NINDS Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Information Page

There is no cure for CMT, but physical therapy, occupational therapy, braces and other orthopedic devices, and orthopedic surgery can help patients cope with the disabling symptoms of the disease. In addition, pain-killing drugs can be prescribed for patients who have severe pain.

Onset of symptoms of CMT is most often in adolescence or early adulthood, however presentation may be delayed until mid-adulthood.  Progression of symptoms is very gradual.  The degeneration of motor nerves results in muscle weakness and atrophy in the extremities (arms, legs, hands, or feet), and the degeneration of sensory nerves results in a reduced ability to feel heat, cold, and pain.  There are many forms of CMT disease.  The severity of symptoms is quite variable in different patients and some people may never realize they have the disorder. CMT is not fatal and people with most forms of CMT have a normal life expectancy.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts CMT research in its laboratories at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also supports CMT research through grants to major medical institutions across the country.   Ongoing research includes efforts to identify more of the mutant genes and proteins that cause the various disease subtypes.  This research includes studies in the laboratory to discover the mechanisms of nerve degeneration and muscle atrophy, and clinical studies to find therapies to slow down or even reverse nerve degeneration and muscle atrophy.