This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I'm curious if anyone on here with weak ankles along with foot drop wears some type of walking boots to help support your ankles and keep the feet from dropping as similar to how an AFO would work when out and about. I hate my AFO's and also they don't support the ankles from the sides as they only help for foot drop. I currently wear tennis shoes.

Any experience good and/or bad and brand name and price info etc. would be very appreciative .

Try one of these: http://www.x-strap.com/.

I have one of these on the 3 shoes that I wear. They are not fantastic but they do help support my ankle also. They are cheap compared to any other medical equipment. And if I didn't like it, I would only be out $35-40 US. But, instead I bought 3 of them.

My AFO cost about $900 and sits in the closet.

Here are a few hints from me:

1. Check out this thread where I listed a bunch of foot drop exercises in the exercise forum.
exercise-and-physical-therapy-f21/topic16860.html

2. Also, here's another elastic dorsiflexion aid that has been used and recommended by lots of PwMS - the Foot Flexr, used by runners.

Here are links to pics and an explanation, although it's sold at many other sites. I tried one, but it needs to stay on one shoe, and I change shoes for work every day. I actually made some smaller, less noticeable elastic straps of my own and attached them to each shoe for awhile.

They're perfect for athletic shoes, but I just couldn't figure out how to get them on all my fancy dress shoes. Bought a cane instead. The thick band might even support your ankle.

http://www.speed-fitness.com/footflex.html

http://www.speed-fitness.com/ffsecret.htm


3. As a female who dearly loves shoes, I've made it my mission to seek out and purchase the most footdrop-friendly shoes I can, while also indulging in my passion for shoes that are cute/stylish/interesting/affordable/comfortable. I've found quite a few styles that are a good deterrent to tripping - with toes that curl up slightly, soft enough to give a bit of spring, etc. Many athletic shoes are like that, but not all.

Good luck in finding the perfect solution. Hope more people stop in with hints.

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Dx'd with MS & HNPP (hereditary peripheral neuropathy) 7/03 but must have had MS for 30 yrs before that. I've never taken meds for MS or MS symptoms except 1 yr experiment on LDN. (I found diet, exercise, sleep, humor, music help me the most.)

Bear, sorry to hear about your AFO's costing 900 dollars. I checked out your link and i appreciate it however the strap doesn't loo like it would support my ankles as they've been 100% paralysed since 2000 as i tend to fall over frontwards/backwards etc. very easy.

Euphoniaa

I appreciate the link about the ankle exercises however as i've stated before that my ankles are paralysed as i can't move them at all from my autoimmune demyelinating disease similar to MS called CIDP.

Anyway thank you !!