The early onset of ALS is often very subtle - these are the first Symptoms of ALS to watch for:

• twitching and cramping of the muscles, especially those in the hands and feet
  
• muscle weakness in the arms or legs
• loss of motor control in the arms or legs
• general weakness and fatigue
• tripping and falling
• dropping things
• slurred or thick speech
• difficulty chewing or swallowing
• uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying

The parts of the body affected by early symptoms of ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis depend on which muscles in the body are damaged first. For instance, one person may experience trouble grasping or lifting, another person notices that he or she is stumbling or tripping more often, and a third person may notice episodes of slurred speech.

Muscle weakness is a hallmark initial sign in ALS, occurring in approximately 60% of patients. About 25% have bulbar (throat) onset, which means that voice and swallowing are first affected. About 50% have arm onset, and 25% leg onset.

A hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) is a simple, non-invasive screening test that can be used to find out if you have a heavy metal problem. This is especially useful if your program of supplements and lifestyle changes are not showing consistent positive results or is working a little more slowly than you would like.

An HTMA test will help you find hidden toxicities, help you identify the source of exposure to heavy metals, and will suggest ways to balance the essential minerals and eliminate the toxic metals.

Regardless of the part of the body where ALS first makes an appearance, muscle weakness and atrophy eventually spread as the disease progresses. Later symptoms may include:

• shortness of breath
• difficulty breathing
• difficulty swallowing
• difficulty chewing
• tight and stiff muscles
• complete paralysis
  

Although the rate at which the disease progresses varies from person to person, if the disease remains unchecked all ALS patients will eventually succumb to complete paralysis, including needing a ventilator to breathe and a feeding tube for nourishment.

Note: Most health care professionals claim that nothing can be done to stop the progression of ALS, reverse symptoms of ALS, and that it is futile to try.

They very likely are unaware themselves that a few people have managed to stop the progression of the disease and even reverse some of their symptoms.

It is true that some people with early symptoms of ALS progress so rapidly that very little in terms of alternative therapies can benefit them - but as some others have found, there are combinations of therapies that have, at the very least, substantially improved the quality of their life.

We recommend using targeted nutritional supplements in conjunction with a safe detoxification protocol as a simple, non-invasive way to help the body regenerate and recover.

For complete information on how to do this, click here for our ALS Symptoms Supportive Natural Therapies page.

In a large number of cases, the source of signs and symptoms of ALS can be traced to the overload of toxicity the body has had to deal with over many years, particularly heavy metals. We suggest you consider having a hair tissue mineral analysis done to find out which heavy metals the body is high in and which essential minerals the body is deficient in. This test can provide you with much-needed information about mineral ratios that can be toxic and causing imbalances in your body, especially if you're suffering from symptoms of ALS disease.

A hair tissue mineral analysis provides a unique reading of heavy metal and mineral levels in the cells over a two to three month period. It takes into consideration that toxins are stored in the tissues of the body, not in the blood. For instance, you can have normal copper levels in the blood, but high copper levels in the tissues.

The reason hair is used for testing mineral status and metabolic activity is because of its very nature. Our hair is formed from clusters of specialized cells that make up the hair follicle. During the growth phase, the hair is exposed to the internal environment such as blood, lymph and extra-cellular fluids.  

As the hair continues to grow and reaches the surface of the skin, its outer layers harden, locking in the metabolic products accumulated during the period of formation. This biological processs provides a blueprint and lasting record of metal content and nutritional metabolic activity that has occured during this time.

The precise analytical method of determining the levels of minerals in the hair is a highly sophisticated technique: when performed to exacting standards and interpreted correctly, it may be used as a screening aid for determining mineral deficiencies, excesses, and/or imbalances. HTMA provides you and your healthcare professional with an economical and sensitive indicator of the long-term effects of diet, stress, toxic metal exposure and their effects on your mineral balance that is difficult to obtain through other clinical tests.

It is important for the attending healthcare professional to determine your mineral status as minerals are absolutely critical for life and abundant health. They are involved in and are necessary for cellular metabolism, structural support, nerve conduction, muscular activity, immune functions, anti-oxidant and endocrine activity, enzyme functions, water and acid/alkaline balance and even DNA function.

Many factors can affect mineral nutrition, such as: food preparation, dietary habits, genetic and metabolic disorders, disease, medications, stress, environmental factors, as well as exposure to heavy metals. Rarely does a single nutrient deficiency exist in a person today. Multiple nutritional imbalances however are quite common, contributing to an increased incidence of adverse health conditions. In fact, it is estimated that mild and sub-clinical nutritional imbalances are up to ten times more common than nutritional deficiency alone.

To get an idea of how helpful a hair tissue analysis can be, think about this: Researchers using tissue mineral analysis determined, more than 100 years after Napoloen Bonaparte's death, that he had been poisoned by arsenic. Even though his hair sample was tested more than a century after his death, it still revealed pathological amounts of arsenic that had gradually proved fatal.

A hair analysis usually needs to be obtained through a health care professional (which can be expensive). However, we offer a service that allows you to get a comprehensive hair tissue mineral analysis from a federally licensed laboratory called Trace Elements, Inc.

Each hair analysis contains a detailed 10-15 page report from the laboratory itself, which shows bar graph readings indicating high, low and reference range levels for toxic metals, essential minerals and significant mineral ratios.

Unlike some labs that test hair tissue analysis, Trace Elements, Inc. does not wash the hair at the lab. Washing the hair removes some of the loosely bound minerals and can reduce some mineral readings by 50 percent or more. The hair sample is prepared in their licensed clinical laboratory by using a series of chemical and high temperature digestive procedures. Testing is then performed using highly sophisticated detection equipment and methods to achieve the most accurate and precise results.

The Comprehensive Hair Tissue Analysis report details graph results for 8 toxic heavy metals/elements, 15 nutritional minerals/elements, 15 additional elements, 7 significant mineral ratios, and 9 toxic metal ratios. Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample.

To view a sample of the bar graph measurements for each mineral element and significant ratios, click here or the bar graph images above.

Nutritional Elements: Extensively studied, the nutrient elements have been well defined and are considered essential for many biological functions in the human body. They play key roles in such metabolic processes such as muscular activity, endocrine function, reproduction, skeletal integrity, and overall development.

Toxic Elements: The toxic elements or "heavy metals" are well-known for their interference upon normal biochemical function. They are commonly found in the environment and therefore are present to some degree, in all biological systems. However, these metals clearly pose a concern for toxicity when accumulation occurs to excess.

Additional Elements: These elements are considered as possibly essential by the human body. Additional studies are being conducted to better define their requirements.

Significant Ratios: If the synergistic relationship (or ratio) between certain minerals in the body is disturbed, studies show that normal biological functions and metabolic activity can be adversely affected. Even at extremely low concentrations, the synergistic and/or antagonistic relationships between minerals still exist, which can indirectly affect metabolism.

Toxic Ratios: It is important to note that individuals with elevated toxic levels may not always exhibit clinical symptoms associated with those particular toxic minerals. However, research has shown that toxic minerals/metals can also produce an antagonistic effeect on various essential minerals, eventually leading to distrubances in their metabolic utilization.

To view a sample of the detailed explanation of results patient report, please click here. For a complete overview of the various sections covered in the Comprehensive Hair Analysis Report, please click here.

To view complete details of the elements measured and to order the Comprehensive Hair Mineral Analysis, please click here.

For a list of FAQ’s about hair analysis, please click here.

Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample. You then send the hair sample to the Trace Elements lab, and the lab sends us the detailed report/results, which we then mail to you (there is an option for emailing the results as well to save time).

When you mix bentonite clay with water, it creates a large negatively charged surface area. When the body is in a tub of warm water, the warm water opens up the pores of the skin, and the positively charged toxic particles are drawn through the pores of the skin, to be absorbed by the clay.

Most chemical and metal toxins have a postive charge, whereas the clay has a negative charge. Thus, the toxins cannot resist being drawn towards the clay. Bentonite clay has a great capacity for absorbing many times its own weight in toxins. In other words, clay baths have been shown to literally pull pollutants out through the skin, getting rid of many months and years of toxic accumulations.

It is important that you find a sodium bentonite clay that has been purified, so it contains no mold, yeast, bacteria or fungus. Also, it helps to use a clay that mixes well and disperses easily with warm water to get maximum effectiveness. Some clays do not mix well in the tub, leaving you with a cumbersome and messy clean-up.

EDTA is a chelating agent that can bind free metal ions that circulate in the blood stream. Traditional EDTA treatment for chelation has involved giving it to patients intraveneously. However, more recently, there has been a German-patented formula that utilizes a very dilute amount of EDTA so that now side effects are experienced and it can be used at home without doctor's supervision.

The active ingredients in this formula set up shop in the gastrointestinal tract where through the Law of Isotonicity, metal ions are dumped into the bloodstream (over time) and then excreted safely out of the body through the urine and stool.

Useful Tests
The following tests may be extremely useful for people to both tailor your therapeutic supplements program and to chart your progress.
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Detoxification Therapy
There is growing evidence that environmental toxins play a major role
in numerous neurological disorders.
Read more

pH Balance Therapy
A balanced body pH is crucial to any healing program. The cause of disease, according many experts, is over acidification, from diet, stress, toxins, etc.
Read more

Antioxidant Therapy
Most of you have heard of antioxidants and know that they are good for you.  Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals. 
Read more

Herbal Therapy
Herbs that have beneficial properties
to support neurological health.
Read more >>>

Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins & minerals that can be useful for people with neurological symptoms.
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Viral & Bacterial Support
Scientists have long surmised that
there may be an infectious component to neurological symptoms, and while
this has not been proven, it would be prudent to take natural and safe substances that effectively rid the body of viruses, bacteria and mycoplasma. 
Read more

Supportive Supplements
Here is an additional list of supplements that may also be helpful for people with neurological challenges. 
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ALS Links and Resources
The following organizations may
provide much useful information for people with ALS/MND.
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Causes of ALS
While the actual cause of ALS/MND remains unknown, there are presently several theories being put forward. 
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Early Symptoms of ALS
The onset of ALS/MND is often very subtle – these are the initial symptoms to watch for.
Read more

Genetic Testing for ALS
ALS/MND is hereditary in only 10 percent of families.  The vast majority of ALS cases are sporadic, meaning that although there is likely a genetic predisposition involved, ALS is not directly inherited in a family. 
Read more

Diagnosing ALS
ALS/MND is one of those diseases that is very difficult to diagnose.  There is no one test that will definitively tell you whether you have ALS. 
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ALS and Dental Amalgams
The use of mercury “silver” amalgams in dental fillings has been an accepted practice in the United States for more than one hundred years.  Therefore, most people assume that their “silver” fillings are safe and non-toxic. Not so.
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Dietary Regimen for ALS
This part of the ALS/MND protocol requires following a very specific dietary regime. This may be the most challenging aspect for many people with ALS. 
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Medications for ALS
There are various medications that are being prescribed for people with ALS/MND as their symptoms progress.
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Stem Cell Therapy
There is a huge and widespread interest in the ALS/MND community in stem cell therapy, both in how it is helping people with ALS today and how it may benefit people with ALS in the future. 
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