Alan Jackson reveals he's been living with degenerative nerve disease
He's was diagnosed ten years ago
Last updated 28th Sep 2021
Country music icon Alan Jackson revealed that he has been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve condition.
The inherited disorder — also known as CMT, causes nerve damage largely in the arms and legs.
It can cause muscle contractions, a loss of sensation and difficulty walking.
"I have this neuropathy and neurological disease," Jackson said. "It's genetic that I inherited from my daddy ... There's no cure for it, but it's been affecting me for years. And it's getting more and more obvious. And I know I'm stumbling around on stage. And now I'm having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable."
The condition affects the peripheral nervous system and causes balance problems by compromising smaller, weaker muscles in the body's extremities. However, the illness does not alter life expectancy.
Jackson shared that his grandmother, father and one of his sisters all inherited and lived with the disorder, too.
Jackson who has been a legend on the country music scene for more than three decades, released his newest album, Where Have You Gone, in May 2021.
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