Physical therapy in ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease, without any curative treatment. Clinical expression is variable and related to loss of motor neurons in the cortex, brain stem and spinal cord. There is little scientific evidence demonstrating the usefulness of physical therapy in this disease. Only stretching exercises, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques and functional mobility training seem to have a real benefit in terms of spasticity, quality-of-life and pain. The main objective of physical therapy appears to be the preservation of optimal quality-of-life throughout the course of this incurable degenerative disease.