does CMT ever affect one side of the body more ,for instance the non dominant side of your body ?

[CMTUnitedKindom Partner]

In theory, CMT is supposed to be symmetrical, in that it affects the nerves equally across the whole of the body. But of course, nothing is ever straightforward, in that it can appear to affect one side more than the other. For some, it's the non-dominant side, because those muscles aren't being used so much, but equally, it can also affect the dominant side, because those are the muscles being used more!

In other words, there are no hard and fast rules, and it affects each of us differently!

Karen

[REGreen in reply to CMTUnitedKindom]

Hallo again Hypermobilecat,

Yes. All three of us are or were affected much more and earlier on our left sides. I have had several fusions on my left foot and am just waiting to see the surgeon about work on the right foot. My sister is affected much more in her sensory nerves than her motor nerves so she is numb from the knees down, but is only just starting to have trouble with her skeletal system, whereas I retained feeling until recently but had wasting and distortion of my feet first. The same gene mutation expresses itself differently in different bodies so you cannot predict the course of the disease exactly in individuals.

Best wishes,

REGreen

[Amanita]

Yes, Hypermobilecat, CMT can indeed affect one asymmetrically !

My right (dominant) hand is certainly weaker than the left, but mercifully (I am a scientific illustrator) it can still control a pencil with great precision - provided it is warm enough - , though it is too feeble to operate the remote door-locking function of my car key. My right ankle is quite a lot weaker than the left.

I have no idea whether this is because of Karen's ingenious theory of wearing out the muscles with greater use, or just the perversity of the CMT, though I suspect the latter.