The motor neurons in ALS patients will gradually progress through the seven stages. In effect, it decreases the person’s ability to walk, speak, write, or breathe before the patient dies.

Some signs of ALS include stiffness and weakness in muscle, stumbling, and speech that slurs. These symptoms do not progress the same way for each person.

1. The early stages of ALS

If you or a loved one are experiencing muscle weakness, tightness, stiffness, and cramping, it may be due to ALS. To detect this problem at the earliest stage of development is key in determining the best treatment plan.

The traditional progression of typically slower and weaker physical function due to ALS can make it difficult for the individual to perform basic tasks.

ALS is most often referred to as limb onset ALS if the symptoms start in the arms or leg. If the case influences speech first, most specialists refer to it as bulbar onset ALS.

Medical problems are diagnosed in the late stages of ALS because most symptoms don't show themselves until the disease has progressed and it usually invades all parts of a person's body.

2. The Diagnosis Stage

Myriad signs, in the second stage, are clear. Muscle weakness progressively extends to different body parts, and a doctor will typically look at test results and previous medical history.

A study in 2018 found that doctors diagnosed ALS less frequently than they should have, due to their narrow scope of diagnoses.