Patient Information Resources


Long Island Spine Specialists, P.C.
763 Larkfield Road
2nd Floor
Commack, NY 11725
Ph: (631) 462-2225
Fax: (631) 462-2240






Child Orthopedics
General
Pain Management
Spine - Cervical
Spine - General
Spine - Lumbar
Spine - Thoracic

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Our PopPop is 72-years old and started to limp last week. Before we knew it, he wasn't able to lift his foot anymore. Now he walks with a distinctive slap of the foot. Is it possible he had a stroke? He won't let us take him to the doctor, so we don't know what's going on for sure.

It sounds like your family member has what's called a foot drop. Weakness of the muscles that lift the big toe (extensor hallucis longus) and pull the ankle up toward the face (tibialis anterior) create the foot slap you are seeing and hearing. There are several things that can cause this to happen. A stroke is certainly possible, but usually there are other signs and symptoms such as difficulty holding things with the hand on the same side. There could be vision changes or difficulty speaking, chewing, or swallowing. Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, and degenerative spine conditions can also bring about foot drop. If foot drop is the only symptom, at age 72, it could be spinal stenosis. That's a narrowing of the spinal canal where the spinal cord travels from the brain down to the base of the spine. The spinal cord ends around L2 in most adults. Below that is a series of spinal nerve roots called the cauda equina. Cauda equina is Latin for mare's tail (because of how it looks). Pressure on the spinal nerve roots in the lumbar area from stenosis at this age can cause foot drop as the only apparent symptom. As you suspected, it really will require a medical evaluation to get to the bottom of the problem. And because early detection and treatment of many causes of footdrop can make a difference in outcome and prognosis, it would be good to convince your PopPop of the need to see a doctor.

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