Primary Lateral Sclerosis

What is Primary Lateral Sclerosis?

Primary lateral sclerosis is nothing but an uncommon disease causing weakness in the voluntary muscles that plays an important role in controlling the arms, legs and tongue.

It is a progressive degenerative motor neuron disease that affects the nerve cells in the body. Nerve cells are responsible for controlling the voluntary movements of muscles called as motor neurons. Primary lateral sclerosis may occur at any age but mostly it happens after the age of 50 and there is no any exact reason, why the nerve cells destroys or occur PLS.

Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis is the subtype of the primary lateral sclerosis that may begins in the early childhood. An abnormal gene passed by the parents to the child is the main cause to happen the juvenile primary lateral sclerosis. There may be nonspecific, mild and non-progressive findings of denervation in the patients with PLS, that may be detected by electro diagnostic testing.

What are the symptoms of primary lateral sclerosis?

Loss of the nerve cells is the major factor of the PLS that brings the muscles difficult and stiff to move. Generally the muscle problem starts from the legs and move up all the over the body and the muscles in the neck and face. The progress of the disease occurs slowly.

Below are some symptoms of PLS:

How the PLS can be diagnosed?

There is no any specific test that can diagnose the PLS. mostly it can be diagnosed as the result of eliminating other possible causes of symptoms. Both ALS and PLS appears giving similar symptoms that may give confusion to detect whether it is ALS or PLS.

Treatment for PLS:

Yet there is no any specific and result oriented treatment for primary lateral sclerosis but it can be cured by relieving its symptoms. The person with primary lateral sclerosis can go through the medicines such as Tizanidine and Baclofen that helps to reduce muscle spasms. The spasms can be also reduced with the therapies such as occupational, physical and speech therapy. These therapies can also improve mobility and provides devices that help with the activities such as walking, eating and talking.

Physical therapy and exercise are the best ways to reduce the symptoms and to maintain the ability of movement. Physical therapies mostly focus on reducing the muscle tone and improving and maintaining the range of mobility and motion. It increase strength, co-ordination and improves comfort. Physical therapists are also helpful to prevent complications such as bedsores, contractures and frozen joints.

Physical therapists can assess the muscle strength, joint motion, posture, endurance, pain, heart and lung functions and other daily living functions. There are therapies such as strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercises. However, there are various types of exercises, but you have to go through it under the instructions of your care taker or doctor. You may also refer various books, videos and audiotapes that provide correct method to do exercise.

Keep in mind the instructions given below while you are starting the exercise: