Lou Gehrig’s (ALS) Diagnosis in San Antonio

Connecting Patients to Exceptional Care

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. The disease has affected many notable people, including the renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawkins, actor David Niven, and baseball legend Lou Gehrig, from whom the disease gets its name. At Neuromuscular and EMG Specialists of Texas, Dr. Andrew Wong offers diagnostic testing for Lou Gehrig’s (ALS) in San Antonio.

Advanced Diagnostics for ALS

ALS is most commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 40 and 70. The disease affects the motor neurons between the brain, spinal cord, and muscles throughout the body. ALS causes a progressive degeneration of these motor neurons, which results in a loss of voluntary muscle control. Because the disease has a gradual onset, exact symptoms may vary from person to person.

Some of the symptoms of ALS include:

• Progressive muscle weakness
• Dropping objects
• Fatigue in the arms or legs
• Tripping and repeated falls
• Muscle twitching and cramping
• Slurred speech

As the disease progresses, the muscles become increasingly weak – including the muscles required for breathing. When breathing muscles are affected, patients will require a ventilator to help them breathe. Eventually, paralysis occurs in one or more areas of the body. As with the initial symptoms, the pattern of progression, sequence, and rate of progression varies from person to person.

Difficulty Diagnosing ALS

ALS is one of the more difficult diseases to diagnose. The symptoms and progression vary and a few other diseases mimic it. There is also not one single test to diagnose ALS. Thorough neurological examinations, X-rays, biopsies, electrodiagnostic tests – such as electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) – and other procedures are used to establish a diagnosis.

Unfortunately, ALS is a disease that cannot be cured and often results in death within 3-5 years from symptom onset. It is not a diagnosis that either physician or patient would like to hear, but you can be confident that Dr. Wong will approach a possible ALS case with empathy, compassion, and patience.

Dr. Wong’s multidisciplinary approach is the industry standard in caring for patients with ALS and involves pulmonary monitoring (in association with a lung specialist), physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and palliative care.

Dr. Wong is fellowship-trained, board certified in neurology and electrodiagnostic medicine, and experienced in the diagnosis of Lou Gehrig’s (ALS) in San Antonio. Visit Neuromuscular and EMG Specialists of Texas for comprehensive care in a welcoming environment.