A Literature Review of Korean Medical Studies of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Objectives : There have been many reports that show that Korean Medical Treatment of ALS patients can maintain or improve their major and minor symptoms, but this has not been reviewed in literature. The aim of this study is to review studies of ALS patients treated with Korean Medicine. Methods : A search was completed of studies containing word ALS in English and in Korean from KIOM OASIS. Results : There were no cases of ALS patients that were fully cured. However with Korean Medical treatment, there were articles that reported improvement or maintenance of major symptoms, recovery of minor symptoms like pain, chest discomfort, insomnia, cough, sputum, etc, and success in the long term care of ALS patients. Conclusions : Although the current study has limitations, our findings support the potential use and effectiveness of Korean Medical Treatment for ALS patients.