ALS Information

The ALS Alberta Webpage page is currently loading

What is ALS?

Try our Canadian ALS online discussion forum!

Speak to people affected by ALS; make friends, ask questions and show your support.

Want Facts About ALS? Click here for ALS statistics.

ALS is a rapidly degenerative, always fatal neuromuscular disease. It attacks the nerves that the body would normally use to send messages from the brain to the muscle, resulting in weakness and wasting. Eventually, the individual with ALS is left completely immobilized, with loss of speech and eventually an inability to swallow and breath.

The sensory neurons in people living with ALS continue to function normally so that they will continue to feel the sensations of heat, cold, discomfort etc. The mind often remains completely alert and lucid. The result is often a lively, unimpaired mind trapped in an immobilized body. The average life expectancy from symptom onset is 3 to 5 years; the real challenge in the medical community at large is correctly diagnosing ALS in the early stages, so that the ALS Society of Alberta is able to provide the maximum level of assistance to the person living with ALS and that person's family. Statistics show that:

Approximately 3,000 Canadians live with ALS
Two to three Canadians a day die of ALS

When was ALS first discovered?

ALS was identified in France in 1869 by the famous neurology pioneer Jean-Martin Charcot and was originally named Maladie de Charcot. Since then ALS has taken on many different names in different parts of the world. In Canada ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; in the United States it is better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease named after the famous New York Yankees first baseman whos career was cut short by the disease; many other parts of the world know ALS as MND (Motor Neuron Disease), Sclrose latrale amyotrophique and Maladie de Lou Gehrig.

What causes ALS?

Although ALS has been identified for more than 135 years, in the majority of cases, the cause is unknown. Research is being conducted in areas relating to genetic predispositions, viral or infectious agents, environmental toxins, stem cell research and immunological changes. Some of this research is happening right here in Alberta.

Is there a cure?

Simply, no, there is no known cure and no treatment that prolongs life significantly. Some drugs now available and others being developed will offer new treatment options. Research is investigating ways to reverse the disease. The ALS Society of Canada, in partnership with the ALS Society of Alberta and other sister provincial societies across Canada, are working tirelessly to isolate a cause and eventually a cure for ALS. Admittedly, the progress seems to be slow but several new areas of research offer significant encouragement.

What are the effects of ALS?

ALS is a disease of families. As the disease progresses, individuals become completely dependent, and increasingly unable to communicate their needs. Institutionalization is rare; care is almost always provided by family members. Often, family members must quit their jobs to provide this care. This adds enormous financial strain to the already severe emotional stress placed on families coping with the imminent loss of a loved one.

Click here to discover how you can make a difference

	ALS Fact Sheets
	Contact Us Today
	Facts About ALS
	Our Vision & Mission
	Our Annual Report
	Press Releases
	What Is ALS?

Newsletter Signup

	Visual Accessibility
	Default Text
	Medium Text
	LARGE Text

	Printing Options
	Printer Friendly Webpage
	Print This Page Now

(C) Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved. [www.alsab.ca]
ALS Society of Alberta · Suite 400 · 320 23 Ave. SW · Calgary, Alberta Canada · T2S 0J2
Nonprofit Charitable Registration Number: 12063-0827-RR0001 · A registered Canadian nonprofit organisation.
Phone: 1(403)228-3857 Fax: 1(403)228-7752 Toll-Free: 1(888)309-1111 E-mail: info@alsab.ca

Nonprofit software and nonprofit consulting services provided by Intrigue Design.