ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease after the New York Yankees Hall-of-Farner, is a neurological condition affecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for mobility. As the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge brought to national attention in 2014, motor function and control of the limbs and vital organs are lost as these neurons degenerate.

Approximately 30,000 Americans can have the disease at any given time. Although the exact cause of ALS is unknown, it has been linked to an overabundance of free radicals in the body, which cause damage to the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. When these motor neurons are damaged and die, the body loses the ability to control muscle movement and function of vital organs. Symptoms can vary from person to person and include muscle weakness, muscle spasms, depression, lack of appetite, debilitating loss of coordination, and eventually difficulty controlling speech, swallowing and breathing. While not all people with ALS experience the same symptoms or the same patterns of progression, progressive muscle weakness and paralysis are universally experienced.