What are Neuromuscular Diseases?

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s Disease):

A disease of the parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. In ALS, motor neurons (nerve cells that control muscle cells) are gradually lost. As these motor neurons are lost, the muscles they control become weak and then nonfunctional.

Muscular Dystrophy: 

A group of genetic disorders characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. 

Myasthenia Gravis: 

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease — a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. In MG, an attack interrupts the connection between nerve and muscle — the neuromuscular junction. MG causes weakness in muscles that control the eyes, face, neck and limbs. 

Neuropathy: 

Causes damage to the peripheral nerves, which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and relay sensations, such as pain and touch to the brain and spinal cord from the rest of the body.     

Muscle diseases:

The word myopathy means “disease of muscle.” More specifically, myopathies are diseases that cause problems with the tone and contraction of skeletal muscles (muscles that control voluntary movements.)