Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease destroying motor neurons, which are the cells that help you control movement. The patient continues to see, hear, feel, touch and taste. Approximately 90% of ALS cases are sporadic in nature; while familial ALS is caused by mutations of several different genes including the SOD gene. There is no known effective treatment for ALS and the average survival time after being diagnosed with ALS is 3-5 years.
Traditional medicine offers no treatment has been ineffective over the years.
The patients that I have seen, in my practice, have ALS from an environmental cause. These causes include infections, toxicities, and other environmental factors which have caused an autoimmune disease with neuronal death. It is a frail disorder characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness and wasting with spasticity and fasciculations. Death occurs with the onset of respiratory paralysis as a result of the progression of the disease.
Causes of ALS
- Many patients with ALS suffer from chronic neck and/or back injuries creating a spinal cord that is barely able to get enough oxygen, this causes elevated inflammation. A a result of this, there is subsequent elevation of tumor necrosis factor resulting in elevated peroxide decimeters as well as increased glutamate levels with subsequent neuronal death. These abnormalities need to be corrected.
- Endotoxin from bacteria, mold, and parasites in the intestinal tract pass into the bloodstream reaching their cerebral spinal fluid in the brain. Once in the brain they are taken up by the microglia that surrounds the motor neurons. This causes injury and later death of the motor neuron. The goal of the treatment here is to eliminate the poisons produced by the bacteria and infections. I have had several patients with Lyme disease in the co-infections suffering from ALS. Obviously virus infections are also a culprit and need to be identified and treated as well.
- Toxic heavy metals such as aluminum, lead, calcium, mercury, uranium, nickel and arsenic have been shown to be toxic to the motor neuron resulting in neuronal death. Any type of toxin such as benzene plastics etc. can be toxic and need to be removed.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is ubiquitous in our food supply. These include foods such as yeast extracts, HIDA lysed protein, soup stock, corn gluten, maldextrin, malt, soy protein and anything fermented. Obviously, wise food choices are essential. I have seen several patients with ALS suffer from Lyme disease over the last few years and I believe that is now an epidemic. Sugar too is bad for the brain and utilizing ketones and following a ketogenic diet are essential. I believe an organic vegetarian diet is the best for treating a multitude of diseases.
Integrative treatment of ALS
Unfortunately traditional medicine offers no prevention nor effective treatment.
Every patient that I have seen with ALS has one of the causes listed above. I have found that ALS results in autoimmune disease and neuronal destruction. The treatment is aimed at stabilization of neuronal death by removal of infections and toxins and restoration of autoimmune function with a stabilization of inflammation. Free radicals need to be eradicated and mitochondrial function restored. Recent studies have shown that stem cells can also be effective. Obviously, I feel that an integrative approach is absolutely warranted in all cases.