RHET 1010 Grant Essay: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Treatment Options

This essay discusses the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), comparing the effectiveness of prescribed medications (riluzole and edaravone) with alternative therapies. It highlights that while medications can manage symptoms, they often come with significant side effects. The essay then explores alternative therapies such as physical therapy, speech therapy, nutritional support, and breathing support, emphasizing their lack of side effects and potential for improving the quality of life for ALS patients. The author concludes by advocating for the consideration of alternative therapies as a primary method for managing ALS due to the adverse effects associated with medications and the holistic benefits offered by non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Running head: AMYOTROPHIC LATERLA SCLEROSIS
AMYOTROPHIC LATERLA SCLEROSIS
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can be described as the group of rare neurological
disorders. This disorder involves the nerve cells that are responsible for controlling of the
voluntary muscles movements. These types of muscles are responsible for producing different
movements like chewing, talking, walking and many other activities. The disorder is mainly
found to be progressive and the symptoms are seen to get worse over the time (Meininger et al.).
Researchers are of the opinion that there is no cure for ALS and therefore no effective treatment
to halt or reversing the progression of the disorder had still been developed. Often physicians are
of the opinion that prescribed medications help in delaying the progression of the disorder.
However, others argue that different alternative therapies are better options for the treatment
of the disorder. This assignment will reflect the counter argument to help understand which
option – (prescribed medication or alternative therapies) is successful for treatment of
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Healthcare professionals suggest that prescribed medication is helpful for treatment of
this disorder. Two drugs namely riluzole and edaravone are effectively useful for the treatment
of ALS. Riluzone is believed to be helpful in reduction of the damage to different motor neurons
by decreasing the levels of glutamate. This is seen to transport messages between the motor
neurons and the nerve cells. Different clinical trials have shown that people who are suffering
with ALS when take the medication of riluzole, their survival gets prolonged by few months
particularly in the bulbar form of the diseases (Connoly et al.). However, it cannot help in
reversing the damage that had been already done to the motor neurons. Again edvarone is
another effective medication that help in slowing the decline in the clinical assessment of the
daily functioning in person with ALS. Various types of benefits can be obtained when
patients with ALS can use prescribed medications successfully. Physicians state that

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medications often help in managing symptoms of ALS like that of muscle cramps, excessive
saliva, stiffness and phlegm as well as the pseudo-bulbar affect. Drugs are also seen to help
different individuals with pain, depression as well as sleep disturbances and even in constipation.
Pharmacists provide advices on the effective use of medications and take active part in
monitoring the prescriptions of the person for avoiding risks of drug interactions (Brown et al.).
However, a number of different side effects are found to be intricately associated with
the disorder. Many of the patients with ALS has been seen to suffer from sudden chest pain as
well as discomfort, wheezing, dry cough or hack as well as experiencing shortness of breath.
They are also seen to develop cough along with mucous and stabbing chest pain. They are also
seen to suffer from low white blood cells along with fever, swollen gums, painful mouth sores,
pain while swallowing, cold as well as flu symptoms. Many resarchers have also noted that the
individuals with ALS who take the medications also suffer from liver problems (Bucchia et al.).
People also suffer from nausea, upper stomach pain along with itching, tired feeling and even
loss of appetite, dark-urine and even clay-colored stools, jaundice like that of yellowing of the
skin or eyes. Kuffer (2015) had stated that dizziness and spinning sensation are intricately
associated with taking of such medications. Weakness, drowsiness, stomach pain, loss of
appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and even numbness of tingling around the mouth are found to be
intricately associated with taking of the medications. The following side effects result in negative
health outcomes and affect the quality of lives of the individuals. Therefore, many of the
researchers are often those alternative therapies that do not come with any side effects when used
for treatment for patients with ALS.
Different types of alternative therapies have been often proposed that help in effective
treatment of ALs WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. Physical therapy is one such option. Physical

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therapies as well as special equipments are often seen to be helpful in enhancing the
independence and safety of an individual throughout the course of ALS. Gentle and low-impact
aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming and even stationary bicycling are also important.
These procedures help in strengthening of the unaffected muscles and improvement of the
cardiovascular health (Renton et al.). They also help in fighting fatigue as well as depression.
Different ranges of motion and stretching exercises can help in preventing spasticity as well as
shortening of muscles. Physical therapists can help in recommending different exercises that
provide benefits without overworking muscles. Often occupational therapists can also help in
suggesting different devices like that of ramps, walkers, braces and even wheelchairs. These help
individuals in conserving energy and remaining mobile. Therefore, it can be seen that physical
therapies come without any negative outcomes and side effects and hence, they can be
considered interventions that are more effective or ALS (Vucic et al.). Other alternative therapies
without any side effects are also present. ALS affects the muscles, which are important for
speaking, and therefore, communication is an issue in advanced ALS. Speech therapists can
help in teaching different adaptive techniques that help to make the speech of individuals clearly
understood. The expert professionals are also helpful in exploring different other methods of
communication like that of the alphabet board as well as simple pen and paper. Another form of
alternative therapy is the nutritional support (Moujalled & White, 2016). The team of the
healthcare professionals caring for the patient will work together with the family members for
ensuring that the eating of foods become easier to swallow and meeting the nutritional needs.
Therefore, it can be seen that as very few side effects were associated with these form of
alternative supports and therefore, many of the professionals prefer alternative therapies as the
main mode of treatment arguing the negative outcomes of prescribed medications. Moreover,

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another form of alternative support that has been also stated to be of extreme importance for the
individuals with ALS is the breathing support. The muscles those are responsible for breathing is
often seen to start to weaken with the progression of the disorder. People experience shortness of
breath during any physical activities as well as difficulty breathing at night or when lying down
(Choudry et al.). Physicians are seen to test the breathing of the individual for determining when
to recommend the treatment called non-invasive ventilation. It can be explained as the breathing
support that helps in delivering through a mask over the nose as well as mouth (Jenkins et al.).
When muscles are no longer able to maintain normal oxygen as well as carbon-dioxide levels,
NIV may be used full time. NIV results in the improvement of the quality of life as well as
prolonging the survival of many people with the disorder.
From the discussion, one can clearly understand that prescribed medications can help in
management of many symptoms of the disorder. However, researchers clearly found many side
effects and negative outcomes on people with ALs who have been prescribed medications. Many
of the different studies have supported the utilization of alternative therapies that do not come
with any form of side effects. The therapies like physical therapies, occupational therapies,
breathing supports and speech therapies help in management of symptoms of the patients with
ALS. These therapies do not come with any form of side effects that result in poor quality life
and negative physical harms. Hence, alternative therapies should be considered as an effective
method for managing patients suffering from ALS.

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References:
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(2015). Therapeutic development in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clinical therapeutics, 37(3),
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Choudry, R., Galvez‐Jimenez, N., Cudkowicz, M. E., & Targoff, I. N. (2015). Disease modifying
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Connolly, Sheelah, Miriam Galvin, and Orla Hardiman. "End-of-life management in patients
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Renton, Alan E., Adriano Chiò, and Bryan J. Traynor. "State of play in amyotrophic lateral
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