In 1869, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was identified in France by neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. In the United States it is sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease because of the New York Yankee baseball player, Lou Gehrig, who was diagnosed with it in 1939 at the Mayo Clinic. ALS attacks motor neuron cells in the brain and spine. Eventually, people with ALS cannot move any part of their body and they experience difficulty with speaking, swallowing and breathing.
Effects
ALS is idiopathic, meaning no one knows where it comes from. There is no cure and most people who acquire it die within three to five years. However, with advances in treatment and medicines, some people have been able to live longer. Some ALS patients first notice symptoms in their hand or arm. They may be unable to button a shirt, write, or manipulate a small object, such as a key. Sometimes they have difficulty speaking.
Significance
Muscle spasms in the hand are a common problem for people with ALS, so physical therapy is often needed. However, there are exercises that can be done at home that can help the patient maintain independence as long as possible. In the early stages of the disease, performing exercises that engage the muscles controlling the wrist and forearm can be helpful.
Potential
Exercising the fingers, hand, wrist and arms can be done in a seated position on a chair, or in a pool. Aquatic therapy is ideal for ALS patients in the early stages of the disease because physical therapists have devised effective hand exercises where the water does most of the work. The weightlessness of water helps with movement and simultaneously adds resistance to movement.
Considerations
It is important to note that activities or exercises that are used for strengthening muscles should be avoided in the later stages of ALS. As soon as the muscles have become affected by the disease, it is best to focus on passive range of motion exercises, which are done by a physical therapist or other caregiver. One easy exercise that focuses on finger and wrist flexion and extension can be done by a caregiver. The caregiver holds the patient's forearm above the wrist with one hand and clasps the patient's fingers with his other hand. Then, he bends the patient's wrist back, while straightening the fingers. The caregiver can also bend the patient's wrist in the opposite direction, and curl the patient's fingers into a fist.
Types
For those ALS patients who are still in the early stages, there are many hand activities and exercises which can be done in water or while seated. They include: waving your hands; making a fist then releasing and straightening the fingers; tapping the thumb to the tip of each individual finger; dragging the thumb across the palm of the hand to the base of the little finger; thumb circles, and placing the palms of the hand flat on the knees, fanning the fingers apart, then bringing them back together.