ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS leads to progressive muscle atrophy, painful muscle spasms and ultimately to paresis, which can cause difficulties with speaking, swallowing and breathing as the disease progresses.
In rare cases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is hereditary, this is the familial form of ALS. However, the majority of patients are affected by the sporadic form of ALS, the causes of which are not known.
Symptoms of ALS
The first symptoms of ALS only appear when a large number of motor neurons are affected. The symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness in the hands, arms and legs
- Unsteadiness when walking
- Problems with swallowing and speaking
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue and depression
- Occasionally difficulty breathing
Causes of ALS
In patients with ALS, pathological deposits of a certain protein are found in the affected nerve cells. Such protein aggregates are also found in other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
It is likely that several causes lead to the onset of ALS. There are the following hypotheses and risk factors in the development of the disease:
- Accumulation of glutamate in the central nervous system. Glutamate has a neurotoxic effect in high concentrations
- Genetic predispositions in the structure of nerve cells
Integrative Research Approaches:
In environmental medicine and functional neurology, research is also intensively exploring the extent to which additional systemic burdens could negatively influence the course of the disease given the appropriate predisposition. Discussions include severe oxidative stress, neuroinflammatory processes, potential accompanying toxic burdens (e.g., from heavy metals), and disorders of the gut-brain axis (dysbiosis).
Dr. med. Karsten Ostermann M.A.
Individual, complex treatment plans are necessary for the integrative treatment of ALS. Therapy should be interdisciplinary and involve therapists from different medical fields.
Diagnosis and Treatment of ALS
The diagnosis of ALS requires careful clinical examinations, imaging such as MRI and neurophysiological tests.
From a conventional medical point of view, there is no cure for ALS, but therapeutic approaches such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy can improve quality of life and slow down the progression of symptoms. Symptoms can be alleviated with the help of medication.
From the perspective of integrative medicine, the focus is on the best possible support of the entire organism to maintain the quality of life. Missing micronutrients to support cellular energy production (mitochondrial therapy) can be balanced, for example, through customized infusion therapies to support nerve and muscle cells. In cases of demonstrable severe accompanying toxic burdens or chronic inflammations (e.g., in the jaw area), detoxification procedures or blood purification (such as INUSpherese®) are evaluated in specialized centers as a purely complementary measure. The goal here is to relieve the immune system and reduce the body’s systemic inflammatory burden as much as possible.
Further information
The information listed contains relevant topics and serves to improve understanding.