ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) MND (Motor Neuron Disease)

The Motor Neuron Diseases(MND) are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurons, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body.

ALS ( Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosi) or MND ( Motor Neuron Disease) is a fast progressing degenerative disease or devastating illness which leads to progressive paralysis and eventual death. It is considered to be an Incurable disease where medical science does not have anything to offer even in arresting the fast progression.

In this field through Homoeopathy at AKGsOVIHAMS medical centre some encouraging results have been obtained ,though not achieved a cure but certainly improvement has been seen in many cases, which has made me to explore more and conduct research .

MND refers to a group of diseases that affect motor neurons. In the United States, MND is more commonly called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou u Gehrig’s disease, after the Basball player. ALS/MND refers to a specific subset of pathologically-identical diseases; other diseases of the motor neuron that should not be confused with ALS/MND include spinobulbar muscular atrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and many others.
A French Neurologist, Jean – Martin Charcot, first suggested grouping together disparate conditions that affect thelateral horn of the spinal cord in 1869.

Causes Symptoms Manage Approaches Investigation Testimonials

About 90% of cases of ALS / MND are "sporadic", meaning that the patient has no family history of ALS and the case appears to have occurred with no known cause. Genetic factors are suspected to be important in determining an individual's susceptibility to disease, and there is some weak evidence to suggest that onset can be "triggered" by as yet unknown environmental factors. Certain Emotional and Psychological trauma or factors have been seen as the precursors in many cases we studied at AKGsOVIHAMS.

Symptoms usually present themselves between the ages of 35-50-70, and include
Progressive Weakness
Muscle Wasting
Fasciculations or Muscle Twitching Spasticity or Stiffness in the Arms and Legs
Overactive Tendon Reflexes
Foot Drop or Dragging Foot
Unilateral Muscle Wasting in the Hands
Slurred Speech
Chocking & Suffocation
Difficulty in swallowing sply Liquids
Increased Salivation
Generalised Weakness

Skeletal Muscles are innervated by a group of neurons (lower motor neurons) located in the ventral horns of the spinal cord which project out the ventral roots to the muscle cells. These nerve cells are themselves innervated by the corticospinal tract or upper motor neurons that project from the motor cortex of the brain. On macroscopic pathology, there is a degeneration of the ventral horns of the spinal cord, as well as atrophy of the ventral roots. In the brain, atrophy may be present in the frontal and temporal lobes. On microscopic examination, neurons may show spongiosis, the presence of astrocytes, and a number of inclusions including characteristic "skein-like" inclusions, bunina bodies, and vacuolization.

The classic form of the disease is also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It tends to be focal in onset, with a particular group of muscles affected first. This presents:

With a mixture of upper and lower motor neurone features (for example, with a wasted fasciculating biceps with a brisk, easily obtained biceps' reflex).

In three recognised patterns:

Limb onset - by far the commonest
Bulbar onset - 20% of cases
Respiratory onset - the least common

The rarer variants of the disease can present in 2 ways:

With pure UMN features (primary lateral sclerosis).
With pure LMN features (progressive muscular atrophy).

Neurological examination presents specific signs associated with upper and lower motor neuron degeneration. Signs of Upper motor neuron damage include Spasticity, brisk Reflexes and the Babinski sign. Signs of Lower motor neuron damage include weakness and muscle atrophy.
Note that every muscle group in the body requires both upper and lower motor neurons to function. The signs described above can occur in any muscle group, including the arms, legs, torso, and bulbar region.

The diagnosis of MND is a clinical one, established by a neurologist on the basis of history and neurological examination.
There is no diagnostic test for ALS / MND.
Investigations such as Blood tests,
CPK
ACTH
MUSK
Lead
Mercury
MRI Scans - Brian, Spine
NCV
EMG
Genetic Test etc.

Not Available