Foot surgery may help reduce pain during walking and correct the way people with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) stand, a brief report by researchers in Italy suggests. While foot surgery may not address functional limitations like a slow gait and poor balance, it “allows [patients] to wear shoes, and leads…

Compared to regular footwear, customized orthopedic shoes significantly improve walking, including speed, in adults with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, according to a small study in the Netherlands. However, no significant differences in postural stability while standing or walking were noted when patients wore orthopedic versus standard shoes. While orthopedic…

I made my friend from childhood wait while I put on my ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs). We had just finished eating our eggs and toast at a fancy breakfast place, but we hadn’t seen each other in three years, so we still had some catching up to do. My friend…

When it comes to doing cardio at the gym, I’ve always preferred the stationary bike to the treadmill. I have yet to fall off a stationary bike, but I’ve fallen off a treadmill several times in my life. “Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe-toe. Wait, that’s not right!” “Heel-toe, heel-ankle. Ouch!”…

My brother, 14 years my elder, tells me he remembers once losing track of 6-year-old me during one of our family trips to Washington, D.C. Specifically, it was at the Lincoln Memorial while it was fairly crowded. He tells me that when he found me moments later, I was in…

When I was in college, Facebook groups and communities with names like “I want to punch slow walkers in the head” or “Slow walkers deserve to be kicked” were pretty trendy. Several of my friends joined such groups and proudly displayed their memberships…

Functional surgery can improve walking ability in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and patients are generally satisfied with the outcomes, a study indicates. The study, “Long‐term walking ability and patient satisfaction after lower limb functional surgery in patients affected by charcot‐marie‐tooth disease: A retrospective study,” was published…

The indoor track of my alma mater’s gym smells like rubber and sweat. It has a specific warmth to it. The repeated impacts of dozens of feet send shockwaves through the track and almost make it feel alive.  It’s been more than 10 years since I’ve…

Evaluating the body composition — its total lean body mass — of patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease can help determine disease progression, researchers report, with muscle mass in the legs of particular importance. The study “Body composition and its association with physical performance, quality of life, and clinical…