Nerve Compression and Foot Drop
If spinal nerve compression is not alleviated quickly enough, it can result in foot drop – either in one foot or in both feet.
If you have been left with foot drop as a result of delayed medical care, you could be the innocent victim of medical negligence. This would make you eligible to pursue a claim for compensation.
For more information on making a compensation claim, please get in touch with us today. We specialise in medical negligence claims and can help you sue the doctor or hospital responsible for your injuries.
Foot drop
Foot drop, or drop foot, is when it becomes difficult to lift the front part of the foot. This causes is to drag along the ground when walking. Foot drop is not a condition in itself, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem. This might include:
- Muscle wasting conditions, such as motor neurone disease or spinal muscular dystrophy
- Nerve compression
- Nerve damage (neuropathy) caused by conditions such as diabetes
- Brain or spinal cord disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and stroke
Therefore foot drop is normally the result of nerve compression, nerve damage or muscle weakness.
Nerve compression
Spinal nerve compression is when part of the spinal cord, or nerves branching off from the spinal cord, become compressed.
Nerve compression can be caused by a number of things, including a herniated disc, inflammation, infection, tumours and abscesses. Some medical conditions can also narrow the space surrounding the nerves, resulting in compression. For example, spinal stenosis and ankylosing spondylitis can both cause nerve compression.
Symptoms of spinal nerve compression
The symptoms of spinal nerve compression will depend upon the site of compression.
If the nerves in the neck are compressed, it can result in neck pain which can travel to the shoulder, arm and hands. This is called cervical radiculopathy and, if left untreated, can cause long-term damage to the nerves. Consequently the patient will be left with a degree of dysfunction in their arm and/or hand.
But if the compression is in the lower back, the symptoms will be quite different. Normally lumbar nerve compression will lead to sciatic pain which runs from the back, through the buttocks and into the leg(s). It can also cause other kinds of dysfunction, including bladder dysfunction, sexual dysfunction and foot drop.
How does nerve compression cause foot drop?
The peroneal nerve in the lower leg enables the foot to flex upwards. If something damages the peroneal nerve, the individual will develop foot drop.
Nerve compression in the lower back can damage the peroneal nerve. This will happen if the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back to the peroneal nerve is involved. If the sciatic nerve is damaged, the peroneal nerve can also suffer harm, taking away the individual's ability to flex their foot.
Quick treatment for spinal nerve compression
If spinal nerve compression is causing symptoms such as foot drop, the problem must be quickly established and treatment given. Ordinarily treatment will involve surgical decompression to alleviate the pressure being placed upon the nerves.
This treatment must be offered without delay, or the nerves will sustain a significant amount of damage. If left for too long, the nerves will be irreparably harmed, and the patient's symptoms will be permanent.
Therefore medical practitioners must recognise that a patient's symptoms – such as foot drop – are being caused by nerve compression. Action must be taken immediately to verify the underlying cause, which may be a slipped disc, a lesion or another medical condition. Surgical decompression must then be arranged as a matter of urgency.
If this action is taken quickly enough, the patient's foot drop and other symptoms may resolve, or at least improve. But if there is a delay, their symptoms will be permanent.
Foot drop compensation
If you have been left with foot drop because medical practitioners did not treat you quickly enough, you need to speak to a lawyer. You could be entitled to pursue a claim as the victim of medical negligence.
Foot drop can totally alter a person's life, as the ability to walk or drive will be severely affected. This is particularly true if the patient is left with double foot drop (i.e. foot drop in both feet). The individual in question may find they require help around the house or with daily living tasks. There will also be a loss of independence and potentially a loss of employment.
Compensation will be awarded to reflect these damages that have been wrongfully sustained. The compensation awarded to people left with double foot drop as a result of medical negligence can be especially high, as their quality of life will be significantly reduced. Furthermore, their ability to work may be compromised. This will lead to a substantial loss of earning claim, incorporating both past and future loss of earnings.
Expert legal advice
To find out if you can make a claim for compensation, you need to talk to a solicitor who deals with medical negligence claims.
At Glynns Solicitors, we are experts in medical negligence law. We have helped many people claim compensation for undiagnosed and untreated spinal nerve compression, which ultimately resulted in long-term problems such as foot drop.
Our skill and expertise will ensure that you receive the best possible legal advice. We will listen to the details of your care and the injuries you have sustained, before saying whether you have grounds to pursue legal action. If so, we will handle the case for you, working hard to make sure you get the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Medical negligence compensation claims must be made within three years of the event, so it is vital to seek legal advice at the earliest available opportunity. If you miss the three year limitation date, you will not be able to make a claim, even if you have clearly been the victim of negligent medical care.
Contact us today
For more information on claiming compensation for foot drop, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
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