04/15/2026
Drop foot can significantly impair QOL for those who suffer with it. Dr. Natalie Hawkins () takes us through an inspiring patient she treated with drop foot:
Three months after a life-threatening ICU stay from complications of Influenza A & B, this patient woke up with foot drop.
🧠 Brain and spinal imaging were within normal limits.
⚡ EMG suggested polyneuropathy and critical illness myopathy.
Despite weeks of inpatient rehab and outpatient PT, there was no recovery of dorsiflexion.
When he came to Dr. Natalie Hawkins, she hypothesized something entirely different 👇
Dr. Natalie suspected a crush injury to the common fibular (peroneal) nerve, likely secondary to severe edema from organ failure combined with prolonged compression boots used for DVT prevention during his ICU stay.
So they took a targeted, integrative dry needling approach.
🧩 Treatment included:
• Dry needling along the common & deep fibular nerve distributions
• Segmental needling at L4–L5 paravertebrals
• Electrical nerve stimulation to enhance signaling to the motor cortices, improve local circulation, and facilitate motor recruitment
• Red light therapy to support cellular function and reduce inflammation
• Progressive exercise to maintain ankle ROM, improve eccentrics/isometrics, and restore functional movement patterns
• Co-treatment with a chiropractor to optimize neurologic input, joint mobility, and overall nervous system function
📅 Frequency:
• 1x/week for 4 weeks
• Then every other week
• Total treatment duration: 3 months
💥 Results:
• Immediate improvement in muscle contraction after day one
• By visit #7, he was able to clear his toes during gait
• By visit #12, he was discharged from his AFOs
• Sent home independent with a long-term home program
And the goal that mattered most?
👉 Walking his daughter down the aisle.
This is just one example of many of how understanding neurology and the biophysiology behind the effects of needling can set you apart from your peers.
