Charcot Marie Tooth disease

CMT, hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN), peroneal muscular atrophy (PMA)

What is Charcot Marie Tooth disease?

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of inherited conditions that damage the peripheral nerves.

What causes Charcot Marie Tooth disease?

CMT is caused by an inherited fault in one of the many genes responsible for the development of the peripheral nerves. This fault means the nerves become damaged over time.

A child with CMT may have inherited the genetic fault responsible for the condition from one or both of their parents.

There’s no single faulty gene that causes CMT. There are many types of CMT that are caused by different genetic faults and these can be inherited in several different ways.

The chances of passing CMT to your child depend on the specific genetic faults you and your partner carry.

What are the symptoms of Charcot Marie Tooth disease?

People with CMT may have:

  • Muscle weakness in their feet, ankles, legs and hands
  • An awkward way of walking (gait)
  • Highly arched or very flat feet
  • Numbness in the feet, arms and hands

CMT is a progressive condition. This means the symptoms get slowly worse, making everyday tasks increasingly difficult.

Are you affected by Charcot Marie Tooth disease

If you’re affected by Charcot Marie Tooth disease, The Brain Charity can support you.

We are the only charity in the UK to be here for every one of the more than 600 different neurological conditions in existence. Individually, many are rare, but combined, they affect 1 in 6 people.

We provide practical help on all aspects of living with Charcot Marie Tooth disease, emotional support such as counselling, phone befriending and group therapy and social activities to people with Charcot Marie Tooth disease from all over the UK from our centre in Liverpool.

Looking to talk to someone?

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Phone us

Contact The Brain Charity now

Our friendly Information & Advice Officers are here to help. We endeavour to respond to all enquiries within 10 working days.

0151 298 2999

Looking to talk to someone?

  • Please tell us which neurological condition you are affected by and what you need support with.

Caring for someone with Charcot Marie Tooth disease

We support carers, friends and family too

Are you a carer for or relative of someone with Charcot Marie Tooth disease? It’s just as important for you to look after your own physical and mental wellbeing too.

The Brain Charity provides free support for carers, friends and family of people with any form of neurological condition, including Charcot Marie Tooth disease, from anywhere in the UK.

We also run an additional carers advocacy service for all carers in Liverpool, regardless of which type of condition the person they care for has.

You don’t need to be a formal or registered carer

We can help you even if you don’t view yourself as a formal carer or claim Carer’s Allowance. Find out some of the ways we support carers below.

Carer support from The Brain Charity in Liverpool Practical help

Support for carers

All The Brain Charity's services are free for carers and family members of people with neurological conditions too.
Get help
Happy workers outdoors at The Brain Charity in Liverpool Practical help

Knowing your rights at work

We can explain your legal rights in the workplace if you have a disability.
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Other resources

The Brain Charity's library

The Brain Charity’s library has a range of resources on Charcot Marie Tooth disease and on many other related neurological conditions

Visit our library to read:

Or search the catalogue online here.

Support groups

Support groups at The Brain Charity

Are you interested in setting up a CMT support group, or do you already run one? Email activities@thebraincharity.org.uk to let us know.

Alternatively, you can check out our list of related support groups here.

Other charities

Charcot-Marie-Tooth UK

Helpline: 0300 323 6316

Website: www.cmt.org.uk

Genetic Alliance UK (Organisation supporting people with rare neurological conditions such as CMT).

Helpline 0300 124 0441

Website: www.geneticalliance.org.uk