Issue date: February 12, 2008
Can Coenzyme Q10 Alleviate Symptoms of Pain, Weakness and Fatigue? A New Study Tests the Premise [CMT Treatment]
Recently, we have been hearing good things about the effects of an antioxidant called Coenzyme Q10 for people with CMT. To learn more, we spoke with researchers at Memorial Medical Centers John P. Murtha Neuroscience and Pain Institute, Neuroscience Specialty Clinic, in Johnstown, PA, a part of Conemaugh Health Systems, one of the lead researchers on the project.  More...

Issue date: November 30, 2007
A Bad Break: What to Do if You Break or Sprain a Limb [CMT Treatment]
HNF President Allison Moore met Dr. Sheskier, an orthopedic surgeon, after she broke her foot while on vacation. Due to her CMT, she had many concerns about dealing with the break and with how her disease might affect the healing process.  In her case, her recovery took longer than she had anticipated and Dr. Sheskier says that with CMT and other neurogenic diseases, the danger is that the patient is fooled into thinking his or her bone is fully healed when it is not.  More...

Issue date: November 20, 2007
Promising New Therapies for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) [CMT Treatment]
Dr. David Pleasure takes a look at how recent advances in the understanding of CMT, together with rat and mouse models, have changed the landscape for CMT therapies.  Inside, he explores the real prospect of therapies to slow progression of this neurological disability.   More...

Issue date: October 31, 2007
The Surgical Correction of CMT Deformity – A Step in the Right Direction [CMT Treatment]
Most patients who have moderate to severe CMT disease can be helped with surgery. Clawed toes can be straightened, high arched feet can be flattened, and unstable ankles can be tightened. Many patients are wary of having surgery because of misconceptions of what is involved. Historically, the only surgery that was offered to a person with CMT was a fusion of one or more joints in the foot. We have made great strides over the past decade, and now, even a fusion of one joint is rarely required. Instead, early intervention (with osteotomies to correct boney malalignment, tendon transfers to balance the foot, and ligament reconstruction to stabilize the ankle), provide marked improvement in function and often prevent further deformity.  More...

Issue date: October 10, 2007
Acupuncture—Real or Fake—Improves Back Pain Dramatically [CMT Treatment]
Have you ever thought about trying acupuncture but weren’t sure if it is a real cure or just a sham? Well, now there’s good reason to check it out, as researchers in Germany have found that fake acupuncture works nearly as well as the real thing for low back pain, and either performs much better than standard medical care. How can this be?  More...

Issue date: May 21, 2007
Treating Peripheral Neuropathy with Acupuncture  [CMT Treatment]
Because each Peripheral Neuropathy has own set of symptoms, progression and prognosis, the symptoms can vary as much as the cause. Nevertheless, Peripheral Neuropathy is a condition that has been treated effectively with Acupuncture.  The theory goes that by improving the circulation, the nerve tissues of the affected area can be nourished to repair the nerve functions and reduce pain.  More...

Issue date: November 7, 2006
Treating Children With CMT: An Interview with Robert Matthew Bernstein [CMT Treatment]
This month, HNF interviews Robert Matthew Bernstein, MD, Director of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a member of the Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders and Cedars-Sinai Orthopedic Center.  More...

Issue date: July 2005
Pain Relief [CMT Treatment]
Neuropathic pain generally does not respond to treatment with opioid or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as those used for arthritis. Pfizer's relatively new product (Dec 04) Lyrica has an analgesic effectiveness and using it for the treatment of neuropathic pain is seen as the drug's leading marketing focus.  More...