{
  "id": 4736929,
  "title": "Always tripping or spraining your ankles? When ‘clumsiness’ could be a genetic nerve disorder",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/always-tripping-or-spraining-your-ankles-when-clumsiness-could-be-a",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T23:20:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/charcot-marie-tooth-tripping-weakness-6323596"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a genetic nerve disorder that can cause progressive weakness, numbness, balance issues and foot deformities. Many people may attribute these symptoms to clumsiness. Neurologists outline the signs to look out for, what causes CMT and what treatments are available. Tripping over, spraining ankles or missing curbs occasionally are common experiences for adults. However, when these episodes are accompanied by foot and lower leg numbness and fine motor skill weakness affecting tasks like buttoning clothes, it may be indicative of CMT disease. This inherited neuropathy results from genetic mutations affecting peripheral nerves. Named after the three doctors who first described it in 1886 - Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie and Howard Henry Tooth - CMT is caused by mutations in over 100 genes, each leading to a different form of the disease. The most common subtype, CMT1A, occurs in approximately 40-50% of cases and is caused by a duplication of the PMP22 gene. CMT is inherited through various patterns, most commonly autosomal dominant, where a parent with the altered gene has a 50% chance of passing it on. In other cases, it follows autosomal recessive or X-linked inheritance patterns. The disorder can manifest at any age, from early childhood to late adulthood, with symptoms varying depending on when they begin. Early childhood onset may present with delayed motor milestones, toe walking or severe skeletal deformities, while adolescent or young adult onset typically results in gradual foot deformities, ankle weakness and gait difficulties. Late adult onset, sometimes in the 40s, 50s or later, often presents with a milder course, marked by gradual onset of numbness, foot weakness or balance difficulties that progress slowly over years. Unfortunately, CMT is a rare disease, with a global prevalence of 10-80 cases per 100,000 people. In Singapore, the prevalence is estimated at about 15 per 100,000 people, translating to around five to 15 CMT patients diagnosed annually by the National Neuroscience Institute. Despite its rarity, understanding the different forms and inheritance patterns of CMT is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.",
  "summary": "Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease can cause progressive weakness, numbness, balance problems and foot deformities. But its slow progression means some people may simply think they’re clumsy. Neurologists explain the signs to look out for, what causes CMT and what can help.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}