Hi all, I haven't posted much lately, been working since August.

Anyway, I read an article the other day that people with Charcot Marie Tooth's have really high arches. I have really high arches in my feet. Also, as a child I wore corrective braces on my legs/feet to assist in the strengthening of my ankles and direction of my feet turning in.

I was never diagnosed with this disease, but my PN was also diagnosed as idiopathic. I was a VERY active child. Swam, played many sports, and even as an adult I was active until I was 35 years old when I returned to college and gained weight. At the age of 45 I started getting the symptoms of PN.

What do you think? I haven't done a LOT of research into it, but it sure is interesting that people with high arches suffer with CMT, which is a reason for having PN!!!!!

High arches are a sign of CMT - and thin ankles and lower legs too.... I've had neuros tell me repeatedly early on they suspected inherited/genetic PN due to super high arched thin feet (even though I never had to wear special shoes or anything - but never could get some types of shoes or boots on) and after 9 years and many tests - thet concencous is a form of genetic PN (same as CMT - they think HSANII but there is no genetic test for it yet)... so yes, definately considered a trait.....

People who have CMT can have high arches or flat feet. A CMTer can also have one high arch and the other foot is flat. I believe it is which muscles are involved. Also, the general population can have high arches or flat feet. Just because a person has high arches does not mean that you have CMT. It also can affect your hands and lower arms. In certain types, your diaphragm and/or vocal cords, etc. A good neurologist who is an expert in CMT would be the doctor to see.

CMT symptoms can become evident when you are young, old, or in-between or not be that evident at all.

Much is not known about CMT even though it is the most common inherited neuromuscular disease. It is a complicated syndrome and it's often misdiagnosed as polio, Frederick's Ataxia, MS, MD, etc.

There are now about 50 kinds of CMT that have been identified. And there is no end in sight. There is also around 20 plus types that can now be identified thru DNA blood testing.

CMT symptoms vary greatly even within the same family. CMT is for the most part inherited and the type that one family member has is the type that others in the family will have if they are affected.

Hi, Yes high arches is sometimes linked with cmt. I have a very close friend who was diagnosed with cmt at age 22. She is 48 now, she has med high arches. I think your doctor would have tested you for CMT. What is also strange about my friend with CMT, is that it is genetic, and no one in her family has it. I guess it has to start somewhere. anyway hope that helps.
lynn

Hi, For the most part CMT is inherited. As I've said before, CMT symptoms can become evident when you are young, old, or in-between. Or symptoms might not be evident at all but you still can pass it on. If one looks back there might be a mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, etc. who was misdiagnosed or perhaps it was thought that they had arthritis or the like. Or perhaps symptoms were not evident but they passed it on. Polio was another misdiagnosis. And Frederick's Ataxia is another.

There are many types of CMT that they have found now and more all the time. Different types affect people differently. CMT symptoms vary greatly even within the same family. And the type that is diagnosed in one family member who has CMT is the type that would be in the family.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) was also called Peroneal Muscle Atrophy. Now it's also called Heriditary Motor Sensory Neuropathy (HMSN). And also Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome. We used to know it only as CMT or Peroneal Muscle Atrophy. There were no types yet known like type 1, 2, etc. and all the subtypes. DNA blood testing for CMT became available in 1993 and of course that wasn't for all the types they can test for now which is over 20.

CMT was discovered in 1886. Imagine how much has come to be known about it in just the past 15 years or so. And there is much more to learn as it is a very complicated syndrome. There is much research that is going on that most people do not even know about. It is under the MDA umbrella, as they say, along with about 40 other diseases. Jean Martin Charcot also discovered ALS and MS.

Sometimes there is a mutation but that is rare for the most part. A good neurologist who knows CMT can answer a lot of questions.

As far as feet and arches, my own look normal. Hope this helps some.