ALS

What is Amyotrophoic Lateral Sclerosis?



Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s

disease is a deadly neurodegenerative disease which attacks and kills nerve cells

in the brain as well as in the spinal cord. What happens is that the motor neurons

that reach out from the brain to the spinal cord then from the spinal cord to the

muscles in the body are deteriorating and eventually die. Motor neurons are types

of nerves. They provide voluntary movements and muscle power. When the

motor neurons die, all control of that muscle in which the motor neurons

controlled are lost. This means that there movement and control that the brain has

over the muscles is gone and the muscles basically don’t work anymore. The

heart, and digestive system are not affected because they are involuntarily

controlled. People who are in the later stages of this disease are often paralyzed.

Even thought that their muscle...