lmblmb
New member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2021
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Other
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- MA
- City
- Sudbury
Thank you to all of the courageous and caring people on this forum. I've been fund rasing for the past 15 years and will continue to do so. I seek your guidance on the history below and EMG images - Thanks again
History
60 years old
20 years of intense athletics: including resistance training, HITT, and cardio (some would say too intense)
Prior to 2017 - years of leg muscle cramps and forearm stiffness (particularly at the inside joint of the elbow)
2017 - ran half marathon - ended up in the medical tent for over 2 hours with muscle cramps in legs, abs, neck, and arms
2019 - July continued relatively intense physical activity including long hikes and ice climbing, noticed some reduction in strength of shoulders and neck
2019 - August - road Pan Mass Challenge - at 70 miles, severe muscle cramps in both legs - ended up in medical tent for 30 minutes attempting to roll out lag spasms
Saw PCP because of severity of legs cramps and perceived muscle weakness in right leg
11/2019 - First EMG - right leg and arm only - normal (screen shots below)
2020 - through March - continued to workout at high level and continued to feel weakness in right quad with burning along outside of thigh and left foot lack of sensation under big toe and foot pad
2020 - March through October reduced 5 day a week training to 2 days and continued to have weakness in right quad, left foot lacking sensation is worse, extended to all toes
2020 - August - neurologist appointment - normal exam, despite complaints of right leg weakness, leg foot numbness, and left shoulder atrophy, constant stomach fullness at night. Frequent awakenings during sleep;
2020 - October - laminectomy L2-L3
2020 - Since then, when walking, feels like I can’t feel right leg - and there is a lack of muscle endurance - lack of muscle endurance in left foot - notice atrophy of left foot
2020 - December - normal neuro exam; 2nd EMG - images below
Symptoms progressing: atrophy of both hands, both feet, and shoulder muscles, stiffness in forearms, triceps, and biceps, ankles, neck extensors, and flexors, cramping in both hands, and feet, frequent awakenings during sleep, burning along tricep, electric shock like on inside of right shin odd, muscle twitching legs, abs, shoulders, and glutes
grip strength seems reduced; left shoulder buzzes or feels like someone is pressing on the outside top of shoulder
Exercise leaves muscles very sore and fatigued beyond the normal expectations after exercise
Overall strength is good - endurance is off
Questions
History
60 years old
20 years of intense athletics: including resistance training, HITT, and cardio (some would say too intense)
Prior to 2017 - years of leg muscle cramps and forearm stiffness (particularly at the inside joint of the elbow)
2017 - ran half marathon - ended up in the medical tent for over 2 hours with muscle cramps in legs, abs, neck, and arms
2019 - July continued relatively intense physical activity including long hikes and ice climbing, noticed some reduction in strength of shoulders and neck
2019 - August - road Pan Mass Challenge - at 70 miles, severe muscle cramps in both legs - ended up in medical tent for 30 minutes attempting to roll out lag spasms
Saw PCP because of severity of legs cramps and perceived muscle weakness in right leg
11/2019 - First EMG - right leg and arm only - normal (screen shots below)
2020 - through March - continued to workout at high level and continued to feel weakness in right quad with burning along outside of thigh and left foot lack of sensation under big toe and foot pad
2020 - March through October reduced 5 day a week training to 2 days and continued to have weakness in right quad, left foot lacking sensation is worse, extended to all toes
2020 - August - neurologist appointment - normal exam, despite complaints of right leg weakness, leg foot numbness, and left shoulder atrophy, constant stomach fullness at night. Frequent awakenings during sleep;
2020 - October - laminectomy L2-L3
2020 - Since then, when walking, feels like I can’t feel right leg - and there is a lack of muscle endurance - lack of muscle endurance in left foot - notice atrophy of left foot
2020 - December - normal neuro exam; 2nd EMG - images below
Symptoms progressing: atrophy of both hands, both feet, and shoulder muscles, stiffness in forearms, triceps, and biceps, ankles, neck extensors, and flexors, cramping in both hands, and feet, frequent awakenings during sleep, burning along tricep, electric shock like on inside of right shin odd, muscle twitching legs, abs, shoulders, and glutes
grip strength seems reduced; left shoulder buzzes or feels like someone is pressing on the outside top of shoulder
Exercise leaves muscles very sore and fatigued beyond the normal expectations after exercise
Overall strength is good - endurance is off
Questions
- Is this considered a clean or dirty EMG - what does +1 and reduced values mean in a few of the columns
- Looks like a slight change from first EMG to second realtive to right leg.. is it remarkable?
- How could EMG on APB be normal and now 30 days later there is atrophy
- Isn’t reduction in muscle endurance or muscle fatigue a precursor to clinical weakness
- Does muscle fatigue show up on EMG
- The real bottom line question is are all of these symptoms pre clinical signs that at some point convert to the requirements of an ALS diagnosis