How to cope with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and cold weather

Living in the New England area of the United States cold weather is a constant. Also the cold weather is not a helpful factor to Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) in fact, it aggrevates it. How you might ask do you function with cold weather and CMT when you need to go out and walk in the snow to go to work? Not everyone in the U.S. can move to a warmer climate and be laying out in the sun to warm your muscles. Try these tips to help your day become more tolerable and productive.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Warm hats and gloves
• Stretching exercises
• Hot shower

1. 
   Keep warm.

   Bundle up in warm clothes when you are going out into the cold weather. That means a hat on your head; a scarf around your neck, mittens or gloves on your hands & wear good sturdy boots on your feet.

2. 
   Stretch hands.

   Throughout the day, keep your muscles loose by stretching them. When your at your desk, pull out a ball and squeeze it about 10 times in each hand. Then place the ball on the floor and roll your feet over the ball.

3. 
   Stretch.

   If you have 15 minutes to spare, get up from your desk and stretch. Stand up and touch your toes. Bend at your waist and move forward, backwards & from side to side. This will limber you up & rejuvenate you.

Tips & Warnings

• At the end of the day, take a hot shower or bath and stay in for a few minutes. This will relax the muscles so they are not so sore for you. After wards, you can put on some Tiger Balm or Ben Gay to relieve the soreness of the muscles even more.
• Don't over due your muscles if they are not limber and stretched to avoid injury.
• Always check with your doctor before you do any stretches to make sure that it complements your daily routine with CMT.