ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

So what is behind the renowned “ice bucket challenge”? The ice bucket challenge has been in the spotlight lately to spread ALS Awareness across social media.

What is ALS? ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and it also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease (named after one of the New York Yankees most beloved hall-of-fame baseball players who was diagnosed with the disease). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that damages motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons are cells that control muscle movement.

With ALS, muscles lose their nourishment because the part of the spinal cord that nourishes the muscles develops hardened or scarred tissue. In other words, the nerve cells in the central nervous system that regulate voluntary muscle movement die and stop sending messages to the muscles making the muscles non functional. And because the neuromuscular system (the brain, nerves and muscles) is affected, simple and normal actions such as speaking, swallowing and breathing become difficult.

There is no known prevention or cure to date, but there are a number of treatments available. There are FDA approved medications to slow down the progression and minimize symptoms of the disease. While mobility and comfort are paramount, co-management by various health care professionals (physicians, pharmacists, home health assistants, physical, occupational, and speech therapist, nutritionists, chiropractors, etc.) is best to improve the quality of life.

Visit ALS Association’s website at www.alsa.org to learn more!