Q I’m catching my toe when I walk – is it just another ageing thing?

A This sounds like foot drop, which can occur in younger people, too. It makes the front of the foot harder to lift off the ground; you may find yourself ‘high-stepping’ or swinging your foot to the side.

Raising your foot is controlled by the common peroneal nerve, which branches off the sciatic nerve and winds round the top of the fibula (thinner bone next to the shin bone, below the knee). Foot drop is a sign that the nerve isn’t transmitting the brain’s instructions properly, and has many causes. These include compression (squashing), including simply crossing the legs repeatedly, prolonged kneeling or wearing a plaster cast. The nerve can also get trapped by conditions affecting the spine, pelvis, hip or leg, or stop working as part of a wide range of neurological/medical conditions, some of which can be serious. It can also lead to falling.

Your GP can refer you to a neurologist for tests, including X-rays, scans and nerve conduction studies. Treatment depends on the cause; you may also be helped by a brace, specialist splint or shoe, physiotherapy, nerve stimulation or surgery.