Camille Leiter, Haylee Swensen

Hall of Fame Project: Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehring was born on June 19, 1903 in New York City. He is well-known for being

an incredible athlete for the New York Yankees. He set a world record streak by playing 2,130

games but his undiagnosed disease slowly began to interfere with the game he loved. He became

clumsy and unsteady, so he asked his coach to sit out of a game where he ended up breaking the

world record streak at the time. Gehrig only planned on sitting out for one game, but his

clumsiness began to increase. He ended up going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota

where doctors diagnosed him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a

neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the spinal cord and the brain. Gehrig was

diagnosed with ALS in 1939 and he passed away on June 2, 1941 at 37 years old. ALS is also

known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in hopes that the memory of the incredible athlete will live on.

Etiology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is caused by deteriorating motor neurons. Motor neurons

are nerve cells that are responsible for muscle movements. When motor neurons are damaged,

they are unable to send signals to the muscles, severely decreasing muscle function. When

someone has ALS, their motor neurons will slowly deteriorate and eventually die. The brain is

unable to initiate and control muscle movement when motor neurons die. Many people with ALS

become paralyzed in the later stages. Heredity is another factor in the cause of ALS. Five to ten

percent of people inherit ALS. For the rest of those with ALS, the cause is not known.
Pathology

ALS is an incurable disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord which

causes muscle loss. Often it will begin with slurred speech, muscle twitching or cramps,

difficulty walking, weakness, as well as behavioral changes. It can even get to the point of no

longer being able to breath or eat. Motor neurons begin to die in the brain and spinal cord, you

are unable to send messages to the muscles and they can no longer function properly. Most

people who are diagnosed are men over the age of 40, it is not as common in women. Those who

serve in the military are also at greater risk of being diagnosed. We are unsure of what causes

ALS and there is not a cure for it, but it will attack muscle development in all types of forms.

Prognosis

On average, it takes about one year for a diagnosis of ALS to be made. Overall, ALS

shortens the life-span. While about half of people with ALS will live for three years or longer

after diagnosis, twenty percent will live for five years or longer, ten percent will live for ten

years or longer, and five percent will live for twenty years or longer. After ALS starts in the

body, it progresses, eventually taking away the ability to “​walk, dress, write, speak, swallow, and

breathe”. The order in which these things happen and how rapidly they occur differs from person

to person.

Symptoms

Early symptoms:
● Loss of function in arms and hands
● No longer able to perform daily tasks
 ● Poor body balance
● Slurring words
● Tripping or falling when walking
● Difficulty swallowing and breathing
Final symptoms:
● Become paralized
● Problems with eating and drinking
● Respiratory failure
● No longer able to breathe on their own.

Treatment

Currently, there is no cure for ALS. Although there are a few FDA-approved drugs,

riluzole and edaravone, that may be administered to the patient to slow the progression, the

medical field is still looking for more effective treatment. ​Physical therapy assists ALS patients

in learning to adjust to their disabilities. “Physical therapy can maximize existing capabilities and

prevent further loss of motion or prevent pain that may develop from stiff joints”

(my.clevelandclinic.org). Physical therapists do this by helping the patient practice stretching,

range of motion, and strengthening exercises. They can also recommend that the patient get

equipment such as assistive devices, braces, and wheelchairs depending on their needs.

Although medical professionals are still searching for a cure, awareness of ALS increased

exponentially as a result of the 2014 ALS ice bucket challenge. This challenge went viral on

social media, raising $115 million in donations. The increase in awareness and funds allowed for

more medical research to be performed and increased care for patients with ALS. The ALS

Association hopes that with more awareness, medical professionals can eventually find a cure for

ALS.
 Bibliography

“Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).” ​Mayo Clinic,​ Mayo Foundation for Medical Education

and Research, 6 Aug. 2019,

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/symptoms-

causes/syc-20354022.

“​Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Physical Therapy and ALS”​ Cleveland

Clinic, ​Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2019​,

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16729-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als/ph

ysical-therapy-and-als.

Henderson, Wendy. “Who Was Lou Gehrig?” ​ALS News Today​, 12 Dec. 2017,

alsnewstoday.com/2017/12/12/who-was-lou-gehrig-2/.

Joana Lancastre. “​Stages of ALS.”​ ALS News Today​. Bionews Feeds, 2019,

https://alsnewstoday.com/stages-of-als/.

Miller, Robert G., and Stanley H. Appel. “Introduction to Supplement: The Current Status of

Treatment for ALS.” ​Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Frontotemporal Degeneration,​

Oct. 2017, pp. 1–4. ​EBSCOhost,​ doi:10.1080/21678421.2017.1361447.

Nix, Elizabeth. “The Life of Lou Gehrig.” ​History.com​, A&E Television Networks, 31 May

2016, www.history.com/news/the-life-of-lou-gehrig.