There is no cure for Machado-Joseph Disease. However, treatments are available for some symptoms. For example, spasticity can be reduced with antispasmodic drugs, such as baclofen. The Parkinsonian symptoms can be treated with levodopa therapy. Prism glasses can reduce diplopic symptoms. Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy and/or occupational therapy can help patients by prescribing mobility aids to increase the patients' independence, providing gait training, and prescribing exercises to maintain the mobility of various joints and general health to decrease the likelihood of falls or injuries as a result of falls. Walkers and wheelchairs can greatly help the patient with everyday tasks. Some patients will experience difficulties with speech and swallowing, therefore a Speech-Language Pathologist can assist the patients to improve their communicating abilities and their issues with swallowing.

There is no cure for spinocerebellar ataxia, which is currently considered to be a progressive and irreversible disease, although not all types cause equally severe disability.

In general, treatments are directed towards alleviating symptoms, not the disease itself. Many patients with hereditary or idiopathic forms of ataxia have other symptoms in addition to ataxia. Medications or other therapies might be appropriate for some of these symptoms, which could include tremor, stiffness, depression, spasticity, and sleep disorders, among others. Both onset of initial symptoms and duration of disease are variable. If the disease is caused by a polyglutamine trinucleotide repeat CAG expansion, a longer expansion may lead to an earlier onset and a more radical progression of clinical symptoms. Typically, a person afflicted with this disease will eventually be unable to perform daily tasks (ADLs). However, rehabilitation therapists can help patients to maximize their ability of self-care and delay deterioration to certain extent. Researchers are exploring multiple avenues for a cure including RNAi and the use of Stem Cells and several other avenues.

On January 18, 2017 BioBlast Pharma announced completion of Phase 2a clinical trials of their medication, Trehalose, in the treatment of SCA3. BioBlast has received FDA Fast Track status and Orphan Drug status for their treatment. The information provided by BioBlast in their research indicates that they hope this treatment may prove efficacious in other SCA treatments that have similar pathology related to PolyA and PolyQ diseases.

In addition, Dr. Beverly Davidson has been working on a methodology using RNAi technology to find a potential cure for over 2 decades. Her research began in the mid-1990s and progressed to work with mouse models about a decade later and most recently has moved to a study with non-human primates. The results from her most recent research "are supportive of clinical application of this gene therapy". Dr. Davidson along with Dr. Pedro Gonzalez-Alegre are currently working to move this technique into a Phase 1 clinical trial.

Finally, another gene transfer technology discovered in 2011 has also been shown by Dr. Davidson to hold great promise and offers yet another avenue to a potential future cure.

The treatment to battle the disease chorea-acanthocytosis is completely symptomatic. For example, Botulinum toxin injections can help to control orolingual dystonia.

Deep Brain Stimulation is a treatment that has varied effects on the people suffering from the symptoms of this disease, for some it has helped in a large way and for other people it did not help whatsoever, it is more effective on specific symptoms of the disease. Patients with chorea-acanthocytosis should undergo a cardiac evaluation every 5 years to look for cardiomyopathy.

Physical therapists can assist patients in maintaining their level of independence through therapeutic exercise programmes. One recent research report demonstrated a gain of 2 SARA points (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia) from physical therapy. In general, physical therapy emphasises postural balance and gait training for ataxia patients. General conditioning such as range-of-motion exercises and muscle strengthening would also be included in therapeutic exercise programmes. Research showed that spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) patients with a mild stage of the disease gained significant improvement in static balance and neurological indices after six months of a physical therapy exercise training program. Occupational therapists may assist patients with incoordination or ataxia issues through the use of adaptive devices. Such devices may include a cane, crutches, walker, or wheelchair for those with impaired gait. Other devices are available to assist with writing, feeding, and self care if hand and arm coordination are impaired. A randomised clinical trial revealed that an intensive rehabilitation program with physical and occupational therapies for patients with degenerative cerebellar diseases can significantly improve functional gains in ataxia, gait, and activities of daily living. Some level of improvement was shown to be maintained 24 weeks post-treatment. Speech language pathologists may use both behavioral intervention strategies as well as augmentative and alternative communication devices to help patients with impaired speech.

There is no known cure for MSA and management is primarily supportive.

Ongoing care from a neurologist specializing in "movement disorders" is recommended as the complex symptoms of MSA are often not familiar to less-specialized health care professionals.

One particularly serious problem, the drop in blood pressure upon standing up (with risk of fainting and thus injury from falling) often responds to fludrocortisone, a synthetic mineralocorticoid. Another common drug treatment is midodrine (an alpha-agonist). Non-drug treatments include "head-up tilt" (elevating the head of the whole bed by about 10 degrees), salt tablets or increasing salt in the diet, generous intake of fluids, and pressure (elastic) stockings. Avoidance of triggers of low blood pressure (such as hot weather, alcohol, and dehydration) are crucial.

Hospice/homecare services can be very useful as disability progresses.

Levodopa (L-Dopa), a drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, improves parkinsonian symptoms in a small percentage of MSA patients. A recent trial reported that only 1.5% of MSA patients experienced a less than 50% improvement when taking levodopa, and even this was a transient effect lasting less than one year. Poor response to L-Dopa has been suggested as a possible element in the differential diagnosis of MSA from Parkinson's disease.

A November, 2008 study conducted in Europe failed to find an effect for the drug riluzole in treating MSA or PSP.

Management by rehabilitation professionals (physiatrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and others) for problems with walking/movement, daily tasks, and speech problems is essential.

Physiotherapy can help to maintain the patient’s mobility and will help to prevent contractures. Instructing patients in gait training will help to improve their mobility and decrease their risk of falls. A physiotherapist may also prescribe mobility aids such as a cane or a walker to increase the patient’s safety. Other ways a physiotherapist can help to improve the patient’s safety are to teach them to move and transfer from sitting to standing slowly to decrease risk of falls and limit the effect of postural hypotension. Instruction in ankle pumping helps to return blood in the legs to the systemic circulation. To further control the postural hypotension, raising the head of the bed by 8 in (20.3 cm) while sleeping may be indicated as well as the use of elastic compression garments.

Speech and language therapists may assist in assessing, treating and supporting speech (dysarthria) and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). Early intervention of swallowing difficulties is particularly useful to allow for discussion around tube feeding further in the disease progression.{doubtful - citation needed} At some point in the progression of the disease, fluid and food modification may be suggested. Speech changes mean that alternative communication may be needed, for example communication aids or word charts.

Social workers and occupational therapists can also help with coping with disability through the provision of equipment and home adaptations, services for caregivers and access to healthcare services, both for the person with MSA as well as family caregivers.

In terms of a cure there is currently none available, however for the disease to manifest itself, it requires mutant gene expression. Manipulating the use of protein homoestasis regulators can be therapuetic agents, or a treatment to try and correct an altered function that makes up the pathology is one current idea put forth by Bushart, et al. There is some evidence that for SCA1 and two other polyQ disorders that the pathology can be reversed after the disease is underway. There is no effective treatments that could alter the progression of this disease, therefore care is given, like occupational and physical therapy for gait dysfunction and speech therapy.

Treatment is palliative, not curative (as of 2009).

Treatment options for lower limb weakness such as foot drop can be through the use of Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) which can be designed or selected by an Orthotist based upon clinical need of the individual. Sometimes tuning of rigid AFOs can enhance knee stability.

There is currently no cure for the disease but treatments to help the symptoms are available.

With many different types of leukodystrophies and causes, treatment therapies vary for each type. Many studies and clinical trials are in progress to find treatment and therapies for each of the different leukodystrophies. Stem cell transplants and gene therapy appear to be the most promising in treating all leukodystrophies providing it is done as early as possible.

For hypomyelinating leukodystrophies, therapeutic research into cell-based therapies appears promising. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells and neural stem cells have been transplanted successfully and have shown to be healthy a year later. Fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity maps showed possible myelination in the region of the transplant. Induced pluripotent stem cells, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, gene correction, and transplantation to promote the maturation, survival, and myelination of oligodendrocytes seem to be the primary routes for possible treatments.

For three types of leukodystrophies (X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and Krabbe Disease (globoid cell leukodystrophy - GLD), gene therapy using autologous hematopoietic stem cells to transfer the disease gene with lentiviral vectors have shown to be successful and are currently being used in clinical trials for X-ALD and MLD. The progression of X-ALD has shown to be disrupted with hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy but the exact reason why demyelination stops and the amount of stem cells needed is unclear. While there is an accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in the brain, it does not seem to be the reason behind the disease as gene therapy does not correct it.

Adeno-associated vectors have also been used in intracerebral injections to treat MLD. In some patients with MLD, their IQ increased, nerve conduction improved, their MRIs appeared stable, and had normal enzyme levels. Although the greater majority of patients seem to improve after the transplant, some do not respond well to treatment, which may cause devastating outcomes. For those leukodystrophies that result from a deficiency of lysozyme enzymes, such as Krabbes disease, enzyme replacement therapy seems hopeful, however, this proves difficult as the blood-brain barrier severely limits what can pass through into the central nervous system. Due to this obstacle, most research and clinical trials are turning to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Because lack of sialic acid appears to be part of the pathology of IBM caused by GNE mutations, clinical trials with sialic acid supplements, and with a precursor of sialic acid, N-Acetylmannosamine, have been conducted, and as of 2016 further trials were planned.

There is currently no known pharmacological treatment to hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies. However, the majority of people with these diseases are able to walk and be self-sufficient. Some methods of relief for the disease include physical therapy, stretching, braces, and sometimes orthopedic surgery. Since foot disorders are common with neuropathy disorders precautions must be taken to strengthen these muscles and use preventative care and physical therapy to prevent injury and deformities.

Gene-based therapies for patients with HSAN I are not available to date, hence supportive care is the only treatment available for the patients. Ulcero-mutilating complications are the most serious, prominent, and leading diagnostic features in HSAN I. Since the complications mimic foot ulcers caused by diabetic neuropathy, the treatment for foot ulcers and infections can follow the guidelines given for diabetic foot care which starts with early and accurate counseling of patients about risk factors for developing foot ulcerations. Orthopedic care and the use of well fitting shoes without pressure points should also be included. Recently, the treatment of the foot complications has reached an efficient level allowing treatment on an outpatient basis. Early treatment of the foot complications often avoids hospitalization and, in particular, amputations. In sum, the principles of the treatment are removal of pressure to the ulcers, eradication of infection, and specific protective footwear afterwards.

There is currently no cure for Costeff syndrome. Treatment is supportive, and thus focuses on management of the symptoms. The resulting visual impairment, spasticity, and movement disorders are treated in the same way as similar cases occurring in the general population.

If patients with HSAN I receive appropriate treatment and counseling, the prognosis is good. Early treatment of foot infections may avoid serious complications. Nevertheless, the complications are manageable, thus allowing an acceptable quality of life. The disease progresses slowly and does not influence the life expectancy if signs and symptoms are properly treated.

No specific treatment for CADASIL is available. While most treatments for CADASIL patients' symptoms – including migraine and stroke – are similar to those without CADASIL, these treatments are almost exclusively empiric, as data regarding their benefit to CADASIL patients is limited. Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin, dipyridamole, or clopidogrel might help prevent strokes; however, anticoagulation may be inadvisable given the propensity for microhemorrhages. Control of high blood pressure is particularly important in CADASIL patients. Short-term use of atorvastatin, a statin-type cholesterol-lowering medication, has not been shown to be beneficial in CADASIL patients' cerebral hemodynamic parameters, although treatment of comorbidities such as high cholesterol is recommended. Stopping oral contraceptive pills may be recommended. Some authors advise against the use of triptan medications for migraine treatment, given their vasoconstrictive effects, although this sentiment is not universal. As with other individuals, people with CADASIL should be encouraged to quit smoking.

In one small study, around 1/3 of patients with CADASIL were found to have cerebral microhemorrhages (tiny areas of old blood) on MRI.

L-arginine, a naturally occurring amino acid, has been proposed as a potential therapy for CADASIL, but as of 2017 there are no clinical studies supporting its use. Donepezil, normally used for Alzheimer's Disease, was not shown not to improve executive functioning in CADASIL patients.

The treatment of genetic disorders is an ongoing battle with over 1800 gene therapy clinical trials having been completed, are ongoing, or have been approved worldwide. Despite this, most treatment options revolve around treating the symptoms of the disorders in an attempt to improve patient quality of life.

Gene therapy refers to a form of treatment where a healthy gene is introduced to a patient. This should alleviate the defect caused by a faulty gene or slow the progression of disease. A major obstacle has been the delivery of genes to the appropriate cell, tissue, and organ affected by the disorder. How does one introduce a gene into the potentially trillions of cells which carry the defective copy? This question has been the roadblock between understanding the genetic disorder and correcting the genetic disorder.

Patients with severe forms of MJD have a life expectancy of approximately 35 years. Those with mild forms have a normal life expectancy. The cause of death of those who die early is often aspiration pneumonia.

The long-term prognosis of Costeff syndrome is unknown, though it appears to have no effect on life expectancy at least up to the fourth decade of life. However, as mentioned previously, movement problems can often be severe enough to confine individuals to a wheelchair at an early age, and both visual acuity and spasticity tend to worsen over time.

Treatment for autosomal dominant porencephaly type I is based on the symptoms that an individual is experiencing - for example, treatment of seizures with anticonvulsants. It is particularly important for individuals with this disorder and hypertension to control their blood pressure, as they are at higher risk of stroke. Other stroke prevention treatments include avoiding anticoagulants, smoking, and situations that may lead to head trauma.

Currently, there is no cure for muscular dystrophy. In terms of management, physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthotic intervention (e.g., ankle-foot orthosis), speech therapy, and respiratory therapy may be helpful. Low intensity corticosteroids such as prednisone, and deflazacort may help to maintain muscle tone. Orthoses (orthopedic appliances used for support) and corrective orthopedic surgery may be needed to improve the quality of life in some cases. The cardiac problems that occur with EDMD and myotonic muscular dystrophy may require a pacemaker. The myotonia (delayed relaxation of a muscle after a strong contraction) occurring in myotonic muscular dystrophy may be treated with medications such as quinine.

Occupational therapy assists the individual with MD to engage in activities of daily living (such as self-feeding and self-care activities) and leisure activities at the most independent level possible. This may be achieved with use of adaptive equipment or the use of energy-conservation techniques. Occupational therapy may implement changes to a person's environment, both at home or work, to increase the individual's function and accessibility; furthermore, it addresses psychosocial changes and cognitive decline which may accompany MD, and provides support and education about the disease to the family and individual.

Not all genetic disorders directly result in death, however there are no known cures for genetic disorders. Many genetic disorders affect stages of development such as Down syndrome. While others result in purely physical symptoms such as muscular dystrophy. Other disorders, such as Huntington's disease show no signs until adulthood. During the active time of a genetic disorder, patients mostly rely on maintaining or slowing the degradation of quality of life and maintain patient autonomy. This includes physical therapy, pain management, and may include a selection of alternative medicine programs.

Currently no cure or specific treatment exists to eliminate the symptoms or stop the disease progression. A consistent diet planned with the help of a dietitian along with exercises taught by a speech therapist can assist with mild symptoms of dysphagia. Surgical intervention can also help temporarily manage symptoms related to the ptosis and dysphagia. Cutting one of the throat muscles internally, an operation called cricopharyngeal myotomy, can be one way to ease symptoms in more severe cases.

Physical therapy and specifically designed exercises may assist with proximal limb weakness, though there is still no current definitive data showing it will stop the progress of the disease. Many of those affected with the proximal limb weakness will eventually require assistive devices such as a wheelchair. As with all surgical procedures, they come with many risk factors. As the dysphagia becomes more severe, patients become malnourished, lose significant weight, become dehydrated and suffer from repeated incidents of aspiration pneumonia. These last two are often the cause of death.

Prognosis depends on the individual form of MD. In some cases, a person with a muscle disease will get progressively weaker to the extent that it shortens lifespan due to heart and breathing complications. However, some of the muscle diseases do not affect life expectancy at all, and ongoing research is attempting to find cures and treatments to slow muscle weakness.

There is no treatment that directly interferes with the disease process, although dietary restriction of calcium has been tried with limited results. For excessive areas of skin, plastic surgery may be needed. For the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina, laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy may be used; injections with triamcinolone have shown limited effect. Antiangiogenic drugs such as bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis) have been effective, similar to its efficacy in age-related macular degeneration. Cardiovascular disease is treated as in individuals without PXE. Some recommend avoidance of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) that increase bleeding risk, such as aspirin, and ibuprofen.