Everyone suffers from stress from time to time but when you have a chronic disease, stress not only adds to your everyday burden but can often exacerbate the symptoms of your condition. While we can’t avoid stress altogether, there are ways that we help ourselves relax more and not let things…

Scientists have discovered how adult skin cells can be converted into motor neurons without transitioning them through a stem cell state. The findings promise to help researchers better understand motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “MicroRNAs Induce a Permissive Chromatin Environment that…

ALS is not only a confusing disease for those of us who have it, but it also throws our well-meaning friends into a tizzy. Friends who truly want to show their love and support are stymied as to what to do, how to act or what to bring.

Expression of the calcium channel Cacophony in certain motor neurons restored motor defects in a fruit fly model with TDP-43 loss, a condition found in  neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, a new study shows. The study, “Restoration of motor defects caused by loss…

Following her husband’s frustration at not being able to do up the buttons on his formal work shirts, Maura Horton came up with a simple and practical solution: magnetic buttons. MORE: Discover seven facts about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis you might find interesting.  According to a report on Fox News, Horton’s husband…

A quote on a friend’s Facebook page caught my attention recently. Reading it was a reminder of how far I’ve come in learning to live with ALS. “It is not primarily our physical selves that limit us, but rather our mindset about…

Medical marijuana is gaining popularity as a complementary medicine to help with many symptoms associated with chronic illnesses. While many people are curious about how marijuana (or cannabis) may help improve their symptoms, they are also reluctant to smoke the substance. However, there are ways that medical marijuana can be administered, including…

Speak clearly Use a fork and knife when you eat Hand-write your thank you notes The above (plus a few more) were on my mother’s list of good manners that she expected me to follow when I was a kid. They certainly helped me through the years and proved…

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) or speech-language therapists (SLTs) do much more than help people with speech problems such as stuttering or mispronouncing words. For children and adults with neuromuscular disorders like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), muscular dystrophy (MD) and amyotrophic lateral…