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Stanford Health Care

ALS Treatment

How is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treated?

There is no cure for ALS, but treatment can help you stay strong and independent for as long as possible. Treatments may include:

Physical and occupational therapy.
These therapies can help you stay strong and make the most of the abilities you still have.
Speech therapy.

This can help you with coughing, swallowing, and talking after weakness in the face, throat, and chest begins.

Supportive devices and equipment.

These can help you stay mobile, communicate, and do daily tasks like bathing, eating, and dressing. Some examples are canes, walkers, wheelchairs, ramps, handrails, raised toilet seats, and shower seats. You can also get braces to support your feet, ankles, or neck.

Medicines.

These may help slow the progression of ALS, relieve your symptoms, and keep you comfortable. There are medicines that can help with many of the symptoms you might have. These symptoms may include muscle problems (stiffness, cramps, twitching), drooling and extra saliva, depression and mood swings, and pain.

A feeding tube.

This can help you get enough nutrition to stay strong as long as you can.

Breathing devices.

They can help you breathe more easily as your chest muscles weaken.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.

Open Trials Closed Trials