How Does Foot Drop Palsy Affect A Newborn?
Foot drop palsy is a symptom of peroneal and sciatic nerve injury. It shows up in some babies as a weakness in their ankles and an inability to flex their foot or ankle, according to MedlinePlus.
Your newborn’s sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in their body. The nerve is responsible for most of the functions in the lower half of your baby’s body and has two major components–the tibial nerve and the peroneal nerve.
Your newborn’s peroneal nerve is usually more severely affected because of its positioning and the amount of supporting connective tissue surrounding it. Newborns and children can be susceptible to nerve injuries because of their lack of muscular and fatty tissue. That makes them more prone to birth injuries that cause nerve compression and trauma.
The Effects of Foot Drop Palsy as a Newborn Grows and Develops
As a newborn, your child might have a foot that appears droopy, or he might favor his healthy foot over his afflicted ones. In some newborns, both feet might be affected by foot drop palsy.
In many cases, the prognosis for an infant with foot drop palsy is good. Many babies will experience a full recovery with the right blend of medical treatments and interventions. Successfully treating the initial cause of foot drop palsy may help to completely relieve the dysfunction. Improvements can take several months to become noticeable. If foot drop palsy in your infant is caused by severe stretching of, or damage to, their nerves, they may never fully recover and will be left with a permanent disability.
Other Effects From Foot Drop Palsy
Of all the ways foot drop palsy affects a newborn, your child’s comfort is likely to be high on your list of priorities. After any birth injury, your son or daughter may experience some pain or discomfort. In less severe cases of birth injuries and foot drop palsy, your child’s discomfort or pain can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication. Some children might be given prescription pain medication to control their levels of pain and to maintain their physical comfort.
Some cases of nerve damage due to a birth injury might respond well to physical therapy. Physical therapy can help soothe aches and pains and help maintain your child’s muscle strength. Your child’s comfort is important to you and his medical team. If you notice signs that lead you to believe your child is in pain, alert a member of his medical team immediately and request a pain assessment.
Treatments for Foot Drop Palsy
As your new baby grows and develops, doctors may make specific recommendations to help them walk with a steady gait. According to Mayo Clinic, your child’s pediatrician or physical therapist might suggest one or more of the following assistive applications or devices for your son or daughter:
- Casts
- Splints
- Braces
- Shoe inserts
- Orthotic devices
- Physical therapy
- Stretching exercises
- Occupational therapy
- Range of motion exercises
Your doctor may have other suggestions for medical treatments that will offer greater improvements for your child. Speak to your pediatrician about the full scope of available services to help ensure an optimal prognosis for your child’s future.
Surgical Options for Foot Drop Palsy
As your child grows and develops, his medical team might suggest one of several surgeries to help treat foot drop palsy, its symptoms, or its underlying cause. Those surgical procedures might include:
- Relieving the pressure on their nerves
- Fusing your child’s foot bones and ankle bones
- Moving good, working tendons and attaching them to the afflicted limb
If your child’s medical team believes a surgical correction is their best treatment option for a favorable prognosis, they will review each type of surgery with you. They will also explain each procedure and its accompanying risks in detail.
AN ATTORNEY CAN HELP YOU FILE A SUCCESSFUL BIRTH INJURY CLAIM
An unexpected diagnosis can leave you frustrated. Discovering the varied ways foot drop palsy affects your newborn can leave you with a slew of unanswered questions about your child’s current condition and their future. Trying to understand your legal options can leave you overwhelmed and unsure.
Do not let frustration or medical and legal jargon overwhelm you. You and your infant deserve to have an advocate on your side. Reach out to the legal team at the Birth Injury Lawyers Group. Call (800) 278-9191 to speak to a birth injury attorney near you today.
Are The Effects Of Foot Drop Palsy Temporary Or Permanent?
The effects of foot drop palsy can be temporary or permanent depending on the cause of the disorder. If your child’s foot drop palsy was caused by a birth injury that resulted in damage to his nerves, treating the underlying cause of the injury could offer improvement. In many cases, successful treatments can lead to short-term dysfunction that improves over the course of months or years.
In other cases, where nerve damage is more severe, or your foot drop palsy is due to a spinal cord or brain disorder, foot drop palsy might become a permanent disorder. The nerve pain from permanent foot drop palsy can be very uncomfortable but will not shorten the expected lifespan.
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS OF FOOT DROP PALSY
If your child struggles to fully recover from foot drop palsy, some problems that might develop could include a decreased ability to walk and the possibility of a permanent decrease in their ability to feel sensations in the legs and feet. This lack of sensation might be coupled with weakness or paralysis in their legs and feet. Finally, if your child is prescribed medications to treat pain and discomfort, they might experience medication-related side effects.
HOW YOUR BABY’S FOOT DROP PALSY WILL BE TREATED
In many cases, foot drop palsy is treatable. Treatments will vary with some taking longer than others to produce favorable results. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the treatment your child will receive will depend on the scope of the nerve damage they are experiencing. Treatment options may include one or several of the following:
- Exercises to strengthen lower leg muscles and assistive devices like splints, braces, and supportive shoe inserts.
- Orthopedic shoes or other medical orthotic devices your child will wear on his ankle and lower leg to keep them straight.
- Electrical nerve stimulation using electrodes placed on your child’s lower leg to send electrical impulses to the nerves.
- Surgery to transfer a tendon from your child’s healthy leg to their afflicted leg.
Foot drop palsy—temporary or permanent—can be a serious condition. In some cases, treatment might include corticosteroid injections that help reduce swelling and pressure on your child’s injured nerve. When foot drop palsy is a permanent disorder, your child might undergo surgery to fuse their foot and ankle joint.
Treating the Symptoms of Foot Drop Palsy
The amount of pain associated with foot drop palsy will vary from child to child. Treatments might also depend on whether foot drop palsy is temporary or permanent. Treating its symptoms can help treat the disorder overall or each individual symptom as it occurs. For example, some children might receive over the counter or prescription medications to control and alleviate pain. In severe cases, a specialist might explore additional pain relief options to ensure your child’s comfort.
POTENTIAL CAUSES OF FOOT DROP PALSY
Causes of foot drop palsy include an injury to your baby’s nerves. This injury is commonly caused by compression of the nerve. Disorders that affect your baby’s brain or spinal cord can also lead to foot drop palsy.
When your baby’s peroneal nerve is damaged, it can disrupt the myelin sheath that covers and protects that branch of your baby’s nerve cells. When the axon is also injured, it can cause more serious and severe symptoms in your child.
SCHEDULE A CASE EVALUATION WITH A FOOT DROP PALSY LAWYER
When your son or daughter is diagnosed with foot drop palsy, you can be left with a ton of frustrations and unanswered questions. Will my baby recover? Will they ever walk normally? Will they be able to run and play with other children their age? Is foot drop palsy temporary or permanent?
An attorney can help you find the answers you need and deserve. Your attorney can also help you identify the at-fault party and hold them responsible for the role they played in your child’s birth injury. Because foot drop palsy can be temporary or permanent, a birth injury lawyer can help you obtain a settlement for short-term treatment or lifetime medical care. Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 278-9191 for a free consultation.
What Are The Effects Of Foot Drop Palsy On The Body?
The effects of foot drop palsy on the body will vary greatly from one child to the next. In many cases, the severity of the dysfunction and its contributing causes will play a significant role in the long and short-term effects it has on your child’s body.
As the name indicates, foot drop palsy will affect your child’s legs, feet, and ankles. That means it will affect the way your child moves their body, particularly when they walk. Some symptoms you might notice in your child during infancy and as he grows to include the following:
- Your child may exhibit poor reflexes—particularly the Moro reflex, where a newborn is startled and does not display the expected reaction of flinging their arms open and drawing their legs up.
- One of the most obvious effects of foot drop palsy on the body is that a child will not be able to raise the top of one or both of his feet. Foot drop palsy can be a temporary condition or a permanent disorder.
- The effects of foot drop palsy on the body might cause your baby to develop an odd gait once he does begin to walk. Foot drop palsy might cause your child to drag their foot when they walk, which can lead to numbness in their foot or toes.
- If a birth injury caused foot drop due to nerve damage, your son or daughter might have numbness or feel a tingling sensation on the top of their foot or in their leg, ankle, or shin.
- Your child might also develop a condition called steppage gait. You will know your child is walking with a steppage gait because it is a distinct way of moving. Your child will lift his leg higher than normal to keep his toes from dragging on the floor or tripping himself.
- Your child might experience a loss of muscle mass because their nerves lack the ability to stimulate their muscles.
Living with the effects of foot drop palsy on the body might also mean living with certain pain and discomfort. Your child’s pain will be carefully managed with over-the-counter pain medicines. Prescription pain relievers will be prescribed as needed for severe pain.
The Effects of Foot Drop Palsy on a Newborn
When your child’s doctor reaches a diagnosis of foot drop palsy, he will consult with other physicians and specialists who will help your child recover from a temporary case of foot drop palsy. If your child’s diagnosis leads to a prognosis of permanent foot drop palsy, specialists will help your child discover ways to live with this dysfunction and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
One of the therapeutic services your baby’s doctor might offer is physical therapy. A physical therapist will help your child by introducing them to exercises that will help your baby gain, regain, or maintain muscle strength.
Your doctor might suggest orthopedic devices that will increase your child’s ability to walk and might help prevent additional damage. Orthopedic devices might include braces, splints, custom shoe inserts, specialized shoes, and other pieces of assistive medical equipment.
The Treatment Options for a Child With Foot Drop Palsy
In addition to noninvasive therapeutic services like physical and occupational therapy and assistive devices, there are additional services that might help foot drop palsy improve or even completely heal. Other treatment options will address the underlying cause of your baby’s injury. Once the original birth injury is treated, the foot drop palsy might disappear on its own.
Sometimes nerve stimulation can help your son or daughter gain the ability to lift their foot. Several surgeries might also provide relief for your child. In one surgical procedure, doctors will attempt to repair your baby’s damaged nerve. In another surgery, doctors might transfer a tendon from one of your child’s healthy limbs to the affected limb in an effort to restore and improve normal function.
If the underlying cause cannot be treated, your baby’s case of foot drop palsy might be a permanent disability. If your child’s case of foot drop palsy is permanent, doctors may perform a type of surgery that fuses their foot and ankle bones.
GET BIRTH INJURY LAWSUIT ASSISTANCE TODAY
The effects of foot drop palsy on the body are high on the list of concerns you have for your son or daughter following a confirmed diagnosis. Your doctor will help you understand the best course of treatment for your child.
When you learn that a birth injury can cause foot drop palsy, it can leave you frustrated and angry. A lawyer near you can explain your legal choices and help you determine the steps you can take toward financial recovery. Contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 278-9191 to speak with an attorney about potential financial compensation for your child’s medical condition.
Can Foot Drop Palsy Be Prevented?
In some cases, foot drop palsy can be prevented by members of your child’s health care team. Foot drop palsy, also known as foot drop or drop foot, in newborns can result from a birth injury that caused nerve damage.
CAUSE OF FOOT DROP PALSY
Birth injuries are often the result of physical pressure exerted during labor and delivery most often occurring as your baby passes through your birth canal. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, foot drop palsy can result from nerve damage. Birth injuries sustained during a particularly difficult vaginal delivery might have been prevented with an episiotomy or C-section, especially when your baby is larger than average.
Foot drop palsy can also result from a nerve disorder or a brain/spinal cord disorder. A brain and spinal cord disorder that can cause foot drop includes stroke.
HOW AN EPISIOTOMY CAN PREVENT A BIRTH INJURY
Your physician might recommend an episiotomy. Mayo Clinic defines an episiotomy as an incision made in the tissue between your vaginal opening and anus during delivery if your baby needs to be delivered quickly due to a complication such as a lack of oxygen.
The birth injuries that contribute to foot drop palsy might be prevented with an episiotomy.
HOW A C-SECTION CAN PREVENT A BIRTH INJURY
A C-section is a safer method of delivery for you and your baby than a vaginal delivery if:
- Your labor fails to progress
- Your unborn child is in distress
- Your baby’s heart rate changes
- Your baby is in an abnormal position
- You have a prolapsed umbilical cord
A C-section might be planned prior to delivery or the necessity of a C-section might not become obvious until labor is already underway.
CALL A BIRTH INJURY LAWYER TODAY
If your child’s foot drop palsy could have been prevented, you may be frustrated and confused. This is especially true if you end up footing the bill for your child’s treatment. However, you may find you are entitled to compensation if a member of your healthcare team failed to prevent your baby’s birth injury. When you are ready to get answers to your questions, and medical and financial resolutions for your baby, you want to enlist the help of a birth injury attorney.
If your child has foot drop palsy, they may be facing complications for the rest of their lives. They may need future medical care that can be costly. They deserve the best medical care available—and you deserve to be able to provide it for them. Contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 278-9191 today. We will do everything in our power to get you the compensation you and your baby need for their foot drop palsy.
Birth injury lawyers typically work on a contingency basis which means you pay nothing out of pocket for legal help. Get started today.
How Is Foot Drop Palsy Detected In Newborns?
As with every newborn, when your son or daughter was born, they were given a series of assessment exams to gauge their overall health and wellbeing. A doctor or nurse will usually give your newborn a thorough physical assessment and evaluation. The signs and symptoms of foot drop palsy might be detectable during the assessment of your newborn’s nervous system.
During the nervous system assessment, your child’s doctor or another caregiver will assess their alertness level and muscle tone along with their ability to freely move their arms and legs equally. Any signs of unequal movement could indicate potential damage to nerves. Your new baby will also be tested for three important types of reflexes. It is usually through these tests that foot drop palsy is detected in newborns.
THREE TYPES OF REFLEXES DOCTORS WILL TEST YOUR NEWBORN FOR
Reflexes are an everyday part of life, so your newborn’s medical team will take time to ensure your baby’s reflexes function as expected. If they find any abnormal reflex activity, they will do further assessments and create a therapeutic treatment plan. Doctors will use various maneuvers and techniques to test the following three types of reflexes in your son or daughter.
- Moro Reflex: According to Stanford Children’s Health, our newborn’s Moro reflex is activated when they are startled. The expected response when your baby is startled is for them to cry and fling their arms wide open with fingers extended. Your baby should also draw their legs up to their body.
- Rooting Reflex: Your newborn’s rooting reflex is activated when either side of their mouth or lip is stroked. The expected reaction is for your son or daughter to turn their head toward the side that was stroked and open their mouths. The rooting reflex is how your baby finds a nipple.
- Sucking Reflex: Your newborn’s sucking reflex is activated when something is placed in their mouths. That can include a breast, bottle, or pacifier. When the object is placed in the baby’s mouth, the expected reaction is for your baby to begin sucking immediately.
These tests of your baby’s reflexes and their responses provide their health care team with valuable information.
HOW YOUR DOCTOR WILL REACH A FINAL CONCLUSION
If the results of your baby’s newborn assessment lead their health care team to suspect foot drop palsy, they will perform additional exams and tests to reach a conclusive diagnosis. The tests your baby’s health care provider will perform might include an EMG, MRI, X-rays, and nerve ultrasound.
- An EMG, or electromyography test, will assess the electrical activities in your baby’s muscles
- Nerve conduction tests will help doctor see how swiftly electrical signals move through your baby’s nerves and how their nerves react
- An MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging test, will produce detailed images of your child’s organs and tissues using a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves
- X-rays use electromagnetic waves to create pictures of the inside of your baby’s body
- A nerve ultrasound is a pain-free way for doctors to see real-time pictures of your baby’s nerves using superior spatial resolution
Additional nerve conduction tests will examine how well your baby’s nerves function and respond to stimulation. Your baby’s medical team might also order specialized tests depending on the suspected cause of your baby’s nerve dysfunction. All the tests your newborn will undergo will be explained to you in great detail by their health care team.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH A BIRTH INJURY LAWYER NEAR ME
When your son or daughter is diagnosed with foot drop palsy, you likely have a thousand questions. A birth injury lawyer knows how foot drop palsy is detected in newborns and can help you find the answers you need and deserve.
When you are ready to assign liability and hold the right person responsible for your child’s foot drop palsy, a birth injury lawyer is your best advocate. Speak to the Birth Injury Lawyers Group by calling (800) 278-9191 today.
How Long Is The Recovery Process Following A Foot Drop Palsy Diagnosis?
When the birth of your child is marred by a diagnosis of foot drop palsy, you can be left with dozens of questions. Parents will primarily wonder “how long is the recovery process following a foot drop palsy diagnosis?”
The answer to the length of the recovery process will depend on a number of factors. The severity of your child’s birth injury will play a direct role in the scope of their injury. During the recovery process, it may take several months for the damaged nerve to improve.
According to Cleveland Clinic, any children will experience a full and speedy recovery from foot drop palsy with the treatment of the underlying birth injury or with corrective surgery. Other children with more severe forms of foot drop palsy will never fully recover from the condition. For these children, their symptoms will be managed and controlled to provide them with as much relief from pain and discomfort as possible.
HOW DOCTORS WILL TREAT THE SYMPTOMS YOUR CHILD IS EXPERIENCING
Your child’s medical team will work hard to control and manage the symptoms of foot drop palsy your child is experiencing. The goal of symptom management is to keep your child as comfortable as possible while they recover from the toll that the individual symptoms of foot drop palsy will have on their body.
According to Mayo Clinic, our son or daughter might be given over-the-counter medication to treat pain. If their injury is more severe or if their pain increases, their medical team might provide prescription medication as needed for pain control.
Orthopedic devices like braces, splints, orthopedic shoes, or orthopedic shoe inserts might also be given. These devices might be able to improve the way your child walks. Your child’s doctor might also recommend physical therapy to help your child maintain muscle strength.
Your child’s health care team might suggest nerve stimulation where electrodes will be placed on your child’s lower leg and connected to a small pack that will send impulses to the electrodes on your child’s leg and causes the nerves in that leg to shorten. The goal is to make it easier for your child to lift his leg. In severe cases, these electrodes might be implanted via surgery.
WHETHER YOUR CHILD NEEDS SURGERY TO TREAT FOOT DROP PALSY
Each case of foot drop palsy will be evaluated and treated on its own. Treatment will vary according to the results of your child’s evaluation and the severity of their dysfunction. Treatment for foot drop palsy depends on what caused the condition in the first place.
Many children will not require surgery to treat their dysfunction. In some cases, surgery might be recommended for your son or daughter. During one type of surgery, a tendon will be transferred from your child’s unaffected leg to the muscle in his affected leg to help that leg pull his foot up.
If your child’s doctors believe his case of foot drop palsy is permanent, he might recommend a different surgery that will fuse your child’s foot and ankle joint. Your child’s health care team might suggest surgery to repair nerve damage or surgery to implant electrodes that send impulses to your child’s leg. This causes the nerves in that leg to shorten which can make it significantly easier for your child to lift his leg.
HOW PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN HELP WITH YOUR CHILD’S FOOT DROP PALSY
Physical therapy is a specific type of rehabilitation that is comprised of exercising and manipulating your baby’s body. While it is hard work, it can also be a soothing method of healing that will help improve your child’s joint and muscle function. The physical therapy techniques your child’s caregiver might use include exercises geared toward improvement in one or more of these areas:
- Walking
- Balance
- Coordination
- Range of motion
- Muscle conditioning
- Muscle strengthening
Your child’s physical therapist will carefully evaluate his current range of motion with a specialized instrument called a goniometer. He will determine the cause of your child’s limited range of motion and the most promising course of treatment.
REACHING A BIRTH INJURY LAWYER NEAR YOU
How did my infant’s birth result in foot drop palsy? How long is the recovery process following a foot drop palsy diagnosis? Will foot drop palsy confine my child to a wheelchair? Will my son or daughter ever run and play with their peers? When your baby is diagnosed with foot drop palsy, these and other questions are uppermost in your mind.
A physician can help you understand your child’s prognosis. An attorney in your area can help you find the answers you need and the financial compensation you deserve. Speak to a lawyer at the Birth Injury Lawyers Group by calling (800) 278-9191. An attorney will review the merits of your case and discuss the potential outcomes.
What Treatment Options Are Available For Foot Drop Palsy?
Many reliable treatment options are available for foot drop palsy. The treatment options your child might be offered after their diagnosis of foot drop palsy will depend on what caused their condition and on the severity of their injury. Possible treatment options might include one or more of the following:
Many reliable treatment options are available for foot drop palsy. The treatment options your child might be offered after their diagnosis of foot drop palsy will depend on what caused their condition and on the severity of their injury. Possible treatment options might include one or more of the following:
- A physical or occupational therapist will guide your child through exercises that are specifically designed to strengthen, support, and reinforce your infant’s lower leg muscles. Your child’s doctor might also recommend braces or splints.
- At some point, your son or daughter might be fitted for custom orthotic devices. An orthotic device is lightweight and will be worn on your child’s ankle or on their lower leg. Its purpose is to keep your child’s ankle or leg straight. If necessary, your child’s doctor might also offer them therapeutic orthotic shoe inserts.
- Another treatment option for foot drop palsy is electric nerve stimulation. This treatment involves attaching electrodes to your child’s lower leg connected to a small pack that sends impulses to the electrodes. These impulses will cause the nerves in your child’s lower leg to shorten, which will help your child lift their leg. In some cases, the electrodes might be surgically implanted in your child’s leg.
- In severe cases of foot drop palsy, a surgeon will transfer a tendon from one of your child’s legs to the other leg in an effort to help the muscles in the affected leg to pull the foot up.
In extreme cases and in cases where foot drop palsy is believed to be a permanent condition, your doctor may recommend a specialized surgery for your child. During this procedure, your child’s foot and ankle joint will be fused together.
HOW A PHYSICAL THERAPIST CAN HELP YOUR CHILD WITH FOOT DROP PALSY
Physical therapists are specially educated and trained to treat injuries. A physical therapist will test your child’s muscle strength and the amount of flexibility in their joints. The physical therapist assigned to your child’s health care team might work with them in a hospital setting, in your home, or both. The treatments they offer your child with foot drop palsy will include exercises that help increase strength, range of motion, and function.
HOW FOOT DROP PALSY IS DIAGNOSED
As you start learning what treatment options are available for foot drop palsy, you will also want to know how your child’s doctor reached their diagnosis in the first place.
Potential diagnosis routes include:
- Imaging tests like standard X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans, to identify injuries to your child’s nerves, legs, spinal cord, or brain
- Tests that are designed to examine the functionality of your child’s nerves
- An electromyography test to measure the electrical activity in your child’s legs and to define how well your child’s muscles send signals and feel sensations
Diagnosis Using X-Rays
X-ray exams involve a type of radiation called electromagnetic waves that create pictures of the inside of your child’s body. The amount of radiation your child will receive during an X-ray is negligible. The pictures produced by an X-ray will show parts of your child’s body in varying shades of black and white.
Diagnosis Using MRIs
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) exam will create detailed images of your child’s organs and tissues. It uses a magnetic field combined with computer-generated radio waves to create specialized, cross-sectioned images that are viewable from varying angles.
Diagnosis Using CT Scans
Mayo Clinic reports that a CT scan is a combination of a series of X-ray images that are taken from different angles around your child’s body. It uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images of your baby’s bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues that are significantly more detailed than standard X-rays.
HOW A PHYSICAL THERAPIST CAN HELP YOUR CHILD WITH FOOT DROP PALSY
Physical therapists are specially educated and trained to treat injuries. A physical therapist will test your child’s muscle strength and the amount of flexibility in their joints. The physical therapist assigned to your child’s health care team might work with them in a hospital setting, in your home, or both. The treatments they offer your child with foot drop palsy will include exercises that help increase strength, range of motion, and function.
CONTACT A BIRTH INJURY ATTORNEY NEAR ME
The discovery of a birth injury in your child can leave you devastated and bewildered. Fortunately, treatment options are available for foot drop palsy that may be beneficial for your child. Worrying about the affordability of these treatments should be the last thing on your mind.
While you focus on getting your son or daughter the care and attention they need, your attorney will fight for your legal rights and for the financial compensation you and your child are entitled to. Contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 278-9191 for help today.
- A physical or occupational therapist will guide your child through exercises that are specifically designed to strengthen, support, and reinforce your infant’s lower leg muscles. Your child’s doctor might also recommend braces or splints.
- At some point, your son or daughter might be fitted for custom orthotic devices. An orthotic device is lightweight and will be worn on your child’s ankle or on their lower leg. Its purpose is to keep your child’s ankle or leg straight. If necessary, your child’s doctor might also offer them therapeutic orthotic shoe inserts.
- Another treatment option for foot drop palsy is electric nerve stimulation. This treatment involves attaching electrodes to your child’s lower leg connected to a small pack that sends impulses to the electrodes. These impulses will cause the nerves in your child’s lower leg to shorten, which will help your child lift their leg. In some cases, the electrodes might be surgically implanted in your child’s leg.
- In severe cases of foot drop palsy, a surgeon will transfer a tendon from one of your child’s legs to the other leg in an effort to help the muscles in the affected leg to pull the foot up.
In extreme cases and in cases where foot drop palsy is believed to be a permanent condition, your doctor may recommend a specialized surgery for your child. During this procedure, your child’s foot and ankle joint will be fused together.