May is National ALS Awareness Month

May 1, 2008

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects as many as 30,000 Americans. An additional 5,000 are diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States.

People of all races and ethnic backgrounds are affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease, although men are affected more often than women. ALS is most commonly found in people between the ages of 40 and 70.

The disease was named after the Hall of Fame baseball player, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, who died of the disease in 1941.

Lou Gehrig’s is a neurological disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons, which reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body, eventually leads to the neurons’ death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control movement is lost. Some patients in the latter stages of the disease become completely paralyzed.

The signs of Lou Gehrig’s are often subtle at first. The symptoms usually begin in a concentrated area of the body and then spread. Eventually the disease begins to affect chewing, swallowing, speaking or breathing.

Researchers have found no apparent cause for ALS. Ninety to 95 percent of the cases occur at random, while five to 10 percent have been found to be inherited. Twenty percent of familial cases seem to be the result of a particular genetic defect.

“Treatments at the MDA/ALS Neuromuscular Center at INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center focus on prolonging the quality and quantity of life for those living with ALS,” says Dr. Brent Beson, the center’s medical director. “Our mission is to provide comprehensive multidisciplinary care to patients until a cure is found.”

The only one of its kind in Oklahoma, the center features a concentration of adult and pediatric specialists in neurology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitative nursing, psychology, nutrition management, respiratory therapy, speech therapy, and medical equipment engineering. There are only 37 such centers in the country.

Important ALS Facts to Know

Possible signs and symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease include: 

• Difficulty in lifting the front part of your foot
• Weakness in your legs, feet or ankles
• Weakness or clumsiness in your hands 
• Slurred speech and/or trouble swallowing
• Muscle cramps
• Twitching in your arms, shoulders or tongue
• Fatigue in combination with any of the above signs or symptoms.

Possible treatment options include:

• Medications
• Physical and Occupational Therapy
• Speech Therapy 
• Nutritional Support 
• Breathing Assistance.

For more information or to make an appointment, contact:

INTEGRIS MDA/ALS Neuromuscular Center
4221 S. Western, Suite 5010
Oklahoma City, OK 73109
Phone (405) 644-5170