Nerves and Muscles
Please visit our Neurology or Neuropathy page for more details.
Neuromuscular diseases affect the muscles, the nerve-muscle (neuromuscular) junction, peripheral nerves in the limbs, and the motor-nerve cells in the spinal cord. Together this group of areas are known as the Peripheral Nervous System.
ALS / Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS):, also known as motor neurone disease(MND) or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. As motor neurons in these areas degenerate and die, the brain’s ability to start and control muscle movement is lost. ALS is characterized by rapidly-progressing weakness, muscle atrophy and fasciculations, muscle spasticity, and difficulties in speaking, swallowing, and breathing.
Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis: a condition distinguished by an increased, often abnormal, amount of perspiration – more than what is required to regulate the body’s temperature. This can result in psychological, emotional, and social difficulties that can impact a person’s quality of life. New treatments, like Botox injections are now regularly used to treat the symptoms.
External Resource: International Hyperhidrosis Society
Myasthenia
Myasthenia: an autoimmune neuromuscular disease leading to weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under one’s voluntary control. The condition is caused by a breakdown in the normal communication between nerves and muscles, and it has many possible causes.
External Resource: Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA)
Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS)
Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS): a viral infection of the nervous system that can affect those who have previously contracted poliomyelitis, also known as polio. Symptoms appear 15 to 30 years after recovery from the initial paralytic attack and target those between the ages of 35 to 60. These symptoms can include acute or increased muscular weakness, pain in the muscles, and fatigue. The precise cause of PPS is unknown. It shares many features with chronic fatigue syndrome, but tends to be progressive and can cause loss of muscle strength.
External Resource: Post-Polio Health International