop foot is a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical problem. One problem that causes drop foot is pressure on a nerve from a herniated disc.

Drop Foot

• Drop foot, also called foot drop, affects the muscles below the knee that are used to lift up the front part of the foot, which often causes the foot to hang at the ankle and causes the front of your foot to drag on the ground when you walk.

Herniated Disc

• When a disc is herniated, the soft material inside the disc protrudes out of a crack in the outer layer of the disc. This protrusion can press on a nerve.

Nerves

• Nerves start in the lower back that run down the legs to the feet. If a herniated disc presses on one of these nerves, it can cause symptoms anywhere the nerve goes, including causing drop foot.

Treatment

• Treating drop foot caused by a herniated disc means treating the herniated disc. Conservative treatments include physical therapy and exercises.

Surgery

• According to the Center for Nerve Injury and Paralysis, treating drop foot with surgery involves opening the space where the nerve leaves the spine by either removing the herniated disc (microdiscectomy), opening up the space (foraminotomy) or a combination of these procedures in complex cases.