Foot Care in Stroke Patients

A stroke is caused by a sudden interruption to the blood supply to the brain. When the brain lacks sufficient blood flow for a certain time, brain tissue becomes damaged, leading to neurological deficits such as weakness in the body and limbs, loss of sensation, and difficulty with walking.

There are two main types of strokes:

  1. Ischaemic stroke (85%): Caused by a clot that forms in the blood vessels supplying the brain or an embolus (clot that travels from another site like the heart).
  2. Haemorrhagic stroke (15%): Caused by the rupture of an artery in the brain, usually due to an aneurysm.

Other types include dissection (splitting) of the blood vessel wall and trauma. A TIA (transient ischaemic attack) mimics stroke symptoms but resolves within 24 hours.

How Podiatrists Help with Foot Care in Stroke Patients

As podiatrists, we take a comprehensive approach by considering the medical history to understand the underlying causes of the stroke. We also focus on managing the biomechanical challenges that stroke patients often face. These can include:

  • Muscle atrophy (wasting)
  • Paralysis (loss of nerve control and sensation)
  • Paraesthesia (altered sensation)

These symptoms can lead to secondary conditions, such as foot drop.

Foot Drop and Other Complications

Foot drop is a condition where weakness in the foot and ankle leads to the foot dropping towards the ground. This makes it difficult for the patient to clear the foot when walking, resulting in compensatory gait patterns, such as excessively bending the hip and knee or swinging the leg outward.

Spastic paralysis after a stroke can lead to an abnormal increase in muscle tone, causing stiffness, painful muscle contractions, and difficulty walking. For the feet, this may result in conditions like equinovarus deformity, where the foot twists inward, leading to imbalance and difficulty walking.

Helping Foot Care in Stroke Patients

At Leading Health Podiatry, we provide a multi-disciplinary approach to help stroke patients regain mobility and comfort. Our treatments include:

  • Footwear: For severely affected feet, we provide custom footwear with extra depth, support, and stability. For mild cases, we assist with selecting appropriate off-the-shelf shoes.
  • Custom Foot Orthotics: Using a 3D scan of your foot, we create custom orthotics tailored to your specific needs, providing support and correction where needed.
  • Custom AFOs (Ankle-Foot Orthoses): These slimline braces help manage foot drop and improve walking comfort and confidence.
  • Education: We inform patients about managing foot problems, the recovery process, and ways to stay active.

If you are on the NDIS, we are a registered NDIS provider, offering stroke-related foot care to help you manage and improve your mobility, comfort, and quality of life.

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