ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects about 20,000 Americans. About 5-10% of U.S. cases are inherited. It impacts the functioning of motor neurons, which are the nerve cells that control muscle movement, and can eventually take away the ability to walk, write, speak, and swallow. As with most progressive diseases, the onset of these symptoms is gradual. You might be familiar with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, from Pete Frates’s #icebucketchallenge and high-profile patients, like baseball player Lou Gehrig and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. In recent years, awareness for this condition has surged, and scientists have been discovering more and more about this disease. There are currently several drugs approved to treat ALS, and research is being conducted all over the world to develop more treatments—and even a cure. There are also many approaches, from diet changes to physical therapy to supplements, that can help people manage symptoms and make living with ALS a little easier. Some of the most popular alternative and complementary therapies include special diets (people with ALS are at high risk for malnutrition, because when their disease makes self-feeding difficult), nutritional supplements, cannabis, acupuncture, chelation, and energy healing. Although the research is limited, both pre-clinical and clinical studies have been conducted on natural remedies for ALS such as co-enzyme Q10, creatine, L-carnitine, omega-3s, vitamins (especially A, C and D), and others. Most of these potential treatments have antioxidant properties, and some may be potentially beneficial for people with this condition.