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NotALS!

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lyme
I was diagnosed with early ALS 2/10 because of muscle weakness and shoulder atrophy. My neuro did an MRI but thought everything looked ok.

I had whiplash in a car accident 30 years ago and have had episodes of severe neck pain ever since. Right now, my neck is really painful and I have a hard time lifting up my head after I look down.

Does this sound like a herniated cervical disc? Could this have caused arm weakness and muscle atrophy after years of irriation/healing?

I'm afraid to have hope.
 
Hopefully you have had more tests other than just an MRI to exclude other causes of the atrophy and weakness. If you have and they have not found another cause then I think you really need to trust your Doctor, especially as he has reviewed your MRI.

God bless
Aly
 
I'm not a Dr. but think your symptoms could be cervical rather than ALS. Did you get an EMG and NCV? They'd show more than an MRI if it was ALS.

AL.
 
Search another member's posts. (tag0620) Tracy's husband was originally diagnosed with ALS. After a LOT of insistence for more tests, other opinions, they finally learned it was indeed from a compressed disc in his thoracic spine area from a ski accident years previous. They had many opportunities to give up and accept the diagnosed, but in the end the true cause was found. This is not to give you false hope, but to encourage you to at least read the lengths they went through to make sure.

To find her posts, click on the "community" hyper link (above, look up at the blue bar) find her user name, tag0620, then, once on her profile page, you can look at the statistics link which will have all of her posts.

Good luck to you. I hope you are able to find an alternate cause.
 
I sent a PM...but to answer your question...yes...a herniated disc can cause atrophy and weakness in any part of the body from the level of the injury down.

Jim's was at T6/T7 and his weakness started with a foot drop and progressed to atrophy and weakness in both legs because it went untreated but kept compressing the cord.

Again..not to give false hope..but if you do have other injuries or reasons for your symptoms...keep looking and don't be afraid to question your doctors with logical and well thought out questions.

Write to me ANYTIME! I'm happy to share my experiences and give you my thoughts!
Tracy
 
Tracy good to see your post. How is Jim? I've often wondered how you two are doing.
Laurel
 
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