Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a neurological disorder named after the three physicians who first described it in 1886 — Jean-Martin Charcot and Pierre Marie of France, and Howard Henry Tooth of the United Kingdom.
CMT causes damage to the peripheral nerves, which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, and relay sensations, such as pain and touch, to the brain and spinal cord from the rest of the body.
Muscles in the feet may not receive brain signals to contract so patient are more likely to trip and fall. The brain may not also receive pain messages from the feet, so blisters may get infected without patient realizing it.
Difficulty walking and abnormalities in the feet are the most serious problems. Muscles are getting weaker and decreased sensation can cause injuries. Patient presents with curled toes and high arches. Common complaints are: burning, stabbing, shooting pains in the feet, “cannot feel my feet when walking”, unsteady when walking or standing, hypersensitivity on (B) feet that causes patient not to be able to walk barefoot.
It is important for patient to start seeing a physical therapist early on to be able to deal with challenges with strength and stability of (B) legs, ankles and feet, to decrease the progression of the disease and to give patient quality of life.
Here at OSR, we are seeing patients who are suffering from this condition. Treatments are addressed on normalizing tone on tight muscles of the legs, ankles and feet; regaining strength on (B) legs and feet; flexibility of ankle joints, midfoot and toes; core strength, balance and stability training. After series of visit at our clinic patient testifies how physical therapy treatment has significantly helped them overcome obstacles of daily living.
