On treating Myasthenia Gravis (MG) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Visit here first for a quick primer on these two diseases: Myasthenia Gravis  vs ALS)

From the above descriptions, we can better understand the similarities and differences between these two diseases. Comparatively, MG is easier to manage with Western medication, while for ALS, there is no effective Western medication thus far.

What can TCM do for these kinds of diseases?

According to TCM, all types of the atrophy can be regarded as “Wei syndrome,” which can be caused by Lung Heat, Spleen Deficiency, Kidney Essence Deficiency, or Qi and Blood Deficiency. For conditions that are due to Deficiency, tonifying techniques using a combination of acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine are used.

In TCM, the Spleen is said to govern the muscles, so to treat muscular atrophy we focus on regulating the function of both the Spleen and Stomach (which is a functional pair according to TCM theory).  It is said that after we are born, we acquire all of our energy from the conversion of the food that we eat into 'Post-natal Essence'.  When this conversion process becomes inefficient, the transportation and transformation of food into energy is hampered and it becomes apparent that the function of the Spleen and Stomach needs to be improved.  The development of 'Wei Syndrome' is just one such example of the manifestation of this.

It is also said in TCM that the function of the Kidneys are determined by the state of health of the parents at the moment of conception.  So the parents' level of health becomes what is called the 'Pre-natal Essence' of the child and this is essentially the constitution of the person.  This Pre-natal Essence falls under the domain of the Kidneys, which also governs the function of nerves, and so to treat ALS we focus on treating the Kidney.

According to TCM there are two types of ALS. One type begins with the muscles of the limbs becoming flaccid, in which case we begin treatment by focusing on strengthening the Spleen function.  The second type of ALS starts with difficulty speaking and swallowing, in which case we focus more on strengthening the Kidney function because the Kidney governs brain function.  A more detailed explanation of the relationships of the internal organs and various bodily functions can be found here: Zang-fu

Many current articles show the positive effect of the acupuncture on ALS. In fact, acupuncture treatment is now recommended by the ALS Society of Canada.

Dr. Han has treated two ALS patients (one of each type) with acupuncture and herbal products and both experienced improvement in their condition. Though no one can guarantee that TCM can cure ALS, it is possible to improve quality of life by maintaining muscle strength, improving energy level, and making it easier to swallow. Note that with any chronic condition regular TCM treatment will yield more improvement.  It is also important to get treatment with TCM as early as possible in the progression of the disease in order to have a better chance at staving off further degeneration.

Once important difference between MG and ALS is that MG is curable.  In fact, Dr. Han treated his own mother who began to show symptoms of MG and was diagnosed with MG via the Western medical system at age 68.  He treated her with a combination of acupuncture and tradition Chinese medicine and she is now 70 and no longer has any symptoms of MG.