For anyone that might read and actually believe Evo, who can not be discouraged from ANYTHING due to their level of extreme anxiety, below are the facts from ANOTHER official ALS site--where doctors write the answers...to add to those already so kindly provided by sadie.
This information is from the ALSA and other official sources--not from anxiety-ridden panicking individuals.
The onset of ALS is insidious with muscle weakness or stiffness as early symptoms. Progression of weakness, wasting and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk as well as those that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing and later breathing generally follows.
The initial symptoms of ALS can be quite varied in different people. One person may experience tripping over carpet edges, another person may have trouble lifting and a third person's early symptom may be slurred speech. The rate at which ALS progresses can be quite variable from one person to another. Although the mean survival time with ALS is three to five years, many people live five, ten or more years. In a small number of people, ALS is known to remit or halt its progression, though there is no scientific understanding as to how and why this happens. Symptoms can begin in the muscles of speech, swallowing or in the hands, arms, legs or feet. Not all people with ALS experience the same symptoms or the same sequences or patterns of progression. But, progressive muscle weakness and paralysis are universally experienced.
Muscle weakness is a hallmark initial sign in ALS, occurring in approximately 60% of patients. Early symptoms vary with each individual, but usually include tripping, dropping things, abnormal fatigue of the arms and/or legs, slurred speech, muscle cramps and twitches and/or uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying.
The hands and feet may be affected first, causing difficulty in lifting, walking or using the hands for the activities of daily living such as dressing, washing and buttoning clothes.
* muscle weakness in one or more of the following: hands, arms, legs or the muscles of speech,
swallowing or breathing
* twitching (fasciculation) and cramping of muscles, especially those in the hands and feet (because the NERVE IS DAMAGED)
* impairment of the use of the arms and legs
* "thick speech" and difficulty in projecting the voice
* in more advanced stages, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing
What part of this are you not understanding, evo? Where is your documentation from an accepted source that the BS you're spouting over this forum are in any way 'true' in the slightest?
ALS is a disease of NERVES--these nerves affect the MUSCLES when they aren't being given a source to "MOVE" anymore. This causes them to atrophy and die away, as sadie and others have tired to explain.
Below is the answer of the ALS EXPERT:
Fasciculations (at least Motor Neuron fascics) are a sign of ongoing reinnervation and can actually begin distally in regenerated nerve fibers. By the time fascics develop in ALS, you should see a good deal of neurogenic potentials
Comment :
What do you mean by neurogenic potentials? Do you mean neurogenic units - the abnormal motor units (amplitude etc.)? Second, so according to your answer if a person fasciculates for months and It is due to ALS (malignant fasciculations)- His motor units should be abnormal (huge amplitude and so on)? How much time on average does it take from the beginning of ALS fasciculations to the appearance of abnormal motor units (neurogenic units)
* I am asking it because I have read that abnormal motor units (huge amplitude.) are more common with chronic long standing denervation
Answer :
Yes neurogenic units means polyphasic units, later on with high amplitude. In my experience, I see the neurogenic units before I see the fascics, or very close to them in time (THESE ARE ABNORMALITIES IN THE EMG)
This is taken from various OFFICIAL ALS Association websites--not from an anxious person trying to diagnose themselves.
Unfortunately, weakness in muscles very often leads to injuring them. -- but again--can have many causes. 
