sadiemae
Extremely helpful member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 2,527
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 09/2009
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- NV
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- Reno
I was just surfing the internet and came across a great article on the differences between ALS and BFS(Benign Fasticulation Syndrome)
What is the difference between a BFS twitch and an ALS twitch?
There is a BIG difference between the two. ALS twitches are caused by dying muscle tissue as the nerve endings disconnect between the muscle and brain which in return cause the muscle to die and shrink. This is a SECONDARY action and it ONLY happens AFTER the muscle has started it's dying process, NOT before. So with that, ALS twitches (by the time you notice them or IF you even notice them at all) will most certainly have some kind of weakness or immobility of the muscle involved at the same time. Also, ALS twitches and symptoms usually start in a hand or a foot and will migrate from that point forward progressively and continually and relentlessly. They will NOT be random twitches like BFS has. You won't have a twitch in your finger one second, and a twitch on your back the next and a twitch in your calf the next and a twitch on your tongue the next with ALS. ALS starts in one spot and progresses continually through your body, not at random. ALS twitches are usually very fine and again, have WEAKNESS associated with them.
The EMG is always positive in ALS" That's about as plainly as you can put it! ALS twitches are CAUSED by dying nerve endings AND dying muscle tissue. It is a SECONDARY action to the disease! Not a first symptom that causes muscles to die later-on. If you have twitches and it was caused by ALS, you would ALREADY have the disease present in your system which would show-up on an EMG. Twitches without weakness and with a clean EMG are NOT ALS. It can't get any clearer than that!
The bottom line here is simple, BFS is common, ALS is not. BFS twitches and odd symptoms are in no way related to ALS twitches what so ever, and unless you have several dirty or abnormal EMG's and a specific diagnosis (under strict guidelines), and have no "true weakness or "true" atrophy, then YOU DO NOT HAVE ALS!
What is the difference between a BFS twitch and an ALS twitch?
There is a BIG difference between the two. ALS twitches are caused by dying muscle tissue as the nerve endings disconnect between the muscle and brain which in return cause the muscle to die and shrink. This is a SECONDARY action and it ONLY happens AFTER the muscle has started it's dying process, NOT before. So with that, ALS twitches (by the time you notice them or IF you even notice them at all) will most certainly have some kind of weakness or immobility of the muscle involved at the same time. Also, ALS twitches and symptoms usually start in a hand or a foot and will migrate from that point forward progressively and continually and relentlessly. They will NOT be random twitches like BFS has. You won't have a twitch in your finger one second, and a twitch on your back the next and a twitch in your calf the next and a twitch on your tongue the next with ALS. ALS starts in one spot and progresses continually through your body, not at random. ALS twitches are usually very fine and again, have WEAKNESS associated with them.
The EMG is always positive in ALS" That's about as plainly as you can put it! ALS twitches are CAUSED by dying nerve endings AND dying muscle tissue. It is a SECONDARY action to the disease! Not a first symptom that causes muscles to die later-on. If you have twitches and it was caused by ALS, you would ALREADY have the disease present in your system which would show-up on an EMG. Twitches without weakness and with a clean EMG are NOT ALS. It can't get any clearer than that!
The bottom line here is simple, BFS is common, ALS is not. BFS twitches and odd symptoms are in no way related to ALS twitches what so ever, and unless you have several dirty or abnormal EMG's and a specific diagnosis (under strict guidelines), and have no "true weakness or "true" atrophy, then YOU DO NOT HAVE ALS!
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