No specific treatment is known that would prevent, slow, or reverse HSP. Available therapies mainly consist of symptomatic medical management and promoting physical and emotional well-being. Therapeutics offered to HSP patients include:

- Baclofen – a voluntary muscle relaxant to relax muscles and reduce tone. This can be administered orally or intrathecally. (Studies in HSP )

- Tizanidine – to treat nocturnal or intermittent spasms (studies available )

- Diazepam and clonazepam – to decrease intensity of spasms

- Oxybutynin chloride – an involuntary muscle relaxant and spasmolytic agent, used to reduce spasticity of the bladder in patients with bladder control problems

- Tolterodine tartate – an involuntary muscle relaxant and spasmolytic agent, used to reduce spasticity of the bladder in patients with bladder control problems

- Botulinum toxin – to reduce muscle overactivity (existing studies for HSP patients)

- Antidepressants (such as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors) – for patients experiencing clinical depression

- Physical therapy – to restore and maintain the ability to move; to reduce muscle tone; to maintain or improve range of motion and mobility; to increase strength and coordination; to prevent complications, such as frozen joints, contractures, or bedsores.

There is currently no cure for SCA 6; however, there are supportive treatments that may be useful in managing symptoms.

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.

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.

Physiotherapy intervention aims to improve balance and gait of OPCA patients, by stimulating neuroplastic changes in the atrophied neural structure. A challenge-oriented treatment program has previously been shown to be beneficial for individuals with ataxia from OPCA. The treatment program was composed of repetitive training with task challenges (e.g. obstacle course) and/or novel motor skills acquisition over a 12-week period under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Task challenges were progressed only when the patient showed mastery of a task.

Overground harness systems may be used to allow OPCA patients to challenge their balance without chance of falling. Furthermore, home exercise programs and/or aquatic exercises are used to allow more repetitions to facilitate balance learning. Treatment programs should be frequently monitored and adjusted based on a patient's progress. Outcome measures such as the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index and activities-specific balance confidence scales are useful to assess patient’s progress over time.

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.

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.

Currently there is no effective therapy for dominant optic atrophy, and consequently, these patients are simply monitored for changes in vision by their eye-care professional. Children of patients should be screened regularly for visual changes related to dominant optic atrophy. Research is underway to further characterize the disease so that therapies may be developed.

Treatment of TSP involves corticosteroids to help with inflammation. Though any success with corticosteroids is short-lived, with symptoms worsened as the dosage is reduced. A synthetic derivative, 17-alpha-ethinyltestosterone, can be used to treat Tropical spastic paraparesis, improvement in motor and bladder function was reported but not sustainable.

Mogamulizumab, an anti-CCR4 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, is also being researched as a possible treatment for Tropical spastic paraparesis. The antibody reduces HTLV-1 proviral load and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Valproic acid has also succeeded in reducing the proviral load of HTLV-1 (though clinical benefits were minimal or none). A further combination of valproic acid and zidovudine has demonstrated a decrease in proviral loads (in animals).

There is no known cure for cerebral palsy, however there is a large array of treatments proven effective at improving quality of life and relieving some of the symptoms associated with CP, especially SHCP. Some treatments are aimed at improving mobility, strengthening muscle and improving coordination. Although CP is due to permanent damage and is not progressive in nature, without treatment the symptoms can become worse, intensifying in pain and severity, and create complications that were not initially present. Some treatments are preventative measures to help prevent further complications, such as complete paralysis of the arm due to non-use and subsequent worsening hypertonia and joint contracture. Others forms of treatment are corrective in nature. Many treatments target symptoms that are indirectly related to or caused by the SHCP. Many of these treatments are common for other forms of CP as well. Treatment is individualized based on each case and the specific needs of the patient. Treatments are often combined with other forms of treatment and a long term treatment plan is created and continuously evaluated. Treatment can include the following:

- "Physical therapy" – Physical therapy is the most common form of treatment (source needed). It may include sensory stimulation, stretching, strengthening and positioning. Constraint-induced movement therapy is a newer form of physical therapy for SHCP that involves casting or splinting the unaffected arm to promote use of the affected arm (Taub). The theory behind constraint-induced movement therapy is that new neural pathways are created. Alternative forms of physical therapy include yoga and dance. Physical therapy may also include the use of braces while not actively involved with the therapist.

- "Occupational therapy" – Occupational therapy evaluates and treats patients through selected activities in order to enable people to function as effectively and independently as possible in daily life. Occupational therapy is geared toward the individual to achieve optimal results and performance while learning to cope with their disability.

- "Speech therapy" – Due to difficulties in speech, speech therapy is often necessary. Aside from helping with understanding language and increasing communication skills, speech therapists can also assist children that have difficulty eating and drinking.

- "Behavioral therapy" — Psychotherapy and counseling are heavily used in treatment of individuals with SHPD to help them cope emotionally with their needs and frustrations. Counseling through social work can be very beneficial for social issues and adjustments to society. Psychotherapy becomes a more important aspect of therapy when more serious issues such as depression become problematic. Play therapy is a common treatment for all young children with or without disabilities, but can be very useful helping children with SHCP. This therapy again is individualized geared to improve emotional and social development; reduce aggression; improve cooperation with others; assist a child in processing a traumatic event or prepare for an upcoming event such as surgery.

- "Surgery" – Although surgery may become necessary in some cases, physical therapy and the consistent use of braces can help mitigate the need for surgery. Surgical procedures are painful with long and difficult recoveries and do not cure the condition. Most common, is surgery that effectively lengthens the muscle. This type of surgery is usually performed on the legs, but can be performed on the arms as well. Surgeries also may be necessary to realign joints. Other, less popular surgical techniques try to reduce spasticity by severing selected overactive nerves that control muscles. This procedure, known as selective dorsal root rhizotomy, is still somewhat controversial, and is generally used only on the lower extremities of severe cases. Other experimental surgical techniques are also being investigated. The benefits of surgery can also be negated or reversed if the patient does not participate in physical therapy and braces (or casts) are not worn regularly.

- "Medicinal" – Medication targeting symptoms associated with spasticity is also a relatively new treatment that is utilized, but is still in the early stages of development. Drugs such as baclofen, benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam), tizanidin, and sometimes dantrolene have shown promise in the effort to diminish spasticity. Botulinum toxin ("Botox") type A may reduce spasticity a few months at a time and has frequently been considered a beneficial treatment for children with SHCP and other forms of CP. Botox has been shown to be especially beneficial to reducing spasticity in the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle. This therapy can improve range of motion, reduce deformity, improve response to occupational and physical therapy, and delay the need for surgery. Botox injections have also shown advantages for upper extremities. There is still some doubt for the effectiveness, and some side effects to the relaxed muscles have been a loss of strength for patients with some muscle control. Casting, in conjunction with Botox injections may be an additional option for better results. Research is constantly investing in new improvements and more experimental therapy and treatment.

Treatment should be based on assessment by relevant health professionals. For spastic muscles with mild-to-moderate impairment, exercise should be the mainstay of management, and is likely needed to be prescribed by an occupational therapist, physical therapist, accredited exercise physiologist (AEP) or other health professional skilled in neurological rehabilitation.

Muscles with severe spasticity are likely to be more limited in their ability to exercise, and may require help to do this. They may require additional interventions, to manage the greater neurological impairment and also the greater secondary complications. These secondary complications involve the development of contractures, deformity and postural asymmetries. Interventions may include icing, serial casting, sustained stretching, inhibitory pressure and medical interventions. Treatment should be done with firm and constant manual contact positioned over nonspastic areas to avoid stimulating the spastic muscle(s). Alternatively, rehabilitation robotics can be used to provide high volumes of passive or assisted movement, depending on the individual's requirements; this form of therapy can be useful if therapists are at a premium, and has been found effective at reducing spasticity in patients suffering from stroke. For muscles that lack any volitional control, such as after complete spinal cord injury, exercise may be assisted, and may require equipment, such as using a standing frame to sustain a standing position. A general treatment guideline can be followed that involves:

- The initial focus on first activating contraction of antagonist muscles to provide reciprocal inhibition and lengthen spastic muscles

- Reciprocal actions are attempted. Agonist contractions are performed first in small ranges progressing to larger arcs of movement

- Highly stressful activities be minimized early in training

- Functional skills are targeted for training

- Patients and family/caregivers should be educated about the importance of maintaining range of motion and doing daily exercises

Medical interventions may include such medications as baclofen, diazepam, dantrolene, or clonazepam. Phenol injections can be used, or botulinum toxin injections into the muscle belly, to attempt to dampen the signals between nerve and muscle. The effectiveness of medications vary between individuals, and vary based on location of the upper motor neuron lesion (in the brain or the spinal cord). Medications are commonly used for spastic movement disorders, but research has not shown functional benefit for some drugs. Some studies have shown that medications have been effective in decreasing spasticity, but that this has not been accompanied by functional benefits. Surgery could be required for a tendon release in the case of a severe muscle imbalance leading to contracture. In spastic CP, selective dorsal rhizotomy has also been used to decrease muscle overactivity.

Incorporating hydrotherapy in the treatment program may help decrease spasm severity, promote functional independence, improve motor recovery and decrease medication required for spasticity, which may help reduce the side effects that are possible with oral drug treatments. A 2004 study compared the effects of hydrotherapy on spasticity, oral baclofen dosage and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores of patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI). It was found that subjects who received hydrotherapy treatment obtained increased FIM scores and a decreased intake of oral baclofen medication. A 2009 study looked at the effect of hydrotherapy to decrease spasticity on post-stroke, hemiparetic patients with limited mobility and concluded that there was a significantly larger increase in FIM scores compared to the control group that did not receive hydrotherapy.

Medications that impede the release of excitatory neurotransmitters have been used to control or prevent spasms. Treatment with intrathecal baclofen, a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist, decreases muscle tone and has been shown to decrease the frequency of muscle spasms in ADCP patients. Tetrabenazine, a drug commonly used in the treatment of Huntington's disease, has been shown to be effective treating chorea.

Treatment and prognosis depend on the underlying condition. For example, in thiamine deficiency, treatment would be the immediate administration of vitamin B1.

Physical therapy and Occupational Therapy are staple treatments of ADCP. Physical therapy is initiated soon after diagnosis and typically focuses on trunk strength and maintaining posture. Physical therapy helps to improve mobility, range of motion, functional ability, and quality of life. Specific exercises and activities prescribed by a therapist help to prevent muscles from deteriorating or becoming locked in position and help to improve coordination. Occupational therapy interventions for children with CP can include feeding, dressing, bathing, toileting, grooming, pencil grasp and handwriting skills, play, and use of adaptive equipment.

As a matter of everyday maintenance, muscle stretching, range of motion exercises, yoga, contact improvisation, modern dance, resistance training, and other physical activity regimens are often utilized by those with spastic CP to help prevent contractures and reduce the severity of symptoms.

Major clinical treatments for spastic diplegia are:

- Baclofen (and its derivatives), a gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) substitute in oral (pill-based) or intrathecal form. Baclofen is essentially chemically identical to the GABA that the damaged, over-firing nerves cannot absorb, except that it has an extra chemical 'marker' on it that makes the damaged nerves 'think' it is a different compound, and thus those nerves will absorb it. Baclofen is noted for being the sole medication available for GABA-deficiency-based spasticity which acts on the actual cause of the spasticity rather than simply reducing symptomatology as muscle relaxants and painkillers do. The intrathecal solution is a liquid injected into the spinal fluid for trial, and if successful in reducing spasticity, thereafter administered via an intrathecal pump, which has variously been proven potentially very dangerous on one or another level with long-term use (see article), including sudden and potentially lethal baclofen overdose, whereas the oral route, which comes in 10- or 20-milligram tablets and the dosage of which can be gently titrated either upward or downward, as well as safely ceased entirely, has not.

- Antispasmodic muscle relaxant chemicals such as tizanidine and botulinum toxin (Botox), injected directly into the spastic muscles; Botox wears off every three months.

- Phenol and similar chemical 'nerve deadeners', injected selectively into the over-firing nerves in the legs on the muscle end to reduce spasticity in their corresponding muscles by preventing the spasticity signals from reaching the legs; Phenol wears off every six months.

- Orthopedic surgery to release the spastic muscles from their hypertonic state, a usually temporary result because the spasticity source is the nerves, not the muscles; spasticity can fully reassert itself as little as one year post-surgery.

- Selective dorsal rhizotomy, a neurosurgery directly targeting and eliminating ("cutting" or "lesioning") the over-firing nerve rootlets and leaving the properly firing ones intact, thereby permanently eliminating the spasticity but compelling the person to spend months re-strengthening muscles that will have been severely weakened by the loss of the spasticity, due to the fact of those muscles not really having had actual strength to begin with.

Sleep is also used as a management technique. An early indication of an episode is tiredness so medication such as melatonin or Buccal midazolam can be administered to induce sleep and avoid the episode.

Those suffering from alternating hemiplegia are often underweight and with the help of dietitians, a meal plan should be developed for times of attack when consumption of food may be difficult.

There is no known prevention of spinocerebellar ataxia. Those who are believed to be at risk can have genetic sequencing of known SCA loci performed to confirm inheritance of the disorder.

Depending on subtype, many patients find that acetazolamide therapy is useful in preventing attacks. In some cases, persistent attacks result in tendon shortening, for which surgery is required.

Practical surgical procedures used for treating synkinesis are neurolysis and selective myectomy. Neurolysis has been shown to be effective in relieving synkinesis but only temporarily and unfortunately symptoms return much worse than originally. Selective myectomy, in which a synkinetic muscle is selectively resected, is a much more effective technique that can provide permanent relief and results in a low recurrence rate; unfortunately, it also has many post-operative complications that can accompany including edema, hematoma, and ecchymosis. Therefore, surgical procedures are very minimally used by doctors and are used only as last-resort options for patients who do not respond well to non-invasive treatments.

Many children affected by alternating hemiplegia also suffer from epilepsy. Seizures may occur during an attack but more often occur between attacks. Anti-epilepsy drugs are given to prevent or lessen the seizures, but the drugs often don’t work and have severe side effects that require the patient to discontinue use. Flunarizine, which blocks calcium channels, is an antiepilepsy drugs used in 50% of patients, and has been shown to shorten the duration of attacks as well as reducing the severity of the attacks. While Flunarizine does not stop the attacks, it is most common drug prescribed to treat those suffering from alternating hemiplegia.

There is no standard course of treatment for chorea. Treatment depends on the type of chorea and the associated disease. Although there are many drugs that can control it, no cure has yet been identified.

Botox (botulinum toxin) is a new and versatile tool for the treatment of synkinesis. Initially used for reducing hyperkinesis after facial palsy, Botox was later attempted on patients with post-facial palsy synkinesis to reduce unwanted movements. The effects of Botox have shown to be remarkable, with synkinetic symptoms disappearing within 2 or 3 days. The most common treatment targets are the orbicularis oculi, depressor anguli oris (DAO), mentalis, platysma and the contralateral depressor labii inferioris muscles. Due to the short span of Botox effects though, patients must come back to the doctor for re-injection approximately every 3 months. More notable is that in a majority of patients, various synkinetic movements completely disappeared after 2-3 sessions of trimonthly Botox injections.

A more specific synkinesis, crocodile tears syndrome (hyperlacrimation upon eating), has been shown to respond exceedingly well to Botox injection. Botox is injected directly into the lacrimal gland and has shown to reduce hyperlacrimation within 24–48 hours. The procedure was shown to be simple and safe with very little chance of side-effects (although on rare occasions ptosis can occur due to botulinum toxin diffusion). Furthermore, reduction in hyper-lacrimation was shown to last longer than the expected 3 months (about 12 months).

Since Botox can mimic facial paralysis, an optimized dose has been determined that reduces involuntary synkinesis of the muscle while not affecting muscle tone.

The prognosis for Tropical spastic paraparesis indicates some improvement in a percentage of cases due to immunosuppressive treatment. A higher percentage will eventually lose the ability to walk within a ten-year interval.

Attacks are treated with short courses of high dosage intravenous corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone IV.

Plasmapheresis can be an effective treatment when attacks progress or do not respond to corticosteroid treatment. Clinical trials for these treatments contain very small numbers, and most are uncontrolled, though some report high success percentage.

Although HSP is a progressive condition, the prognosis for individuals with HSP varies greatly. It primarily affects the legs although there can be some upperbody involvement in some individuals. Some cases are seriously disabling while others are less disabling and are compatible with a productive and full life. The majority of individuals with HSP have a normal life expectancy.