Treatment Options For Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Psychological And Social Support

Psychological and social support are essential components in helping amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. They rapidly become unable to work or care for themselves and thus require assistance from social workers and caregivers. Family members who choose to become caregivers may also require psychological and social support. Many ALS patients experience serious depression and reduced quality of life after diagnosis, and as the disease progresses, they require high levels of psychological and social support to accept the diagnosis and adapt to its limitations and inevitable fatal outcome. Providing support to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients can improve their mental status, which leads to better physical health and a slower progression of the disease.

Stem Cell Treatment

Although it is still considered experimental and unproven, stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Stem cells are primitive undifferentiated cells found in the bone marrow, fatty tissues, and blood of adult humans. When placed in the proper environment, they can differentiate into a variety of new cells that can replace the function of damaged or dying cells. The hope is isolation, concentration, and re-injection of stem cells into the spinal cord will lead to the development of new motor neurons that can take over the function of the dying motor neurons in ALS patients. Some early clinical trials have shown promising results, with stem cell treatments being shown to be safe and to possibly decrease the rate of progression of the disease.