I may not know you, but as someone who visited this forum and asked for help, you deserve all the support that might be possible. We, the members of this forum love sharing our experiences and knowledge and even if what we say helps one person that is more than enough.
I note Ann, has pointed you in the direction of the type of help you might find - in this case the article by Lorraine. @Mrs5K and @EmeraldEyes along with several others are a mine of information and they are so very generous, patient and understanding as they have walked the walk
Using the magnifying glass in the top right of the window, you can search for other articles by typing in keywords or names and oftentimes many articles will pop us. All you need is the time to read them
Hello sunshine…I had my stroke in December last year and I too have lost the use of my left side and have foot drop. I walk incredibly slowly from room to room with the help of a quad stick. I find I have to concentrate on every step so that I don’t make a wrong move and fall.
I also have no use of my left arm. So really I am no help to you but just to say I think it’s completely normal for us to be very slow now and hopefully in time things will improve. Good luck and lots of love
As @Sunshine55 already said, do contact your GP and ask him to refer you to physiotherapy as you can ask that if you need further physio to help you get walking safely again.
Not knowing your age and current ability, as to what you can and can’t do, I can’t really make any suggestions to you specifically. Plus I’m not a physiotherapist and only an expert in my own recovery But I am more than happy to help you in anyway I can
The most common cause of foot drop is damage to the peroneal nerve, which runs down the leg and controls the muscles that lift the foot. So in our case it’s most likely the nerve damage/disruption to signalling from our stroke.
I haven’t managed to “cure” my foot drop, but it is much more controllable, in that with all the exercising I do and good management of my fatigue. And there is certainly no miracle cure to it…I know this because I’ve already looked
I know there is still a missing link in my leg, but I’ve made good steady improvements over the years that it barely makes the foot drop noticeable. And it’s controlled enough that it’s less likely to trip me unless I’m particularly fatigued, so I watch out for moments.
Dr. Elyse Newland her youtube channel is called Post Stroke. She is pretty good for exercises in stroke recovery. Most other channels, I find, have similar variations. So although I’ve only picked out the drop foot ones, there are many many more on her channel for both upper and lower body.
@Mrs5K already gave you the link to my foot drop recovery post, and below is another post with further recommendations.
You’re nearly 6mths post stroke and I dare say there is still plenty to come back onboard, including any nerve signals to your foot. To improve your walking and put a spring in your step again, you must first unlock the spring in your knees. And the best exercise I found for that were Sit to Stands.
Sit down in an upright chair, then stand up, and sit back down. Keep on doing that until until you’ve done at least 10 repetitions.
(Personally, I prefer to keep going until I feel the muscle burn in my good leg.)
Rest for 1 minute, then do 2 more rounds of 10 reps.
But it all depends on your physical level of ability, so adjust the reps to what you are currently able for, either less or more.
Also do some core stability exercises to stabilise and strengthen your hips/lower back because that’s where your walk motion comes from.
You start doing these now, once or twice a day, and I’m sure there will be a marked improvement 6 months from now. You’ll even notice the difference in a few weeks, that’s what spurred me on to do more and more I’m 63 and 4yrs post stroke now, I walk pretty normally on the whole, can easily do 6 miles, I can even run across the road when I have to I’m better in shoes, the foot doesn’t drop but in bare feet in the evening it does tend to drag a little. I do find the quicker I walk the less likely it is to drop too.
I hope you find some of this useful and ask away any time if you have any other questions, we are all more than happy to share
I to suffer with foot drop and, struggle with the up keep, I have a foot up to help raise my toes and hold ankle in correct position. Thanks for sharing the you tube link and other tips most appreciated
You’re very welcome, I’m more than happy to share my recovery experience to help fellow survivors, if it can.
Just remember, my stroke wasn’t severe and no two strokes are alike. What works for one survivor doesn’t necessarily mean it works for all survivors.
And nothing gets fixed in a matter of weeks, no matter how hard you work at it. Constant repetition is the key. Meaning you do it daily for months, even years. It pays off and you can have days off, at least day a week to allow the body to rest giving muscles time to recover. Just don’t lose heart or give up because, unfortunately, your brain will only work to its own schedule and has its own order of recovery to what you’d ideally wish for. And it can’t be pushed; I know 'cos I’ve tried I swear that’s what the fatigue is for
Hello Janis, it’s very helpful just to chat with others who are dealing with similar challenges, we all have a different combination of symptoms but have in common that it takes a while to see improvements..onwards and upwards offering you loads of luck and love too
Hello Emerald eyes, i would like to thankyou so much for all the links you have given to me. The foot drop ones are brilliant qnd i can mone my foot and can do the exercises without using my other hand to support my foot. I’m not so bad as the poor other people whom you support with beautiful words of support and the links you have given them are fantastic. You are an exceptional lady and i wish i had contacted you earlier, i really do. You have given me the delight of achieving my goals and have also given me renewed strength to continue with my exercises. You have no idea the hope and enthusiasm to continue me rehabilitation. I would also like to thank all the people who answered my text as i was unaware that all of you people even existed before i discovered the online community. I really do have all my hopes and belief in you all and you all have helped me more thaqn you will ever know, and i mean it when i say thankyou to you all. My stroke is debilitating enough for me but when i read your suffering and your frustrations as well as your challenges you have helped me to realise that i am not too bad after all. But that doesn’t take away the devastation all of you people actually do feel then i have nothing to say apart from my total admiration and your ability to continue and strive to be better and you all will get there if YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Thankyou all so much. Xx
Yes, this is quite a euphoric site when you first discover it, it can fill you with hope and joy for your future. When new to stroke you are left so in the dark and feel there is very little hope for any improvement in your disabilities and the medical experts certainly don’t give any hope for that.
That’s why I always rely on the real life experience of those living with such conditions; you are much more likely to hear the reality and achievements people really have made. Certainly with regard to ways to improve both you physically ability and quality of life.
Most of the links I provide, certainly for rehab exercises, I’ve used for myself and accumulated over my 4yrs of recovery. They all been far more beneficial to me than my physio ever was. My trouble back then was I couldn’t communicate what I really needed and where. My speech therapist lasted just one phone call because how can you conduct speech therapy over the phone with someone some who can’t speak So I had to do it all myself because I couldn’t even communicate what I needed to my family.
So I know it can be done and you can do it too but it is a lot of hard work, a healthy dose of stubborn determination and tenacity helps. You’ve got that or you wouldn’t be here in the first place
Thankyou for your very kind words but there was words of caution and i know of the days i have felt so, so alone and i wanted to kill myself because although i live with a friend, that didn’t help me in my state of destitution. I never show my friend how i am really feeling so she is unaware because i smile and just carry on. I can’t tell her because she is 80 years in August and has severe athritis, so i believe her needs are much more important than anything I think or feel. But i am quite positive about my future as i can’t let my friend down. Thankyou for being so realistic about everyone who suffers a stroke. I am aware that people in general tend to have good days and bad but thay always find a light at the end of the tunnel. I am sure that i will suffer more bad than goos days and i am prepared for that to happen. My stroke has left me with right sided damage but as i already said, i am extremely interested in exercises for foot drop which you have very kindly given me and i wish i could meet you but i know that is not right and isn’t allowed. But i am so incredibly grateful to you and i will never ever forget you, thankyou so much.
@Winnie, you would benefit from the Here for you weekly volunteer calls run by the stroke association. I’m not a volunteer on them myself but on here are. And it’s not just to talk on stroke related issues, it can be just be for a good old “chin wag” as the saying goes
Have you checked out any local voluntary groups running in your area such as the Stroke Association or AgeUK? You would benefit from them if you were able to get out occasionally, do you have transport?
I had a stroke two years ago in January and my gp referred me back to the nuro physio team. I am so lucky to receive this care. I go every Friday to a group session. Still struggling with balance but enjoying the physio and definitely helps
Hi, I’m new to this community but feel I have to reply to you. I’m approximately 13 months post stroke and like you have some strength in my right affected side with the exception of tight bands round most joints, ie ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow and shoulder which most of the time I can cope with but what is most frustrating is that I walk so slow and like you fear falling also by 2pm I’m so fatigued, although I do tend to do most of my chores in the morning, sometimes I’m up and about by 6am so I suppose it’s going to be normal to get tired in the afternoon. So yes I’m also slow but as I said I think it is the fear of falling that probably instigates this. I find stairs to be terrifying as I have fallen down them a couple of times, prior to my stroke so as you can imagine I’m even more careful now.
Thanks for sharing and hope this helps.
Thank you for joining us and sharing your experiences with us. This community is a great place to learn about our ailments and how to better manage them with first hand experiences from survivors and carers at various stages of the post-stroke journey.
I hope you find a way to overcome your fear of stairs (or falling) and the fact that you are more careful now will no doubt help.
I have checked out local support groups but they all were too far for me to get to. I am unable to drive due to the stroke so i would need to arrive by public transport and where they are situated is too far for me to walk. A yway, i am unable to go far as i ha e now broken 2 of my lumbar vertebrae and i cannot perform my exercises either, on my doctor’s advice. Thankyou for the advice you gave me and i will see about the suggestion you made and Anne the moderator suggested them as well, so i will contact the people who deal with the weekly phone calls. I really don’t know where or what i would have done without you and everyone else and the advice offered to me. So thankyou so much to everyone who answered y very first text message.
@JKD13 just popping by to say hi & welcome to the community. Hope you find it a good place to be even if it is one none of us ever wanted to join.
The fear of falling could be holding you back with your walking speed. It might be something you need to try & increase very gradually. I think we all need to remember that anyone can fall and try not to worry too much about it happening. Easier said than done I know. I was famous for my falls pre stroke. People still laugh now years on.
Thanks for your welcome and kind words, I think you’re right but fear is a great controller which I need to take back control. My confidence has been knocked so gaining that back would be a start I suppose.
Rebuilding confidence after a stroke takes some time. I remember being terrified the 1st time I was left alone after my stroke. But nothing bad happened so that gave me a little bit more confidence & built on it from there.
HelloJKD13
I’m glad you have posted, this really is a good place to post and get support and hopefully some helpful advice from others…your right side sounds exactly like my left side, like you some days I resign myself to the ‘new me’ but am frustrated at other times….I actually drove for the first time in 7 months this week, the driving wasn’t a problem to me but the being out on my own was, I’m very afraid of falling too. Concentrating so hard is tiring and I still can’t stop”what would happen if” moments either..
I still fall asleep at the drop of a hat if I sit in the afternoon, I don’t mind, I have very bad nights so need to catch up somewhere…
in the top right of the window, you can search for other articles by typing in keywords or names and oftentimes many articles will pop us. All you need is the time to read them 
But I am more than happy to help you in anyway I can 
So I had to do it all myself because I couldn’t even communicate what I needed to my family.