ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Alternative Treatment for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
What is ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes progressive degeneration of motor neurons that run from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the body’s muscles. When the disease causes motor neurons to die, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control muscle movement. People with ALS may lose their ability to speak, eat, move, and breathe normally.
Our Approach to ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Our Approach to ALS
Many approaches to treating ALS involve using medications, as well as various kinds of therapies. Sadly, for many, these medications cause side effects such as dizziness, gastrointestinal conditions, and liver function changes. And while various adjunctive therapies, such as speech therapy or psychological counseling, can be helpful, these therapies do not address the root cause of underlying nervous system imbalances.
So, what are the root causes of ALS? Recent advances in neuroscience reveal the root causes include a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain, lack of specific brain chemicals, and brainwave imbalances.
Let’s look at all these causes a little more in depth: Inside the brain, we have billions of brain cells, called neurons, sending electrical signals to each other, which we measure as brainwaves. These electrical signals cause the brain cells to release small chemicals called neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and adrenaline.
This vast network of brain cells is fed with oxygen and other nutrients by blood from over 100,000 miles of blood vessels inside the brain. For people with ALS, there is often not enough of these blood vessels supplying oxygen and important nutrients.
This lack of nutrients begins to cause brainwave imbalances, as measured by an EEG scan. This, in turn, causes a downstream effect on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, meaning that the brain cells start producing too little or too much of the chemicals they need. People with ALS usually have elevated levels of glutamate neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters imbalances are further exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies in the person’s diet, especially of key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids.
So, how do we start correcting a potentially multifaceted problem?
One of our most important tools at The Oxford Center is called hyperbaric oxygen. This therapy actually causes new blood vessel growth in the brain and causes the brain to generate new stem cells which turn into new brain cells. (See our video about hyperbaric oxygen here.)
Another important tool is neurofeedback therapy. We use neurofeedback to scan your brain’s electrical signals and reset them with non-invasive feedback in the form of sound. (See our video about neurofeedback here.)
And finally, neurotransmitter therapy and nutrition coaching is used to correct nutritional deficiencies which are underlying the brain chemical imbalances—imbalances that we can find through laboratory testing we provide.
We strive to offer the most comprehensive research-based recovery program available for ALS, and we are happy to serve you by taking as much time as we need to answer your specific questions.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, is a specialized form of medical treatment administered by delivering 100% pure oxygen to the body through increased atmospheric pressure greater than 1.3 ATA in an enclosed hard chamber.
At pressures greater than normal, the body can incorporate more oxygen into blood cells, blood plasma, cerebral-spinal fluid, and other bodily fluids. The increased oxygen absorption experienced during Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy significantly enhances the body’s ability to aid in its healing.
Intensive Physical Therapy (TheraSuit)
Oxford’s industry-leading model of intensive physical therapy combines conventional and non-conventional techniques to facilitate rehabilitation. Our approach focuses on retraining the body and brain from a neurological standpoint compared to the traditional muscular approach. Therapy sessions are one on one and last three hours. These long therapy periods allow our therapists to focus on your specific needs without interruption.
The Oxford physical therapy approach starts with the basics. Patients are trained to use muscles correctly, rather than compensating for muscle groups that are not functioning properly. Our goal goes beyond regaining mobility. We strive to help patients regain proper mobility, so there are no lurking issues that may cause problems in the future.
Speech Therapy
Speech is the communication building block for lifelong learning.
At The Oxford Center, our speech therapists provide techniques and strategies for children and adults to communicate more effectively.
The seven main areas targeted in therapy include articulation, language, cognition, voice, fluency, swallowing, and aural rehab. These areas can improve sound and word formation, stuttering, communication strategies, language understanding, and other symptoms or conditions associated with speaking and communicating.
How we can help
Related Research
Our Approach to ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Our Approach to ALS
Many approaches to treating ALS involve using medications, as well as various kinds of therapies. Sadly, for many, these medications cause side effects such as dizziness, gastrointestinal conditions, and liver function changes. And while various adjunctive therapies, such as speech therapy or psychological counseling, can be helpful, these therapies do not address the root cause of underlying nervous system imbalances.
So, what are the root causes of ALS? Recent advances in neuroscience reveal the root causes include a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain, lack of specific brain chemicals, and brainwave imbalances.
Let’s look at all these causes a little more in depth: Inside the brain, we have billions of brain cells, called neurons, sending electrical signals to each other, which we measure as brainwaves. These electrical signals cause the brain cells to release small chemicals called neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and adrenaline.
This vast network of brain cells is fed with oxygen and other nutrients by blood from over 100,000 miles of blood vessels inside the brain. For people with ALS, there is often not enough of these blood vessels supplying oxygen and important nutrients.
This lack of nutrients begins to cause brainwave imbalances, as measured by an EEG scan. This, in turn, causes a downstream effect on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, meaning that the brain cells start producing too little or too much of the chemicals they need. People with ALS usually have elevated levels of glutamate neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters imbalances are further exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies in the person’s diet, especially of key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids.
So, how do we start correcting a potentially multifaceted problem?
One of our most important tools at The Oxford Center is called hyperbaric oxygen. This therapy actually causes new blood vessel growth in the brain and causes the brain to generate new stem cells which turn into new brain cells. (See our video about hyperbaric oxygen here.)
Another important tool is neurofeedback therapy. We use neurofeedback to scan your brain’s electrical signals and reset them with non-invasive feedback in the form of sound. (See our video about neurofeedback here.)
And finally, neurotransmitter therapy and nutrition coaching is used to correct nutritional deficiencies which are underlying the brain chemical imbalances—imbalances that we can find through laboratory testing we provide.
We strive to offer the most comprehensive research-based recovery program available for ALS, and we are happy to serve you by taking as much time as we need to answer your specific questions.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, is a specialized form of medical treatment administered by delivering 100% pure oxygen to the body through increased atmospheric pressure greater than 1.3 ATA in an enclosed hard chamber.
At pressures greater than normal, the body can incorporate more oxygen into blood cells, blood plasma, cerebral-spinal fluid, and other bodily fluids. The increased oxygen absorption experienced during Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy significantly enhances the body’s ability to aid in its healing.
Intensive Physical Therapy (TheraSuit)
Oxford’s industry-leading model of intensive physical therapy combines conventional and non-conventional techniques to facilitate rehabilitation. Our approach focuses on retraining the body and brain from a neurological standpoint compared to the traditional muscular approach. Therapy sessions are one on one and last three hours. These long therapy periods allow our therapists to focus on your specific needs without interruption.
The Oxford physical therapy approach starts with the basics. Patients are trained to use muscles correctly, rather than compensating for muscle groups that are not functioning properly. Our goal goes beyond regaining mobility. We strive to help patients regain proper mobility, so there are no lurking issues that may cause problems in the future.
Speech Therapy
Speech is the communication building block for lifelong learning.
At The Oxford Center, our speech therapists provide techniques and strategies for children and adults to communicate more effectively.
The seven main areas targeted in therapy include articulation, language, cognition, voice, fluency, swallowing, and aural rehab. These areas can improve sound and word formation, stuttering, communication strategies, language understanding, and other symptoms or conditions associated with speaking and communicating.