Treatment of ALS

Treatment of ALS -- such as medications, speech therapy, and physical therapy -- is designed to relieve symptoms, improve the quality of life, and keep patients as mobile and comfortable as possible. Although it is not a cure, riluzole was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ALS.

 

Treatment of ALS: An Introduction

Scientists have not found a cure for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). However, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug treatment for ALS, which is called riluzole.
 
Riluzole is believed to:
 
  • Reduce damage to motor neurons by decreasing the release of glutamate
  • Prolong survival by several months (mainly in those with difficulty swallowing)
  • Extend the time before a patient needs ventilation support.
     
Riluzole does not reverse the damage that has already occurred to the motor neurons, and patients taking riluzole must be monitored for liver damage and other possible side effects.
 

Team Effort for Treatment of ALS

Other treatments of ALS are designed to relieve ALS symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients. Multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals are available to provide supportive care, including:
 
  • Physicians
  • Pharmacists
  • Physical, occupational, and speech therapists
  • Nutritionists
  • Social workers
  • Home care and hospice nurses.
     
These teams can design an individualized ALS treatment plan of medical and physical therapy, and provide special equipment aimed at keeping patients as mobile and comfortable as possible.
 
(Treatment of ALS Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD