Former Springbok skipper and Rugby World Cup-winning scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen has been diagnosed with a serious muscle-related neural disease and is on treatment, his publicist said.
The diagnosis was made after the 40-year-old's doctor noticed that the 1995 champions squad member was having problems with his arm and ran a series of tests, said Bridget van Oerle in a statement.
"Van der Westhuizen also consulted two neurologists and has begun immediate treatment. The symptoms are serious and vary from person to person," she said.
Doctor Henry Kelbrick told SuperSport.com that the disease affected the entire body and that few treatment options were available but said the ex-player was "functioning at 100 percent at the moment and is in good spirits".
"He was complaining that he had no power, a weakening of the muscles in his arm," said Kelbrick who is also a close family friend.
"We ran a number of tests, including scans on the brain, neck and other areas, as there was a chance it could have been from an old rugby injury.
"We immediately found the cause and I