About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting more than 15,000 people in the United States each year.
ALS onset occurs usually between the ages of 40 and 72. Up to 10% of ALS cases are hereditary (genetic), and the remainder occur sporadically.
Early symptoms of ALS include muscle weakness, stiffness, twitching, and atrophy (wasting). Muscles of speaking, swallowing, breathing, and arms/legs/trunk can be affected.
ABOUT OUR ALS CLINIC
We are committed to providing patients and their families comprehensive, compassionate, and cutting-edge care in the management of ALS in our multidisciplinary clinic. As part of our commitment, we provide our patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials to help the advancement of ALS research.
Management of ALS requires treatment by multiple coordinating specialists, providing holistic care for each patient. Every third Tuesday of the month, we conduct a multidisciplinary ALS clinic providing comprehensive care to our ALS patients.
During the visit, patients will be evaluated by our team of neuromuscular providers along with the following specialists:
- ALS Association Representatives
- Adaptive Mobility Representatives
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication Device Representative
- Dietitian
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Respiratory Therapist
- Social Worker
- Speech Language Pathologist
For further resources please visit the following sites:
Dedicated to Finding a Cure for ALS | The ALS Association
Austin Neuromuscular Center’s ALS Clinic is honored to have been recognized as an ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence. The multidisciplinary ALS Clinic went through a rigorous process to achieve this status, and it signifies the clinic’s longevity, commitment to the highest quality of care, and partnership with the national ALS Association.