What is Charcot Marie Tooth Disease ?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a hereditary (genetic) condition that damages the peripheral nerves. These nerves are responsible for passing on commands from the brain to the muscles in the arms and legs, and for passing information back to the brain about sensation – pain, heat, cold and touch.
It is thought to affect around 23,000 people in the UK.
Early symptoms of CMT
CMT is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms gradually get worse over time. Therefore, it may be difficult to spot any symptoms in young children who have CMT.
Signs that a young child may have CMT include:
- appearing unusually clumsy and accident-prone for their age
- finding it difficult to walk because they may have problems lifting their feet from the ground
- their toes dropping forward as they lift their feet (known as ‘foot drop’)
Main symptoms of CMT
The main symptoms of CMT usually appear between the ages of five and 15, although they sometimes don’t develop until well into middle age or later.
Some of the main symptoms of CMT include:
- muscle weakness in the feet, ankles and legs at first
- having feet that are very highly arched, which can make the ankle unstable, or having very flat feet
- curled toes (‘hammer toes’)
- an awkward or high step and difficulty using the ankle muscles to lift the foot, which makes walking more difficult
- a lack of sensation in the arms and feet
- very cold hands and feet, caused by poor circulation
- wasting of the muscles in the lower legs, causing legs to have a distinctive ‘upside-down champagne bottle’ shape
- feeling tired a lot of the time, as a result of the extra effort it takes to move around
Treatment
Although CMT is not curable, a range of treatments are available to help reduce the effects of the disease, for example; orthotics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry services, medication and surgery.
Further information about the disease and how it can be managed is available at CMT UK or on Facebook .
