Leg drop glues my foot to the floor
Leg drop glues my leg to the floor
Leg drop glues my foot to the floor. You might think I am joking but I cannot lift my left leg off the ground without help. Its just like foot drop but it affects my thigh instead of my foot and the effect is just the same. Its difficult to imagine the problems until they happen for real.
I wake up every morning
The big problem is that I do not have the muscle power to lift my leg off the ground. It starts with getting out of bed in the morning. I cannot just get out of bed, in fact I cannot even sit up in bed. Instead I shuffle my bottom across the bed until my legs are over the edge. When they flop onto the floor I can sit up and contemplate getting dressed. I can only stand up by holding onto a grab rail, my balance is truly awful. Putting on my clothes is a sitting down activity. If I need to stand and pull up trousers then I rest my forehead against a wall by the bed and use both hands to get dressed. Once I have my functional electrical stimulator (FES) and Musmate on and working then standing up unaided is possible for a few seconds.
A few boring facts
Leg length is about half of the total height of a person. The two legs represent just under 20% of a person’s total weight. Lifting them must be done against gravity, a very tiring activity for me. The FES and Musmate help me lift my left foot about three to four millimetres off the ground. I do not know of anything else that will make my life with leg drop any easier.
Leg drop
I first noticed it in about 2016, but I’m convinced it started earlier. Its only over the last three or four years it has controlled my life. Now walking on carpet is difficult, forget about uneven ground and stairs are impossible.
The message to lift my leg or foot is not reaching the relevant muscles, this is caused by demyelination. Also the feedback of the relative position of my legs and feet is not getting back to my brain, this is known as proprioception. Walking and exercise will always help to reduce the effects of MS but the disease will ultimately win and I will have to use a wheelchair all the time.
There is good news
I can still walk with my walker but it is painfully slow, I guess that is because of the MS. I rely upon both a dual channel FES and a Musmate. Without both of them then walking more than a few metres is impossible. The FES sends an electrical stimulation directly to two muscles. Mine is programmed to stimulate the muscles that lift the front of my foot and the thigh muscles which lift my leg. The Musmate, attached to my waist, is a piece of elastic that physically lifts my foot sufficiently to make walking possible.
Eventually
The day will come when an electric wheelchair will be necessary. I do own a manual one but they are terribly hard work. Meanwhile I will continue to sort of walk and use my Travelscoot mobility scooter. I must also live with my left foot that can be glued to the floor.
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October 2024
I am currently unable to walk more than 2 or 3 steps, would I be able to use the Exoband?
Hello John,
Good to hear from you.
Availability of the Exoband depends upon your local NHS area approving it so it can be supplied by them. It can be obtained privately, costs about £1000. Google it, there is a place in Lancashire that supply it both ways https://dnpe.co.uk/exoband/.
I’m trying to get the consultant who runs the walking/mobility clinic at UCL (University College London) to investigate it but she has gone awfully quiet on me, not optimistic, but the NHS does move incredibly slowly. At the moment I am using a Musmate and a FES( Functional Electrical Stimulator) I think you need to find a good walking clinic for people with mobility issues, try Manchester. I believe you live in that sort of area.
Talk soon
Hi Patrick, me again!
Sorry to hear about your leg, mine are still working remarkably well, it’s my lungs and heart that are problematical.A couple of weeks ago my wife and I took delivery of two DeVilbiss oxygen concentrators, one for upstair and one for downstairs so I can have oxygen 24/7.
I also have a portable one to go out in the car and shopping, when it hangs on the back of the Scoot.
Then a few weeks ago I started to get dizzy spells with a tendency to fall over, not helpful with osteopenia.
My pulse oximeter shows that pulse is jumping from 35 to 100+, so I had to wear a machine for 48 hours to track it.
It will be interesting t see if I’m capable of surviving the fitting of a pacemaker.
But hey, I’m still here and intent to be so for as long as possible!!
David
Hello David,
Gosh, your problems sound scary and make mine seem trivial. I hope things sort themselves out. Hey, positive attitude, that’s what is important.
I’m in a similar position to you Patrick, a bit worse in some ways and a bit better in others. I can no longer walk and am in a powerchair 100%, the powerchair has made a big difference to my life and would recommend it . I’m still reasonably strong in my upper body (due to exercising for 1 – 2 hours three times a week). My waterworks are like most MSrs in that the change from wanting to go for a wee, to extremely urgent is about 3 seconds, I’ve never had an accident though, and again put that down to the exercising for the last 5 years. Like you I have no balance and use the many grab rails around the house to pull myself up and stand. I’m now 78 and would think my EDSS score is probably 7.5!!
Hello John,
As we all know MS is different for everyone. Have you thought of Botox for bladder problems, its a total gamechanger. I got a referral for a power wheelchair very recently. I looked at them but decided against for a large number of reasons. Basically while I can still walk then I will. Yup, I’m stubborn but while I can then I will
Talk soon
Thanks for this, Patrick.
Footdrop is one of the MS bane of my existence as well… It’s the whole randomness of it for me.
I love being able to use my walker “Brian”.
I used to be able to walk far and quickly… not anymore. Thanks MS…
Hello Mal,
Leg drop is very disabling and there is nothing to make it any more bearable. The FES sorts out my leg drop issues, if you can see if you get one fitted
Moveo Exoband could help. On the principle of Musmate (i.e. propulsion via an elasticated strap) it takes it further by mobilising the hip flexors to stimulate/propel the legs. .It won’t just be demyelination in your leg and thigh – it will also certainly be occurring in the hip. Pretty simple to wear, adjustable and it makes the hips work! When I had mine fitted, the physio told me that for some patients it enables them to stand unaided, for others it keeps them from having to use a wheelchair. For some like me, it’s most useful for keeping fatigue at bay – i.e. I can walk for longer periods before the muscles tire. You can see it on YouTube, I have UK contact details if you’re interested. Cost c. £1000, may be getting cheaper – I had it when just in from Italy, where it was developed.
Hello Kay,
Thanks for the info, it looks very interesting and I’m definitely going to investigate this further. The Moveo Exoband looks a much more professional piece of equipment than the Musmate
Talk soon