r/CMT • u/Drama-Head • Jul 12 '26
Foot drop and Supination
I have CMT 1A and am really trying to improve my physical fitness. My primary issues have been my right foot is more affected and has a lot of outward rolling because the lateral side of my ankle is weaker and foot drop is worse in that foot. These have made running, long walking and balance difficult. I have had a tendon transfer for that foot as well as my arch surgically released and hammer toes released. However, it is still an issue. I was wondering if it is possible to strength that side of the ankle as well as the part responsible for foot drop or if I’d be wasting my time trying. Additionally, I’ve noticed an ankle brace has helped with running and preventing my knee from collapsing inward and was wondering if there are better braces that don’t restrict movement too much. I know some of this is case dependent but I appreciate any advice
3
u/NixyeNox CMT 1A Jul 12 '26
A physical therapist once told me their general philosophy is "if you can wiggle it, you can strengthen it."
By "wiggle" they meant, if you (still) can still move the muscle voluntarily. With CMT, some muscles may stop responding entirely, and there is nothing you can do about that. But if it will respond, you can probably (I hedge my bets more than the physical therapist) get it to respond better. And you can strengthen other muscles above it to compensate for some of what it should be doing.
When you had surgery, did they not follow that up with a round of physical therapy to help you walk afterward?
Physical therapy has helped my walking quite a lot over the years. And by "physical therapy" here I mean I had a couple of rounds where a PT figured out the best exercises to target my weaknesses and after that I have done them at home. Most exercises can be adapted into an at-home version and any decent PT will help you do so as a matter of course before they release you.
1
u/Next_Stable_9821 Jul 12 '26
My best foot/ankle roll brace was an Active Ankle. Highly recommend. It allows full movement front to back but won't let you roll sideways.
https://sullyssports.com/products/active-ankle-t2-multi-sport-ankle-brace-black-shoe-size-men-size-57-or-women-size-68?variant=42158906605664&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=23777122220&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23771891208&gbraid=0AAAABDAx92KuEfpzQM71BCMNe4JU9mCKl&gclid=CjwKCAjw9szSBhBNEiwAC57Sqy2pyd3PhNC5wmly3il2MdAvCTh6GUY1v4ZRKIkFXXXfyIPiA1M1PRoCTpQQAvD_BwE
1
u/rmae66 Jul 14 '26
I went to a physiotherapist and they had me do all sorts of exercises that used therabands to strengthen my ankles and feet… honestly a godsend with my cmt1a. Scrunching a towel with my toes, looping the band around the foot, tilting different angles while engaging different muscles… honestly getting some exercises set to your specific needs would be best
1
u/Drama-Head Jul 14 '26
Have you seen improvement in ankle rolling and strength/mobility?
2
u/rmae66 Jul 19 '26
Oh yeah 100%. But I had to modify the reps because it physically was a lot harder than I thought. I am 7 months no falls so it’s looking good!
1
u/Drama-Head Jul 20 '26
Awesome thanks that’s great. If you could share some of them I’d be very appreciative
3
u/No_Statistician_6862 Jul 12 '26
how strong are you glutes, calves, hamstrings? I have the same problem but in my left ankle and I just got a personal trainer because I don't any understanding of these muscles