Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive disease of the nervous system that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and their ability to control the muscles.

ALS often begins with either muscle twitching and muscle weakness in the hands, feet, and limbs (limb onset ALS) or slurred speech and trouble swallowing (bulbar onset ALS). However, as the disease progresses, ALS will eventually affect all muscles needed to eat, speak, move, and even breathe.

In 5 to 10 percent of patients, ALS is inherited. However, doctors speculate as to the cause of the vast majority of ALS cases. It has been connected to smoking, environmental toxin exposure, and even Lyme disease and other chronic conditions. Researchers are always examining further possibilities, but most theories center around a complex interaction of both genetic and environmental factors.

How is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis typically diagnosed?

ALS is sometimes confused with multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, lupus, Parkinson’s disease, benign fasciculation syndrome, HIV, polio, West Nile virus, post-polio syndrome, multifocal motor neuropathy, spinal/bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy’s disease), and even anxiety. Since it can, but not always, be connected to so many other chronic disorders, it is easy for doctors to misdiagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

In fact, in addition to noting the presence of upper and lower motor neuron symptoms, ALS is primarily diagnosed by ruling out these mimicking diseases. After reviewing a patient’s full medical history and conducting a neurological examination, a medical doctor will perform tests to rule out other disorders and conditions so as to make a diagnosis. Unfortunately, mainstream medicine then most often employs standardized (canned) drug protocols with predictably poor outcomes and side effects to manage ALS symptoms.

At the Biologix Center, we will strive to do more than provide temporary relief. We will work to improve the way your entire body functions, restoring you to optimal health.

Our two-week program will allow our doctors to get to know you and your body’s specific needs during daily, hour-long treatment windows, so that we can find the root causes of your body’s issues and create a specific treatment method that is compatible with your body’s unique make-up. Request your patient packet now to learn more about our approach!

What are the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

ALS symptoms can be so subtle that they are at first overlooked. However, since ALS is a progressive illness, these symptoms will develop further over time. At the Biologix Center, we recognize that our patients’ symptoms are very real, which is why we commit to using everything available to us to promote true healing. We will never, under any circumstances, dismiss you or your symptoms. We are here for you!

Fasciculations

Patients with ALS notice muscle twitching and spasms in the arms, legs, shoulders, and tongue.

Muscle Tightness

ALS patients may notice tight, stiff muscles as well as muscle contractions.

Muscle Weakness

People struggling with ALS often have difficulty walking and participating in normal daily activities. They may feel clumsy, especially in regards to their arms and legs.

Muscle Cramping

Though ALS symptoms are more well-known for being debilitating than painful, some ALS patients may experience muscle cramping.

Slurred Speech

Slurred speech is very common with ALS. Patients may also have trouble swallowing.

Fatigue & Insomnia

Due to chronic muscle discomfort, those who suffer from ALS symptoms may have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep. In fact, some patients notice headaches and/or more frequent urination, which can each play a role in disrupting the quality of their sleep.

Constipation

Some people suffering from ALS symptoms experience bloating and constipation, not unlike symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

Excessive Saliva

Due to their inability to control their tongue, swallowing, and speech patterns, some patients may experience excess saliva and/or phlegm.

Inappropriate Behavior

Some patients may be unable to control their crying, laughing, or yawning and do so at inappropriate times. Though ALS does not often affect cognitive behavior, behavioral changes may also be present.

Depression & Anxiety

Coping with persistent symptoms leaves many patients feeling hopeless, especially since the majority of medical doctors have yet to find long-lasting treatment methods. Reach out to a friend, family member, or counselor for extra support during your battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms or any additional symptoms not listed here, please contact us! We can help return your body to its natural rhythms. Request your patient packet today!

How is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis typically treated?

Once a person is diagnosed with ALS, medical doctors typically suggest OTC and prescription drugs, depending on their patient’s most noticeable symptoms and their severity. Though these measures may temporarily ease symptoms, they do not provide lasting relief and the prescribed drugs may actually be disruptive to other systems of the body. In fact, one of the most commonly prescribed prescription drugs used in ALS cases, Riluzole (Rilutek), is known to promote gastrointestinal conditions and changes in liver function. Another, Edaravone (Radiacava) may cause headaches, bruising, and shortness of breath.

How does the Biologix Center treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis differently?

While the prevailing medical thought is to first and foremost mask any symptoms by prescribing glutamate blockers for muscle spasms, sleep-aids for exhaustion, and pain relievers for pain, none of these drugs address the symptoms’ underlying causes. The Biologix Center uses precise, real-time testing and treatments, developed by Dr. David Jernigan, that directly target the multiple imbalances associated with every case of ALS, and in doing so, enable the body to naturally, and often rapidly, achieve lasting relief. The goal is to accomplish the long-term restoration of health without encouraging a dependence upon medications.

Using tests such as Biospectroscopic Emission Sequence Testing (BEST), developed at the Biologix Center over 20 years ago by Dr. David A. Jernigan, D.C., we can eliminate much of the guesswork in doctoring. Unlike conventional blood tests that produce merely a snapshot of a patient’s blood on the day it was drawn, our constantly evolving technologies provide far more insight into the root causes of a patient’s symptoms, as well as treatment options that are tested for compatibility and effectiveness with each patient’s unique body, before even beginning treatment!

Every system of the body is interconnected and interdependent, meaning that each system must be precisely addressed in order for the body to achieve optimal health. Health care delivery is often a minimalistic approach. It is far easier to prescribe a painkiller or antibiotic than to provide the maximum applied effort needed to truly restore the optimum form and function of the body. The Biologix Center’s approach is for those who truly desire to be well, not just feel well from drug-induced illusions of health. The best of every healing method and testing is brought to your unique case, in one-on-one, hour-long treatment sessions with the doctor treating you.

If you’d like more information on becoming a patient at the Biologix Center, please request your patient into packet now!

“The ideal doctor is not a specialist in diseases, but one who understands disease, yet specializes in restoring what is most optimum. From there, the body can often heal itself.” – Dr. David Jernigan, D.C.