This is taken from another board I lurk on. I hope it helps some of you put your ALS worries to bed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
My name is Dr. Anthony Will and I am a dual Board Certified Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine & Family Medicine physician in Glendale, Arizona.
I am not an ALS specialist. My NMM practice is focused primarily on various pain syndromes such as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Fibromyalgia, and Sports related injuries. I have been involved in diagnosing three ALS cases in my 10-year career.
I have been very impressed with the great encouragement and support that this website offers for many individuals that are effected by fasciculation’s of unknown origin. These certainly can be a very scary experience.
I would like to share some very encouraging information based on my own experience with fasciculation’s and seeking consultation by two Neuromusculoskeletal Disease Neurologists. Physician one at The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale Arizona and physician two in private practice in Phoenix Arizona who operates an ALS Clinic and has cared for one of my past dear patients with ALS.
About 10 months ago, I like many others, had experienced an increase in stress in my life with the sudden onset of muscle twitches in the left foot and soon all over. Of course I knew that I was not experiencing any weakness, but like many I started to second-guess myself and I began my own obsession with daily strength tests. I even would ask my fellow partners and medical students to check my reflexes to ensure that they were not hyperactive. Finally it was time to see a specialist and obtain an objective non-biased evaluation. I had the MRI, EMG, and several detailed neurological exams. After two NMD specialists assured me that the fasciculation’s were “benign” I finally let go of the worry and fear and now I barely notice them.
Here is some sage information shared by experts in the field of ALS with regards to fasciculations:
1. Everybody experiences fasciculation’s.
2. They are more common with exercise, dehydration, caffeine use, increased anxiety and stress.
3. They are not an area of medicine that receives much research funding or medical education attention due to their non-life threatening status.
4. If fasciculation’s are present without weakness or obvious muscle atrophy then it is NOT ALS.
5. Fasciculation do not precede weakness and thus will not turn into ALS later in life.
6. People with ALS present with unexplained weakness first, not just fasciculation’s.
7. If a patient has a normal neurological exam and EMG they do not have ALS.
8. Treat underlying anxiety.
9. See a well-qualified physician and put your ALS Fear to Bed.
10. Breathe easy and laugh at them. They kind of tickle.
God Bless & Be Well.
Dr. Will
Reply With Quote
Raised by wolves and other beasts. 
Originally Posted by hope_girl
