Charcot Marie Tooth

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At Active Red we have had a lot of experience training people with disabilities and neurological disorders as well as presenting at national forums to showcase our approach to health and fitness. One disorder we have the most experience working with is Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.

CMT is a hereditary disorder of nerves that is commonly characterised by loss of muscle tissue, touch sensation and proprioception. CMT predominantly affects the feet and legs but can also affect hands and arms in advanced stages of the disease.

CMT is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders and is currently incurable.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t still reach a high level of strength, fitness and performance – it just takes the right approach.

Put bluntly, when it comes to improving your performance and quality of life, there are no quick fixes – that goes for all of us - so we always strongly advise against anything that isn’t going to help you have a better understanding or take control of your body, such as;

-          Braces or supportive wear for your body

-          Pills or medication; or

-          Corrective procedures/operations.

Although these options may have some benefit in extreme cases, the truth is that all of these (and similar) only serve to provide your body with a false sense of support and do nothing to teach your internal stabilising systems to function as they should – or teach you anything about how to truly control your body. Options like this should be seen as just piece of the puzzle - not something you can rely on 100%. Our recommended approach is the same approach that we advise to everyone – move your body often and well and have a healthy diet (watch 4 KEY POINTS OF HEALTH).

To improve the strength and ability of someone with CMT or any disability we simply use the same approach that we would use with any able bodied person - assess current strength and mobility and then devise a training program that will work with strengths and neutralise weaknesses. With this approach we have had great success in improving mobility, stability and overall confidence in movement.

Check below to view testimonials.

This section of Active Red will be dedicated to those of you who feel you are struggling with a disability. We will be updating this section regularly with exercise videos and other useful information that will help in starting or improving your exercise program.

We can appreciate that it can be tricky and almost daunting trying to exercise – especially if you’re used to being unstable – but we promise if you take control and challenge yourself you’ll grow in confidence and see some great results.

Stay tuned for more updates:

MOVEMENT: The human body is built for movement. Watch this video to learn how our bodies adapt to movement as well as what movements are best for improving strength.

GYM MACHINES SUCK: Gym machines are a terrible way to increase strength or improve function.

HOW GOOD ARE SHOES FOR YOUR POSTURE?: Shoes and other braces actually dumb your body down and create a false sense of support.

BREAD AND SUGAR: Diet has a huge impact on the function of your body.

NOTE - the following programs do not provide a one-size-fits-all approach - we are all individuals and our ability and skill will vary depending on many factors. Please take the time to read through all our material and please contact us at info@activered.com.au if you're unsure on anything.

The research provided is based off our experience in dealing with many people not only with CMT but other disabilities and people with serious pain or injury.