Sorry for this running a bit long...
April - I think whether or not you can regain strength through PT/OT is dependent on the cause of the weakness. It would seem reasonable that for a number of ailments you would have to address the underlying cause of the weakness before you could start building strength back up.
Lovelily - The biopsy will be from the left vastus medialis. Not an area where I have any particular weakness, but I do get "purring" in that leg.
I am also posting because I got the chart notes back from the U of U. A lot of it was good (normal reflexes woot woot!), but some of it raised more questions for me. During the exam the neurologist said the EMG was normal, but the notes mentioned "minimal abnormalities." Since I can be a little Type A, I was shooting for none at all
I tried reading the thread Al stickied on EMG's, but its been a long day, and it's too much on my tired brain. That and I choose social science because I wanted to read paperback textbooks on fun topics like deviancy (That and if you're ever worried about your pet hypothesis you can always do "qualitative" research). I'm throwing this out there in the hope that sharper minds than mine (Wright? Help, please.) can help me wrap my mind around this. So with that here is the transcription:
Nerve condutction studies were entirely normal on the right lower extremity, including S waves. EMG showed minimal abnormalities including increased spontaneous activity in the right anterior anterior tibialis. However, there was no evidence of a myopathy.
Most of this was sounds great... NCS "normal" (including S waves), no evidence of myopathy. But a few questions:
1. What are S waves? Are these related to the sharp positive waves that are a common finding in an abnormal NCS/EMG that can lead to an ALS diagnosed. Since mine are normal this should be a relief, I just want to make it into a bigger relief.
2. What exactly is "spontaneous activity?" What does it mean, and what other findings would make it pathological? I ask because EMG day was a kind of quiet quiet one on the twitching front, and things have picked a a bit since then.
3. Cool, no evidence of myopathy (who wants an 'athy anyway), but doesn't this rule out some nice treatable otptions that present with stiffness, cramping and spasm like polymyositis, and immune system related inflammatory myopathies. Also since ALS effects motor neurons and not muscle itself, its not a myopathy right?
I'm trying to stay positive as always, but since the soreness, cramping, and feelings of weakness have gotten a little worse, and since I realized that some of the neuro findings point away from a disease of the muscle itself (which I don't necessarily want), I was a little discouraged.
I guess I should look on the bright side. Right now I a lot of what I experience can be described as "decreased exercise tolerance." That sounds like it could be fixed with course entitled, "Embracing Excercise and Diversity in Physical Activity." Yes, that would probably be a paperback textbook too.
Thanks for all the help and support,
Robert