ALS & Joint Pain

ALS stands for "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," which is sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The disease is characterized as a fast-moving, fatal neurological disease that attacks the body's nerve cells, which are responsible for controlling our voluntary muscles. Those in the beginning stages of ALS often experience joint pain because of stiffness that results from a lack of use. Often, those suffering from the disease will have to rely on support--such as pillows while in bed or arm slings while standing--to support their joints and decrease strain on body parts while walking, sitting or standing.

The Facts

• Motor neurons are nerve cells found in the brain, brain stem and spinal cord. These cells control units and vital communication links between the body's nervous system and the body's voluntary muscles. Messages that come from motor neurons in the brain are called upper motor neurons and are transmitted to motor neurons in the spinal cord, which are called lower motor neurons. Those messages are then sent to particular muscles in the body. ALS causes both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons to degenerate or die, which also leaves them unable to send messages to muscles. When left unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away and twitch. When the muscles begin to weaken, it can cause overwhelming pain in the joints. Unfortunately, the pain begins because the muscles aren't being used, but by the time the pain occurs, the disease has already made it impossible to move these muscles voluntarily.

Types

• ALS belongs to a group of disorders that are known as motor neuron diseases. These diseases are characterized by their gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons. That being said, there are three main types of ALS: sporadic, familial and Guamanian. There are also numerous subcategories, with sporadic being the most common type of ALS.

Effects

• ALS affects both the brain and the body. It causes the brain to lose all ability to start and control voluntary movement and it causes weakness that leads to many other disabilities. Eventually, all muscles that were once under voluntary control are affected, causing a loss of strength and an inability to move the arms, legs and body. Muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall will also eventually fail, which causes patients to lose the ability to breathe without the support of a ventilator.

Prevention/Solution

• Currently there is no cure for ALS, though there are things that can be done to alleviate joint pain associated with the disease. Aside from increasing support of body parts as already mentioned, physicians can also prescribe medications to help reduce joint pain and fatigue, ease muscle cramps, control spasticity and reduce any excess saliva and phlegm. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the first drug treatment for ALS, which is called riluzole. The drug is believed to decrease the amount of damage done to motor neurons.

Expert Insight

• According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 20,000 Americans have ALS and an estimated 5,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year. It is also the most common neuromuscular disease worldwide, affecting people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. The disease usually strikes people between the ages of 40 and 60, but younger and older people have been diagnosed with ALS. NINDS has also found that between 90 and 95 percent of all ALS cases occur randomly with no clearly associated risk factors, though men are affected more often than women.