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Home>Orthotics and Orthotic Products in Ireland>Orthotics and Neurology

Orthotics and Neurology

Neurology is a medical speciality dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Such conditions include, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy (CP), brain injury etc. Orthotic intervention is commonly seen in the form of ankle foot orthotics, footwear and insoles.
 

In neurological conditions orthotic intervention is seen most commonly in the form of Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO). An AFO is used to treat foot deformities, foot drop, ankle instability, reduced walking ability or all of the above.


In some neurological condition the nerve pathway is interrupted and it can result in abnormal walking pattern, one such symptom is known as foot drop. 



Foot Drop


Foot drop describes the inability to rise the front part of the foot due to weakness or paralysis of the muscle that lifts the foot. This can make walking much more difficult as the toes can drag on the ground which can often cause someone to trip or fall. 


Some patients adapt the way they walk to accommodate this by using hip muscles to exaggerate lifting the foot above the ground or swinging their leg outward so the foot can clear the ground.  

 

In foot drop there is generally a weakness in the dorsiflexor muscle group, ‘dorsiflexion’ is the action that brings the foot up. The opposite, ‘plantarflexion’, is the action of pointing the toes or bringing your foot down.  

 

An ankle foot orthosis is commonly used to reduce/stop the dorsiflexion associated with foot drop. There are various types of AFO’s from prefabricated to made-to-measure devices made specifically for a patient.
 

An AFO can prevent excess dorsiflexion while providing ankle stability. This improves the ground reaction force of the foot making contact with the floor and improves gait (walking pattern). Using an AFO has the knock on effect of reducing energy expenditure which can often lead to patients having a more active life.