ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig disease, is a progressive, incurable disease of the nervous system. It is fatal on average within a few years, though some people live longer.

ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a disease of progressive muscle weakness which occurs due to the destruction of motor neuron cells in the nervous system. Without these neurons, the brain is unable to send information to muscles.

In the United States, approximately 5,600 people are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, each year, according to the ALS Association. This disease, which is also called Lou Gehrig's disease, results in the progressive decline of the motor neurons responsible for voluntary muscle movement.

Scientists have attributed the emergence of an important ALS breakthrough in part to the money raised by celebrities being doused with water.

Most muscle twitches are what doctors describe as �benign� events that require no medical treatment and go away on their own after a short while. Often, stress and anxiety are to blame. However, twitching muscles can sometimes be a symptom of more serious conditions that require prompt medical attention.