Visit our Health Index for More Subjects, Conditions and Answers

ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)

Known in the popular language as Lou Gehrig's disease (for the baseball player who had the disease), ALS, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. (the heart and digestive system are involuntary nervous system and thus not involved) 

A-myo-trophic means:

 "A" means no. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means negative reaction to a stimulus source.   

Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.  As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement.  Muscle control is lost. 

When a muscle cannot be used,  it "atrophies" or wastes away.   

This eventually leads to muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. The condition slowly gets worse. When the muscles in the chest area stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe on one's own.

"Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region.

In about 10% of cases, ALS is caused by a genetic defect. In the remaining cases, the cause is unknown to medical science.

Symptoms

Early symptoms of ALS  include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs.   Twitching, cramping or stiffness may be present in the affected muscles. 

Slurred or nasal speech.

Difficulty swallowing or breathing. 

The parts of the body affected by early symptoms of ALS depend on which muscles in the body are damaged first

When muscles are no longer receiving the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become smaller). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies.

What to do:

Medical science has no cure, but does use a drug to slow down the process. 

Recent Article

Here is a recent article saying they are unsure about Lou Gehrig's Disease

Some Relief from the Symptoms - Here is a success from a person with ALS

"I have ALS. I am progressed to the point of no movement other than my face. From this disease I have gotten drop foot. From that pulling brought pain. I also I wanted to take something to support my nerves. Since taking Nerve Support Formula the pain and achey feeling has subsided. I take six a day.  Thank you   Jen Cassin 

For information about the Nerve Support Formula 

If you would like to receive the McVitamins Newsletter,  Please Sign up here:  Newsletter Signup