Have YOU heard of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease?

I’d be very surprised if you answer yes! Despite being the most common inherited neurological condition in the world, with an estimated 2.8 million affected people worldwide, it’s sad that most people with CMT (as we call it) still are receiving blank stares when they tell people – including their medical professions, sometimes – what condition they have.
Perhaps it’s because of the weird name – the name derives from the three doctors who discovered the condition in 1886. Many people do wonder if the condition is something to do with the teeth… if only!
So what is CMT? It’s a peripheral nerve disease – that means that the nerves that run from the spinal cord to the extremities become damaged and fail to conduct impulses to the muscles properly. This causes the muscles in the feet, lower legs, hands and arms to weaken and waste, causing all kinds of issues – walking and standing are difficult, balance is poor, pain and fatigue can become chronic, and with the hands, strength and dexterity are compromised, so that even doing up a button can become the challenge for the day. It’s incurable, progressive and hereditary, running through families.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth UK is the UK’s only charity supporting people with the condition and their families. We provide support via a helpline, email, Facebook, publications and events.
And your challenge for the day? Go to cmt.org.uk/about-cmt and learn some more!