Overview

Please see conventional, complementary, and alternative medical treatments for important background information regarding the different types of medical treatments discussed on this page. Naturopathic, Complementary, and Alternative treatments that may be considered include:

Etiology

The most obvious cause of paralysis or muscle weakness is nerve damage due to trauma. There are a number of other possibilities that must be considered as well:
  •  >   
    Mitochondrial Dysfunction
  •  >   
    Hypothyroidism is common in muscle weakness.
  • Elevated urinary levels of 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid (HPHPA) and other markers of dysbiotic overgrowth with Clostridium spp. are common in muscle weakness and paralysis [Shaw2008] [GP2008].

Diagnosis

  • Basal body temperature below 97.8 degrees F, elevated TSH, or depressed T3 (suggests hypothyroidism).
  •  >   
    Organic Acid Test (elevated markers for
    • gut dysbiosis).

Differential Diagnosis

  • Physical injury to upper or lower motor neurons.
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency [Pacholok2011].

Treatment

Naturopathic, Complementary, and Alternative Treatments

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

According to the Low Dose Naltrexone home page [LDN], LDN has been seen to benefit many different neurodegenerative diseases associated with autoimmune processes, including Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease. Although Dr. Weyrich is not aware of any reports of treating muscle weakness or paralysis using LDN, Dr. Weyrich speculates that muscle weakness or paralysis may also respond to LDN. Dr. Weyrich has been trained to use Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). However, Dr. Weyrich has not treated any cases of muscle weakness or paralysis with LDN.

Please see What is Low Dose Naltrexone? for more information.

Pathophysiology

The bacteria Clostridium botulinum is known to produce a potent neurotoxin that causes flaccid paralysis. Many poorly characterized species of Clostridium are known to contribute to dysbiosis, so it is reasonable to consider the possibility that some of these bacteria also might produce neurotoxins capable of producing similar symptoms.

References