Case Report on the role of physiotherapy in improving the quality of life of a patient with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

The commonest type of motor neuron disease is ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative disease that affects the neurons and includes features of gradually increasing motor neurons degeneration that controls voluntary muscles functions. Early signs of ALS include gradual onset of stiffness of muscles, muscular spasms, progressive weakness, and muscle wasting. C9orf72 (chromosome 9 open reading frame 72) is the commonest gene that undergoes mutation in ALS, promoting the loss of motor neurons in multiple ways. This case is of a 47 years old male patient who presented with complaints of asthenia in the lower limb for 2 years, asthenia in the upper limbs for 1½ years, dyspnea for the last 5 months, and dysphasia, dysphagia, sialorrhea for the last 3 months. He underwent various interventions like MRI, CT scans, EMG (Electromyography), and NCV (Nerve Conduction Velocity). He was then diagnosed with Motor neuron disease after ruling out another probable diagnosis like upper and lower motor neuron disease, Syringomyelia. The disease-specific outcome measures for ALS are ALSFRS and ALSAQ-5. Physiotherapy treatment that is modulated according to the patient's need plays a vital role in improving the quality of life and helps in delaying the worsening of symptoms henceforth helping in increasing the life span of the patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.