PREPATELLAR / KNEE BURSITIS

KNEE / PREPATELLAR BURSITIS - A trauma to the knee can result in damage to a prepatellar bursa, causing it to fill with blood and its lining to become inflamed. Even though the body reabsorbs the blood, the bursa lining may stay inflamed, causing knee bursitis symptoms. Bursitis is often caused by frequent "mini-traumas," which can cause the same problems as a single, more serious trauma. People who kneel a lot - people who install carpets, for example - may develop bursitis in their knees. A prepatellar bursa can become inflamed as the result of another condition, such as knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or pseudogout.

AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, is a progressive nervous system (neurological) disease that destroys nerve cells and causes disability. ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in a limb, or slurred speech. Eventually, ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. 

Early signs and symptoms of ALS include:

• Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities
• Tripping and falling
• Weakness in your leg, feet or ankles
• Hand weakness or clumsiness
• Slurred speech or trouble swallowing
• Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and tongue
• Difficulty holding your head up or keeping good posture