Bones & Joints
Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)
ALS can sometimes be arrested or slowed with complete vitamin/mineral supplementation (especially vitamin E at 800 IU, B complex, C, calcium, magnesium, potassium), flaxseed oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, prolonged neutral baths, massage — and elimination of dairy, meat, sugar, and white flour.
Also known as: ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, motor neuron disease, dysphagia (definition: difficulty swallowing), atrophy (definition: wasting away of muscle or tissue)
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Heredity (10%).; Nutritional deficiency (especially vitamin E, B complex, vitamin C, essential fatty acids).; Viral infections..
First thing to try: Complete nutritional therapy: Take a comprehensive vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More →/mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More → supplement daily.
See a doctor if: New muscle weakness, twitching with shrinking muscles, or slurred speech needs prompt neurological evaluation
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Heredity (10%).
- Nutritional deficiency (especially vitamin E, B complex, vitamin C, essential fatty acids).
- Viral infections.
- Physical exhaustion and trauma.
- Heavy metal exposure (inhaled or ingested).
- The combination of strenuous occupation and nutritional deficiency is a known pattern.
Change what you can
- Complete nutritional therapy: Take a comprehensive vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More →/mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More → supplement daily.
- Key nutrients: Vitamin E (800 IU daily — a special deficiency factor in ALS).
- B complex.
- Vitamin C.
- Calcium (2,000 mg).
- Magnesium (1,000 mg).
- Potassium (5,500 mg).
- Flaxseed oil or wheat germ oil (essential fatty acids — take daily).
- Whole-food diet: Fresh fruits, vegetables, and vegetable juices.
- Avoid dairy products, meat, sugar, and white-flour products — eliminating these can accelerate improvement.
- Hydrotherapy (Kellogg protocol): Prolonged Neutral Baths (1-3 hours daily).
- Carefully applied Cold Mitten Friction or Cold Towel Rub.
- Massage to support circulation and nerve function.
- Eliminate toxins: Check for and address any heavy metal exposure.
- Eliminate all habit-forming substances.
- Convulsion/spasm support: See antispasmodic tinctureA concentrated herbal extract made with alcohol. How to make a tincture → formula for managing spasms.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
Gentle, consistent comfort care is the safest and most foundational support to offer alongside a neurology team's care.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Low-impact range-of-motion movement, done regularly, helps maintain joint flexibility and comfort, lowering the risk of stiffness and pressure sores as muscles weaken over time.
- Work with a physical or occupational therapist to learn safe range-of-motion exercises suited to the current stage of ability.
- Gently move each joint (shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles) through its comfortable range once or twice daily.
- Follow movement with a soothing massage of the arms, legs, and back to support circulation and ease muscle tension.
- Reposition regularly if mobility is limited, to protect the skin and keep the person comfortable.
- Involve caregivers in learning safe techniques so the routine can continue consistently.
15-20 minutes · once or twice daily
Caution: This is supportive comfort care only — it does not slow or reverse ALS and should never replace regular neurology follow-up. Always move joints within a comfortable range; never force a stretch, especially as muscles weaken. Watch closely for signs of skin breakdown if mobility is very limited, and involve a nurse or therapist in a prevention plan.
When to get help: Choking, sudden trouble breathing, or a marked change in breathing pattern needs emergency medical care right away.
Source: multidisciplinary ALS care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
Rest and community support are gentle, steady companions to medical care throughout the journey with ALS.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Living with a serious progressive illness is physically and emotionally demanding; adequate rest, shared caregiving, and spiritual and community support are known to ease distress and support wellbeing for patients and families alike.
- Build a simple daily rhythm that includes planned rest periods, since fatigue is common and real.
- Reach out to a multidisciplinary ALS care team, which may include a social worker who can connect you to caregiver resources.
- Invite trusted friends, family, or a faith community to share practical caregiving tasks so no one person carries the whole load.
- Make space for prayer, quiet reflection, or spiritual conversation if this brings comfort, whether through a chaplain, pastor, or personal practice.
- Encourage caregivers to also rest and seek their own support, since caregiver wellbeing directly supports the person they are caring for.
ongoing · daily rhythm, adjusted as needs change
Caution: Watch for signs of caregiver burnout, such as exhaustion or withdrawal, and seek outside help early rather than waiting. Spiritual support is meant to comfort and encourage, not to replace needed medical treatment or honest conversations with the care team.
When to get help: Choking, sudden trouble breathing, or a marked change in breathing pattern needs emergency medical care right away.
Source: multidisciplinary ALS care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
A caring, practical way to support nourishment and reduce choking risk as swallowing changes, working alongside a speech therapist.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: As ALS affects the muscles used for chewing and swallowing, texture-modified, calorie- and nutrient-rich foods help reduce the risk of choking and support the body's ongoing nutritional needs.
- Ask your care team for a swallowing evaluation from a speech-language pathologist to guide safe food textures.
- Prepare small, frequent meals of soft, nutrient-dense foods such as pureed soups, mashed vegetables, smoothies, and well-cooked grains.
- Add healthy fats and proteins (nut butters, avocado, yogurt) to boost calories without needing larger portions.
- Sit upright during meals and take small bites, allowing plenty of time to chew and swallow.
- Watch for coughing, throat-clearing, or voice changes during meals and report these to the care team promptly.
each mealtime · small meals several times a day
Caution: Swallowing difficulty in ALS carries a real choking and aspiration risk — always work with a speech-language pathologist to choose safe textures. Unexpected weight loss or ongoing swallowing trouble should be reported to the care team, since a feeding tube may become a helpful option.
When to get help: Choking, sudden trouble breathing, or a marked change in breathing pattern needs emergency medical care right away.
Source: multidisciplinary ALS care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- New muscle weakness, twitching with shrinking muscles, or slurred speech needs prompt neurological evaluation
- Trouble breathing or swallowing: seek care immediately
- ALS care is team care — a multidisciplinary clinic genuinely improves quality of life
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your lou gehrig's disease (als) — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS — known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) is the most common motor neuron disease, causing progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. It results from degeneration of motor neurons controlling voluntary movement. Causes include genetics (10%), nutritional deficiencies (B complex, vitamins E, F/fatty acids, C), viral infections, physical exhaustion, trauma, and heavy metal poisoning. While no standard cure exists, improving nutrition, eliminating toxic inputs, and appropriate hydrotherapy can sometimes arrest or significantly slow progression.
Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS) is a progressive disease of the motor neurons — the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles — leading to gradually worsening muscle weakness, wasting, and difficulty with movement, speech, swallowing, and eventually breathing. Thinking and the senses are usually preserved, which makes it an especially hard diagnosis.
This is a serious neurological condition managed by specialist medical teams; there is no cure and no natural remedy that can halt it, so the focus is on care that supports quality of life, comfort, and dignity. Around medical treatment, supportive measures matter greatly: good nutrition (which sometimes needs adapting as swallowing changes), physical and occupational therapy, breathing support, aids for communication and mobility, and emotional and practical support for the person and their family. This is a tender, difficult journey, and compassionate, coordinated care — alongside strong support for caregivers — is central. Any progressive, unexplained muscle weakness warrants medical evaluation to find the cause.
Common signs
- Progressive muscle weakness and atrophy.
- Difficulty chewing and swallowing (dysphagia).
- Stiffness, cramping, and involuntary muscle quivering (fasciculations).
- Weakened respiratory muscles.
- Eventually inability to move or breathe without assistance.
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Maintaining adequate hydration is critical in ALS but becomes increasingly challenging as swallowing difficulty progresses; thickened fluids or alternative routes may be needed.1000
Quality sleep is essential in ALS to support the body's repair processes and manage the exhaustion that results from overworking weakened muscles; respiratory sleep support may be needed as disease advances.970
Breathing exercises help maintain respiratory muscle capacity and lung function for as long as possible in ALS — the respiratory system is one of the most critical areas of concern in the disease's progression.940
Gentle, supervised walking maintains muscle function, supports cardiovascular health, and improves quality of life in early ALS; exercise must be carefully dosed to avoid overexertion of already weakened muscles.930
Blueberry's anthocyanins protect neurons from the oxidative damage driving ALS progression and have shown neuroprotective effects in multiple laboratory models of motor neuron disease.900
Adequate healthy fat intake from olive oil maintains body weight — a critical prognostic factor in ALS, as malnutrition accelerates disease progression.900
Spinach provides folate, magnesium, iron, and antioxidants that support overall neurological health and the nutritional status that is threatened as swallowing becomes more difficult in ALS.880
Omega-3 fatty acids from ground flaxseed reduce neuroinflammation and provide essential structural nutrients for the remaining motor neuron membranes; they are among the most reasonable dietary additions for ALS.870
Avocado provides nutrient-dense, calorie-rich soft food that becomes invaluable when swallowing becomes difficult, helping to maintain the caloric intake needed to slow ALS-related weight loss.870
Regular gentle massage from a trained therapist reduces muscle stiffness, improves circulation, prevents pressure sores in weakened limbs, and provides important psychological comfort.850
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Whole-food plant-based diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Vegetable juices. Flaxseed oil. No dairy, no meat, no refined sugar, no white flour. Comprehensive nutritional supplementation.
⚖️ Good to know
- ALS is a serious progressive disease — natural remedies can potentially slow progression but should not be used as a substitute for medical diagnosis and monitoring.
- Respiratory muscle weakness can become life-threatening and requires regular medical monitoring of lung function.
- Swallowing difficulties require care to avoid aspiration.
- Heavy metal testing (especially mercury, lead, arsenic) is reasonable given the known association.
- Family members should be aware of the autosomal dominant inheritance (10% of cases).
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
ALS has no cure; treatment focuses on slowing progression slightly with FDA-approved drugs, managing symptoms, maintaining function as long as possible, and providing excellent palliative care — natural remedies are supportive and palliative only.
Commonly offered
- Riluzole — FDA-approved, extends survival by approximately 2–3 months–
- Edaravone (Radicava) — IV or oral; slows functional decline in a subset of patients–
- AMX0035 (Relyvrio) — combination neuroprotectant (approval status varies by country)–
- Non-invasive ventilation (BiPAP) for respiratory support–
- Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube for dysphagia–
- Multidisciplinary ALS clinic: neurologist, pulmonologist, dietitian, speech therapist, PT/OT–
- Palliative care and advance care planning–
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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