What Is Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT)?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is also called hereditary motor sensory neuropathy. It causes damage mostly in the arms and legs, sometimes causing difficulty walking and trouble with balance. As the disease progresses, symptoms can spread to the hands and arms.
For Alan Jackson, the disease has affected his ability to walk, something that he knew fans were noticing. It was because of his “stumbling around on stage” that Alan felt the need to publicly share what he was dealing with.
“I don’t want [fans] to think I’m drunk on stage because I’m having problems with mobility and balance,” Jackson told TODAY‘s Jenna Bush Hager. “It’s starting to affect my performance on stage.”
Jackson added, “I was starting to get so self-conscious up there, about stumbling around. It just made me nervous, trying to keep my balance and not look pitiful.”
There is no cure for CMT, but there are treatments available that allow patients to live full, productive lives.
See some clips from Alan Jackson’s Dallas concert below.
