Strengthening hip muscles to improve walking distance in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

INTERVENTION: There will be two 16‐week periods with an 8‐week washout phase post‐exercise intervention. Subjects will be assigned to two groups and will either continue their normal activities or will target the hip flexors muscles. Measures of strength and functional ability will be recorded at the start and finish of each 16‐week period. Thirty two subjects will be randomly allocated to the two groups. A blinded assessor will record the outcome measures. CONDITION: Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease ; Nervous System Diseases ; Hereditary and idiopathic neuropathy PRIMARY OUTCOME: Isometric muscle strength of the hip flexors ‐ measured using fixed myometry.; ; Timepoints:; Group A: Baseline (0 weeks), post‐intervention (16 weeks), post‐washout (24 weeks), final measurement (40 weeks); Group B: Baseline (0 weeks), post‐control (16 weeks), post‐intervention (32 weeks), post‐washout (40 weeks) SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Six Minute Timed Walk Test: change in maximal walking distance in 6 minutes and peak heart rate; 2. Walking speed: using a Timed 10 Metre Walk Test; 3. Perceived exertion during the Six Minute Timed Walk Test: using the Borg 15‐point scale; 4. Heart rate and Physiological Cost Index (PCI) during the Six Minute Timed Walk Test: using a heart rate monitor; 5. Fatigue: assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS); 6. Perception of walking ability: Walk‐12 scale; 7. Disease severity: Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth Symptom/Sign Score (CMTSS); 8. Physical limitations: Overall Neuropathy Limitations Scale (ONLS); 9. Pain: assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); ; Timepoints:; Group A: Baseline (0 weeks), post‐intervention (16 weeks), post‐washout (24 weeks), final measurement (40 weeks); Group B: Baseline (0 weeks), post‐control (16 weeks), post‐intervention (32 weeks), post‐ washout (40 weeks) INCLUSION CRITERIA: People will be recruited provided all of the following criteria are satisfied: 1. Clinical diagnosis of Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) 2. Aged 18 to 70 years, either sex 3. Able to walk for 50 m with or without a walking aid or orthotic devices 4. Signed informed participant consent