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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough there's no cure for primary lateral sclerosis, there are a few lifestyle choices you can make to preserve muscle function for as long as possible:
- Stay active. Continue activity or exercise programs as long as you can comfortably and safely do so. Staying active will help you keep your existing function and slow the progression of the disease. Just be sure you stay safe, keeping in mind that your muscle weakness puts you at higher risk of tripping and falling.
- Eat a healthy diet. Because PLS can cause your activity level to slow down, be sure you're eating a nutritious diet to avoid excessive weight gain and added pressure on your joints.
References
- NINDS primary lateral sclerosis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/primary_lateral_sclerosis/primary_lateral_sclerosis.htm. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- Juvenile primary lateral sclerosis. National Institutes of Health Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=juvenileprimarylateralsclerosis. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
- Murray B, et al. Disorders of upper and lower motor neurons. In: Bradley WG, et al. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50116-3&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50116-3--cesec19&uniq=215117994&isbn=978-0-7506-7525-3&sid=1040472768. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
- Brugman F, et al. Adult-onset primary lateral sclerosis is not associated with mutations in the ALS2 gene. Neurology. 2007;69:702.
- Tartaglia MC, et al. Differentiation between primary lateral sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Examination of symptoms and signs at disease onset and during follow-up. Archives of Neurology. 2007;64:232.
- Gordon PH, et al. Clinical features that distinguish PLS, upper motor neuron-dominant ALS, and typical ALS. Neurology. 2009;72:1948.
- Hadano S, et al. Molecular and cellular function of ALS2/alsin: Implication of membrane dynamics in neuronal development and degeneration. Neurochemistry International. 2007;51:74.
- Motor neuron diseases fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/motor_neuron_diseases/detail_motor_neuron_diseases.htm. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
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