Falls and progression

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cyndilouya

New member
Joined
Oct 24, 2022
Messages
2
Reason
CALS
Diagnosis
06/2022
Country
US
State
IL
City
Champaign
Hello to all.
Have any of you noticed or experienced a correlation between falls and a progression of ALS? My PALs has sustained a few bad falls recently, the last one he broke three ribs. He's relatively young and just transitioned to a walker. I've done a little reading on this and would appreciate more input.

In kindness,
Cyn
 
Falls are very dangerous and injuries to PALS may not heal. It does seem that sometimes falls accelerate progression

Please do everything you can to protect your PALS. If they need a walker they should use it consistently. It may also be time to discuss a wheelchair. I hope he has a clinic? Please talk to the neurologist and the PT. If a power chair is going to be needed some know it takes time to get one after it is ordered
 
It would help our very ALS knowledgeable members with some some intro info.
Like when it started, what was affected first, who did your PALS see, did your PALS
get a confirmed diagnosis with the ALS code to qualify for support. The info is optional.
 
Thank you for the kind suggestion. My PALS is formally dx'd. Symptoms began summer of 2021 with drop foot. They are now (forced) retired. There have been some bad falls over the past six weeks resulting in a broken fibula, which is healing w/out a cast. However, the recent fall last week was the worst.
They are using a walker. All durable medical equipment is being ordered. And they are seeing the top neuro in the state for care.
I should add that I am a professional care assistant and working with a hospice nurse.

My question that I presented regarding falls and progression of the disease is my focus. That is my main purpose of gaining knowledge here today. If anyone can share their insight, I'd be truly grateful.
In kindness,
Cyn
 
As I said above yes it seems that sometimes it does
 
Hi Cyn,

Like Nikki said, sometimes it does. I think it depends on a lot of things. Progression can speed up, slow down or even plateau regardless of falls.

I've progressed slowly until this past year. I fell in 2016 and sprained my ankle badly. That threw out my back but the ankle I sprained was my "good" one. It took some time, but it did heal. During the time it was sprained, I had a loaner wheelchair and also ordered my PWC. Long story short, I started walking again and, by mid-2017, I no longer needed any type of assistance to walk. I hurt my knee in 2018 by walking on an incline on the treadmill and that injury just kept getting worse 2020. In 2020 I started walking fast again and swimming. In 2021 my knee started hurting again and the MRI showed some damage. This year I was standing in the kitchen and it just gave out. Now I'm back in the chair and using a walker around the condo. I went to an ortho, got a current MRI, and talked to ALS doctor. The general opinion is that I can't get my knee repaired since I don't have enough muscle in my thigh to support rehab. So, all injuries are dangerous in ALS, even when they aren't falls.

Falls have killed people with ALS. I've taken some stupid risks but not now.

I hope your PALS heals up and his falls don't cause a faster progression but nobody can predict one way or another.
 
If I understand correctly, you are talking about at least two falls in six weeks that resulted in fractures and someone that is ambulating with a walker despite a healing fib fracture?? I would be heading straight to clinic to get an order for a wheelchair. The issue of accelerated progression seems fairly unimportant compared with the risk of further falls, a higher risk of emboli secondary to relative immobility, and the possibility of a TBI.

Best,
Laurie
 
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If you are doing research you can Google this and there isca study at
.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Slash
pmc
/articles/
PMC6398543/
We dont put links in posts.

BACKGROUND:
Persons diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often demonstrate neurological deficits that predispose them to repeated falls and associated adverse consequences. Determining contributing factors to falls in this population is critical to improve safety and patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study was to correlate clinical measures of gait speed, balance, strength, spasticity, and a self-reported rating scale of function with fall incidence in individuals with ALS.
 
I have an amazing ability to trip over a wheel on my walker, and to trip over nothing at all. When I'm dizzy from the Relyvrio, I ask someone to spot me (e.g. two arms tight around my upper arm). I am now religiously using my rollator, and I no longer waltz with my cat when I know he needs to go out -- someone else takes care of him in that way. (I still brush him and we schmooze a lot.) We have several good night lights.

By evening when I'm tired, I request the bear hug assistance from my spouse or my son, for standing up.

For short distances, I sometimes rest my arm on someone's arm, while holding the person's hand. Or, the person's other arm goes around my waist in addition. If I start to feel out of balance, I stop and explain and get things right before we move on.

Every county in my state has a loan closet with wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, commodes, etc. Right now I have a 60-lb. Majestic for a short-term loan. I'm able to tool around my yard, deadheading, picking up sticks, checking if the compost is stinky (if so, it needs more dry leaves on top), etc. I'm about to buy the new 50-lb. majestic because I have to return the loaner.

I also borrowed an upright walker but haven't used it since I was in the ER last week - I feel much weaker in the legs. But I want to give it a try to see if I can still get to the duck pond.

Every 3 months, the neuro will rate the FRS. However, if the neuro involves both of you in that process and explains how the scores are being assigned, I see no reason why you guys can't estimate the FRS at home once a month. The basic criteria and instructions are online, and the neuro's office notes will document the FRS scales that have been done so far.

My neuro told me that on average, the total FRS goes down between half a point and one point per month. That's just and AVERAGE, though.
 
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Hello. I am 53 years old
. My doctors have diagnosed me with Bulbar ALS. It started with my speech being slightly slurred and falling down a lot. I was falling down causing bad bruises and I fractured a rib. I started using a walking cane. Within one year I went from a cane to a walker then a wheelchair. Bulbar ALS is very aggressive. I was diagnosed in 2019. I have difficulty swallowing and talking. I am getting a feeding tube in June. It is a horrible illness. I have a great support system which is very important. I wish you all the best.
 
Best of luck, RKeller. It is a horrible disease, and I'm glad you have a support system. My PALS got a feeding tube a few months ago and he's been happy with it - it's much easier for him to get the amount of nutrition he needs without worrying about choking or getting tired from chewing and swallowing. I hope it goes well flor you too.
 
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