Many ask, “How can one cure or treat ALS?” Unfortunately, there is no cure to the disease. While there is no cure, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug treatment, riluzole, which may increase the victims survival by several months. The drug also extends the time before a patient needs ventilation support. Riluzole does not reverse the damage already done to motor neurons, and patients taking the drug must be monitored for liver damage and other possible side effects. Other treatments for ALS are designed to relieve symptoms of the disease. Examples of this type of treatments are through therapeutic sessions. Physicians, pharmacists, physical, occupational, an speech therapists, nutritionists social workers, and home care and hospice nurses are those who treat patients with ALS. In the long run, these professionals help ALS patients live their lives more easily by helping them keep strong and mobile.
Physicians can also provide victims of ALS with medicines that help relieve fatigue and depression. While there is no cure to the disease, there are many ways to make living with it easier. Many can go to physical therapy to help keep muscles agile and some may go to speech therapy if the muscles in the jaw become weak.