The treatment
How to treat foot lifter paresis depends in most cases on the underlying cause. This must be treated to prevent further nerve damage. However, a consistent exercise program as part of physiotherapy is recommended for all patients.
In addition, there are aids such as a splint that support the patient in coping with everyday life. There are various options for the therapy of foot lifter paresis, depending on the cause. If the nerve has been damaged by pressure on the head of the fibula, a wait-and-see approach is often advisable.
In most cases, the paralysis recedes spontaneously. If there is no improvement after 6 weeks, surgery is necessary. The situation is similar with herniated discs.
However, in the case of a pronounced weakness of dorsiflexion of the foot, surgical intervention would be planned soon. An exercise program as part of physiotherapy is essential for all patients with paresis. However, the exercises should be performed continuously to achieve progress.
In this way, the prognosis can also be significantly improved. There are many different exercises available. For example, the foot muscles can only be activated by walking barefoot.
Massages with a hedgehog ball can also improve the blood circulation in the foot. Other exercises, however, aim to strengthen the foot muscles. A Thera-Band, for example, is suitable as an aid.
This band is tensed around the foot while sitting and the tip of the foot is slowly moved back and forth against the resistance of the Thera band. But you can also train the foot muscles without any aids. You sit down on a chair, press your heels firmly on the floor and now you try to lift both tips of your feet off the floor at the same time.
If the weakness of the foot lifter is caused by a slipped disc, the back muscles should be trained additionally. There are also various exercises that you can do at home alone, following the instructions. Meanwhile there are also numerous aids that support patients with foot lifter paresis to actively participate in everyday life.
A splint or foot lifting orthosis is indicated above all in the case of a slight reduction in the strength of the foot muscles. Often the affected patients also suffer from gait insecurity. The splint provides more stability and leads to a significant improvement in the gait pattern. The splints are available in a wide variety of designs, from taut to flexible material. They are individually adapted to the patient’s foot.
