Personalized CMT braces
| Personalized CMT braces make Julie stronger! Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, or CMT, is a disorder that affects the sensory and motor nerves in the arms, hands, feet, and legs. Find out about how orthopedic specialists were able to customize a solution for an active fitness trainer. Ivanhoe Web. Youtube Jan 19, 2021 |
By Ivanhoe Broadcast News January 29, 2021
SEATTLE, Washington (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, or CMT, is a disorder that affects the sensory and motor nerves in the arms, hands, feet, and legs. Muscle weakness, balance problems, and foot deformities are common in people who have CMT. There is no cure, but now, details on how one woman was able to find relief for her symptoms.
Thirty-year-old Julie Stone works her muscles hard and she helps others do the same through her virtual fitness classes.
“I want everyone to just tune in with their bodies and make the best of their workouts,” shared Stone.
But a few years ago, Julie’s lower-limb muscles were weakening. She tripped and broke her foot twice. She had bad foot drops.
“Your foot kind of just flops as you’re walking and it just causes you to take really big, overexaggerated steps,” Stone recalled.
She was diagnosed with CMT, a hereditary neuromuscular disease. She went to doctor after doctor but couldn’t find a brace that fit to relieve her symptoms while continuing her active lifestyle. Then Eric Weber from the Hanger Clinic suggested an AFO, or ankle-foot orthosis.
“An AFO is trying to prevent a foot that is weak from dragging on the ground or tripping,” described Eric Weber, LCPO, FAAOP, a national orthotics specialist at Hanger Clinic. (Read Full Interview)
Since every CMT case is different, Weber custom-designed a brace for Julie, personalized CMT braces.
“Where we were able to redirect some of the forces that are acting upon her when she’s walking and redirect those forces so that it keeps her balanced,” illustrated Weber.
Julie struggled walking before the AFOs. Now, with the custom braces she is able to take her pup Kiera for longer walks.
“Not have to stare 100 percent at the ground being like, am I going to step on something?” Stone expressed.
And she’s able to stay active and climb to new heights.
Since CMT progresses gradually, symptoms may not show up until someone is in their twenties or thirties. There are different subtypes of CMT and people with most forms of CMT typically have a normal life expectancy.
| Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Executive Producer; Milvionne Chery, Field Producer; Rusty Reed, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor. |
Source Ivanhoe Broadcast News
Also see
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Fact Sheet NIH National Institute of Neurological disorders and Stroke
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Mayo Clinic
