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Everything you need to know about Motor Neuron Diseases

Did you know that each time you speak to your friend, go for a long walk, or chew your favorite food, your motor neurons coordinate all the muscle activities in your body? They send electrical output signals to the muscles, urging them to function in a coordinated manner. This helps you perform daily tasks such as gripping, walking, speaking, swallowing, and breathing.

Everything you need to know about Motor Neuron Diseases

When any damage occurs to the Motor Neurons, they lead to a variety of Motor Neuron Diseases. Understanding the disease thoroughly can help you seek the best treatment and rehabilitation from our Plexus centers in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Before we proceed, let’s understand what  motor neurons are.  Motor neurons are specialized nerve cells which are responsible for sending messages to your body so that you can move. There are two main types of motor neurons-

  • Upper motor neurons are located in your brain. They send messages from there to your spinal cord.
  • Lower motor neurons are located in your spinal cord. They transmit the messages sent from your brain to your muscles.
Decoding Motor Neuron Diseases

Decoding Motor Neuron Diseases

Motor Neuron Diseases is a group of neurodegenerative disorders that occur when the motor neurons of the body are damaged. It results in the progressive deterioration of voluntary muscles.

As nerve cells die when you have a motor neuron disease, electrical messages can’t get from your brain to your muscles. Over time, the muscles become extremely weak. You may hear a doctor or therapist call this “atrophy.” When this happens, you lose control over movements. It gets harder to walk, talk, swallow, and breathe.

When any damage occurs to these cells, they lead to a variety of Motor Neuron Diseases. Understanding the disease thoroughly can help you seek the best treatment and rehabilitation from our Plexus centers in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Symptoms of Motor Neuron Diseases

The symptoms of Motor Neuron Diseases begin gradually over weeks and months, sometimes starting on one side and then spreading throughout the body. As the disease progresses, individuals can have little or no movement that can lead to troubles in talking, breathing, and swallowing. Some of its common symptoms include:
Dragging of leg
Slurred speech (dysarthria)
Weakness in legs or shoulder
Cramps and muscles twitching
Footdrop caused by weak ankle muscles
Weakness in hands and grip, leading to difficulty in picking up or holding objects
Causes of Motor Neuron Diseases

Causes of Motor Neuron Diseases

There is no identifiable cause for Motor Neuron Diseases, and it is believed to be caused because of a combination of environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors. Ongoing research has suggested the following causes:

  • Toxins
  • Environmental chemicals
  • Viral infections
  • Intense physical activity
  • Loss of growth factors to developing motor neurons
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction
  • Oxidative injury to neuron
  • Excessive excitability of neurons

Treatments for Motor Neuron Diseases

The type of treatment for MND depends on the severity of its symptoms. A lot can be done to ease your symptoms, maintain quality of life and keep you as mobile as possible for as long as possible. Some of the commonly prescribed treatments for Motor Neuron Disease include:

Our treatment program at Plexus

At Plexus, we provide a curated treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms for Motor Neuron Diseases. Under the guided supervision of Dr Na’eem Sadiq, we provide the most advanced Stem Cell Therapy along with a customized intensive rehabilitation program that includes Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Speech Therapy.

Our team uses a wide range of rehabilitation techniques to slow the progression of the disease and make it easier to manage the symptoms, including:


Endurance training
Dysphagia management
Hand function training
Strengthening of oral structures
Strength training of upper limbs and lower limbs
Stretching to improve joint mobility
Functional splinting
Functional stretching
ADL training

What our patients say

FAQs answered

There is no family history involved in the majority of cases for Motor Neuron Disease However, a variety of genetic and environmental factors may be involved in causing the disorder in certain individuals.

Our senses are usually not impaired by Motor Neuron Disease, so patients can still see, hear, taste, smell, and feel sensations. Although, some people can experience taste changes, skin hypersensitivity, or temperature regulation problems. 

Bladder and bowel movements are also generally not affected by the disease. However, individuals with Motor Neuron Disease may find it difficult to use the washroom due to impaired mobility. Dehydration may also set in with reduced movements, leading to constipation. Motor Neuron Disease may also not affect their libido, however, sexual expression may become difficult due to lack of mobility.

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