Alternative Treatment for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

We’ll look at what ALS is and how we treat it naturally at LifeWorks.

What Is ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive and neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons travel from the brain to the spinal cord and then to the muscles throughout the body. However, the progressive degeneration of these motor neurons eventually leads to their death.

When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become paralyzed.

It is believed that up to a third of those diagnosed with ALS may be affected by cognitive issues.

There are two types of ALS: sporadic and familial.

Sporadic ALS

Sporadic ALS is the most common form of the disease and can affect anyone, anywhere, meaning there is no known history of the disease in a family. In the U.S. it accounts for 90-95% of all cases.²

Familial ALS (FALS)

Familial ALS (FALS) means that the disease is inherited. In those families, there is a 50% chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease. FALS accounts for 5 to 10% of all cases in the U.S.¹

ALS Symptoms

The initial symptoms of ALS vary from person to person and usually involve a gradual onset. It can manifest in difficulty with grasping a pen, lifting a coffee mug, or experiencing a change in vocal pitch when speaking.

Progression of the disease can also vary from person to person, with the mean survival time being 3 to 5 years, although many people live 5 to 10 years after onset.³

Symptoms:

• Muscle weakness
• Tripping
• Dropping things
• Abnormal fatigue of the arms or legs
• Difficulty walking
• Slurred or nasal speech
• Muscle cramps and twitches
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing
• Uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Weight loss
• Painful neuropathy
• Difficulty breathing as the respiratory muscles weaken

Interestingly, the sense of sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell are not affected.

What Causes ALS?

As part of a wider group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, ALS is caused by a gradual deterioration and death of motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells that extend from the brain to the spinal cord and muscles throughout the body. These motor neurons initiate and provide communication links between the brain and the voluntary muscles.

In ALS, both the upper motor neurons (those in the brain) and the lower motor neurons (those in the spinal cord and muscles) degenerate or die and stop sending messages to the muscles. Gradually the muscles start to weaken, twitch, and waste away or atrophy.

Eventually, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements.

Gradually all muscles under voluntary control are affected and individuals lose their strength and the ability to eat, speak, move, and breathe. This is why most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the first appearance of symptoms.⁴

The discovery of certain genetic mutations involved in ALS suggests that changes in the processing of RNA molecules may lead to ALS-related motor neuron degeneration. Scientists are also studying the impact of environmental factors, for example, exposure to toxic or infectious agents, viruses, physical trauma, diet, and behavioral and occupational factors.

At present, the cause of ALS is still unknown; however, evidence from scientific studies suggest that both genetics and environment play a role in the development of ALS.

Who Gets ALS?

Anyone can get amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as Sporadic ALS is the most common form of the disease, with genetics comprising only 5 to 10% of all cases. According to the ALS Association, the following are statistics about who gets ALS:³

• The onset of ALS usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 70 although it can occur at any age, and there are at least 16,000 estimated Americans who have the disease.³
• Men are slightly more likely than women to develop ALS, and Caucasians and non-Hispanics are most likely to develop the disorder.
• Military veterans are approximately twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as the general public. Although the reason is unclear, possible risk factors include exposure to lead, pesticides, and other environmental toxins. ALS is recognized as a service-connected disease by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.⁴

Conventional Treatment for ALS

Conventional diagnosis of ALS is difficult, and there is no one test or procedure to establish it. It is through a clinical examination and a series of diagnostic tests, often ruling out other diseases that mimic ALS, that a diagnosis is established.

Conventional treatments for ALS involve the use of medications to help manage symptoms and make living with the disease easier. Conventional treatments may include:

• Physical Therapy – Physical therapy and special equipment can help enhance an individual’s independence and safety. Gentle, low-impact aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, and stationary bicycling help by improving cardiovascular health, strengthening unaffected muscles, and help people fight fatigue and depression. Range of motion and stretching exercises can help prevent shortening of muscles.
• Speech Therapy – Speech therapy is helpful for people with ALS who have difficulty speaking.
• Nutritional Support – Nutritional support is very important as people with ALS tend to lose weight because they tend to burn calories at a faster rate than most people without ALS and can easily become malnourished.
• Breathing Support – As the disease progresses and muscles continue to weaken, including the muscles responsible for breathing, there are methods to support breathing. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is usually delivered through a mask over the nose and/or mouth whenever needed. It can improve the quality of life and prolong survival for many individuals with ALS. Mechanical ventilation may be considered to help the patient breathe when they become unable to breathe on their own.
• Emotional Support – Finally, conventional treatment includes emotional support through mental health counseling, patient education, and treatment of the anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that often accompany this chronic and progressive disease.

Rather than simply managing symptoms, here at LifeWorks Wellness Center we approach diagnosis and treatment from a holistic perspective, addressing the disease and the body as a whole.

Alternative Treatment for ALS

Instead of thinking of ALS as a fixed, static condition, we look at it as a deterioration of one or more systems and functions of the body, which create the symptoms that have been labeled as “ALS”.

One or more systems in the body can deteriorate or malfunction when the body has been chronically overwhelmed or unable to keep up with normal repair functions. This usually comes about due to some chronic underlying factors (like an infection, toxicity, pathogen, an autoimmune condition, etc). These hidden factors are diverting your body’s precious energy and resources away from normal maintenance and repair functions and into coping with these other situations. And that sets the stage for a disease process to take hold.

Our approach is based on locating and treating these hidden underlying factors. This approach opens the door to more treatment vectors to address and correct, which eliminates these hidden burdens and restores precious energy and normal function, thereby releasing the full miraculous healing power of the human body. And that’s why we see amazing health progress with patients and even recoveries using this approach.

Looking for Underlying Factors

We use both conventional and alternative methods to locate these contributory factors. Our testing may include one or more of the following:

• CNS neurocognitive test – assesses the neurocognitive status of the patient including motor skills and performance, memory, attention, and executive functioning.
• MRI with volumetrics – assesses neurodegeneration even at the early stages.
• MoCA cognitive assessment – reveals information on cognitive functioning.
• Vascular health assessment – shows symptoms of heart and vascular disease and the status of the patient’s blood circulation and blood pressure
• Nutritional dietary deficiency testing
• Testing of neurotransmitters, hormones, minerals, essential fatty acids, and other nutritional markers.
• Testing for inflammatory markers
• Testing for autoimmune conditions
• Testing for heavy metal toxicity
• Testing for food allergies
• Testing for Lyme disease
• Testing for Leaky Gut Syndrome

Once all the necessary diagnostics are completed, our team of doctors will formulate a treatment program tailor-made for the patient.

Natural Treatment Interventions for ALS

We believe that patients with ALS and other neurological issues can make significant improvements using a holistic approach. Our alternative treatment options seek to address the underlying contributory factors that lead the body to attack the central nervous system.

To accomplish this, we use a variety of alternative treatments and therapies based on the findings of the test results.

• Autoimmune Treatment – This therapy works to restore a properly functioning immune system that may be attacking the patient’s own body.
• Repairing Gut Issues – addressing Leaky Gut Syndrome which is a common trigger for autoimmunity and inflammation.
• Peptide Therapy – This therapy utilizes specific chains of amino acids called peptides to signal cells to turn on or turn off certain functions. This works to help regulate and rejuvenate neuroendocrine-immune function.
• Cell Recovery  – We use protein extracts that help cells to recover.
• Addressing Inflammation – We test and treat systemic inflammation, infections, gut issues, other causes of inflammation.
• Food Allergy Treatment – food allergies can trigger autoimmune conditions. In the case of neurological conditions, the body attacks the parts of the central nervous system, thereby diminishing its proper function and leading to conditions like MS and other neurological disorders.
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) – delivers pure oxygen to the patient in a pressurized chamber. Has been shown effective for neurological conditions.
• Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Technology – emission of electromagnetic waves to stimulate the body’s healing properties
• Enhanced External Counterpulsation – increases blood flow, allowing more oxygen to flow and alleviate symptoms of poor circulation.
• Vielight NeURO – delivers photons to a light-sensitive enzyme in the mitochondria which is known to trigger self-repair mechanisms in the cells, enhance cognition, and protect cell neurons.
• BrainHQ – brain training exercises that improve brain health.
• Health Coaching – This intervention helps patients keep track of their nutrition, exercise, supplements, and other suggested changes.
• BrainTap – Tapping into specific brainwave states, BrainTap helps to reboot and revitalize the brain, promotes relaxation, and reduces stress on the body and mind.
• Dietary and Nutritional Deficiencies – clearing up nutritional deficiencies, supporting the body with the right nutraceuticals to improve brain health including macro/micronutrients, minerals, hormones, neurotransmitters, essential fatty acids, etc.
• Intermittent Fasting – Through intermittent fasting, the body is able to heal instead of always processing food. LifeWorks utilizes the KetoFlex 12/3 way of eating which means that patients eat their food during a 10-12-hour window and not eating within three hours of going to bed.
• Celergen – This is an anti-aging cell therapy supplement that promotes cell renewal and stimulation.

References

1. ALS Therapy Development Institute, What is ALS, 2019.
2. The ALS Association, What is ALS, 2019.
3. The ALS Association, Who Gets ALS, May 2019.
4. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact Sheet, August 2019.