Why is wrist drop a symptom of crutch paralysis

Foot drop is characterized by steppage gait high stepping. While walking, people suffering the condition drag their toes along the ground or bend their knees to lift their foot higher than usual to avoid the dragging. This serves to raise the foot high enough to prevent the toe from dragging and prevents the slapping. To accommodate the toe drop, the patient may use a characteristic tiptoe walk on the opposite leg, raising the thigh excessively, as if walking upstairs, while letting the toe drop.

Other gaits such as a wide outward leg swing to avoid lifting the thigh excessively may also indicate foot drop. Foot drop can be caused by nerve damage alone or by muscle or spinal cord trauma, abnormal anatomy, toxins or disease. It may also occur as a result of hip replacement surgery or knee ligament reconstruction surgery. Initial diagnosis often is made during routine physical examination. Such diagnosis can be confirmed by a medical professional such as a neurologist.

A person with foot drop will have difficulty walking on his or her heels because he will be unable to lift the front of the foot balls and toes off the ground. Therefore, a simple test of asking the patient to dorsiflex may determine diagnosis of the problem. There are other tests that may help determine the underlying etiology for this diagnosis.

The underlying disorder must be treated. Therapy for radial nerve injury includes specialized splints and range of motion exercises to prevent permanent joint deformities from developing. If surgery is necessary, the procedure may include neurolysis removal of scar tissue around the nerve , repair or reconstruction of the nerve with nerve grafts. The timing of decisions for surgery depend upon the mechanism and severity of the injury. If the nerve does not recover, and there is a persistent weakness in the muscles of extension, tendon transfer procedures are considered.

Reviewed by: Aaron Berger, MD. This page was last updated on: January 15, AM Learn more about Nerve Injuries Nerves are the system of fibers that carry signals from the brain to the rest of the body. When an injury or damage occurs to one or many nerves, these are known as nerve injuries.

Diagnostic procedures may include:. Electromyogram EMG : This test measures the electrical activity of a muscle in response to stimulation, as well as the nature and speed of the conduction of electrical impulses along a nerve.

It can confirm the presence of nerve damage and assess its severity. Imaging studies: The physician may order an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI to check for broken bones, cysts and other masses in the arm. Nerve conduction studies: These tests measure how well individual nerves can send an electrical signal from the spinal cord to the muscles.

A physician places a shock-emitting electrode directly over the nerve to be studied, and a recording electrode over the muscles supplied by that nerve. The shock-emitting electrode sends repeated, brief electrical pulses to the nerve, and the recording electrode records the time it takes for the muscle to contract in response to the electrical pulse. Radial nerve palsy can be caused by pressure injuries caused by awkward body positions for long periods of time, such as while working or sleeping; bruises that put pressure on the radial nerve; growths such as tumors or cysts; and devices such as tight watches pressing on the wrist or crutches pressing under the arm.

Fractures or dislocations as well as cuts on the wrist or arm can also damage or separate the radial nerve. In rare cases, radial nerve palsy is caused by infection or inflammation. Most of these causes cannot be controlled by behavior or lifestyle changes. However, proper ergonomics and posture at work and pillows to correct awkward sleeping positions may help.

Occupational risks: Jobs that require repetitive motion and awkward postures or working positions may increase the risk of radial nerve palsy. Most cases of radial nerve palsy cannot be prevented, but proper ergonomics and work postures and pillows to correct awkward sleeping positions may help.

This condition may go away over time as accompanying injuries heal, cysts or tumors are removed, or awkward postures are corrected. But, some people may always experience varying degrees of radial nerve palsy.