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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffCertain tactics may prevent complications caused by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and improve your ability to manage the effects of the disorder.
Started early and followed regularly, at-home activities can provide protection and relief:
- Stretch regularly. The goal of stretching is to improve or maintain the range of motion of your joints. Stretching improves your flexibility, balance and coordination. Stretching may also reduce your risk of injury. If you have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, regular stretching can prevent or reduce joint deformities that may result from uneven pulling of muscle on your bones.
- Exercise daily. Exercising every day keeps your bones and muscles strong. Low-impact exercises, such as biking and swimming, are less stressful on fragile muscles and joints. By strengthening your muscles and bones, you can improve your balance and coordination, reducing your risk of falls.
- Improve your stability. Muscle weakness associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease may cause you to be unsteady on your feet, which can lead to falling and serious injury. Walking with a cane or a walker can increase your stability. Good lighting at night can help you avoid stumbling and falling.
Foot care is important
Because of foot deformities and loss of sensation, regular foot care is important to help relieve symptoms and to prevent complications:
- Inspect your feet. Daily inspection of your feet is important to prevent calluses, ulcers, wounds and infections.
- Take care of your nails. Cut your nails regularly. To avoid ingrown toenails and infections, cut straight across and avoid cutting into the nailbed edges. Consider regular professional pedicures.
- Wear the right shoes. Use shoes that fit properly and are roomy and protective. Consider wearing boots or high-top shoes for ankle support.
- Soak and moisturize the skin of your feet. Brief, daily cold and warm foot soaks followed by the application of moisturizing lotions keep the skin of the feet moist and pliable. This can be very effective in reducing neuropathic pain and foot discomfort.
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/charcot_marie_tooth/charcot_marie_tooth.htm?css=print. Accessed May 19, 2010.
- Facts about Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and related diseases. Muscular Dystrophy Association. http://www.mda.org/publications/PDFs/FA-CMT.pdf. Accessed May 19, 2010.
- Inherited neuropathies. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=2907233&print=yes. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Cruse RP. Hereditary primary motor sensory neuropathies, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 21, 2010.
- Treatment and management of CMT. Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association. http://www.charcot-marie-tooth.org/about_cmt/prn_treatment.php. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Klein CJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 23, 2010.
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