Nov 21 2008

Parkinsons Disease Diagnosis and Treatment for Pain

The following correspondence was
received from Marne. I thought this
would surely be of interest to others.

My husband was diagnosed in 2006 with PD. 
We had MRI’s, CAT scans, Xrays of his whole
spine & shoulder. Found several herniated disks
in the cervical & lumbar areas & arthritis
in his shoulder. For 3 years the neurologists
said there wasn’t anything we could do. 

We just recently (3 weeks ago) went to a pain
specialist who said the shoulder & right arm,
hip & leg pain (all of the right side) is
probably due to the herniations.  He recommended
an epidural steroid in his cervical spine area
to relieve the pain. 

My husband did the procedure & during the
injection he felt his entire right arm get
really hot as the medicine went down & he
even felt it in his legs.  He walked out of
that office being able to raise his arm & use
it for the first time in 3 years. 

He has no more shooting pains in his arms, neck,
back, shoulder, hips & legs.  What the Dr. said
was that his spine was really inflamed.  His only
symptoms are now down to a very slight tremor in
his right arm & not having full strength of his
right leg.  This may or may not be permanent,
only time will tell.  But what I now know is
that inflammation of the spine can be a huge
cause of the pain. 

And unfortunately once a Dr. knows your diagnosis,
he throws every symptom into the Parkinson’s bucket
& doesn’t look outside of the box.  This treatment
has been amazing overnight.  Now he can do the
proper physical therapy so that we can get his
body working again.  And, with God’s blessing, have
the pain stay away permanently.

Thanks so much for your letter. It is proven over and
over that everybody’s situation is unique.  It is
amazing what can happen when you begin considering
different causes for the symptoms and what miracles can
happen with a little experimention.  

PS:  My husband has been on Glutathione @ 4000 mgs/
push IV, 1X or 2X a week for almost 2 years now & that has
helped tremendously. A good website is
www.Glutathioneexperts.com
Take a look at the video by David Perlmutter. 

Another site that we are using is www.PDRecovery.org
Her treatment is quite simple and my husband is experiencing
some very interesting changes in his body…more feeling. 
The treatment is simple & FREE.  She has a very interesting
book that is available Free online on her site.  It’s worth
a read.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Nov 19 2008

Parkinson’s Treatment Options and Parkinson’s Nutrition

Question (from Holland):

I use some times a week organic biological
soy sauce (tamari) and miso, a biological soy paste.
Can I trust this is MSG-free?

I read that nuts in the supermarket might contain MSG.
So biological nuts are MSG-free?

Response

In the United States, they have a term “organic”
which is supposed to mean no additives of any
kind. I am guessing the term “biological” means
the same thing in your country. It is probably
healthy and safe, but we never can be 100% certain!

The truth is that most products in supermarkets
have MSG of one form or another, so you really
never know for sure. The more often you can
purchase food from local suppliers, the more
you can be certain the foods are additive free. 

Another subject: Aquas: 

I use them now for ten days and I feel very good.
I take them together with noni-juice, in the evening
with other fruit-juice. I started with one drop, then
half a drop (threw half a glass water away), then
again one drop, after some days two drops, last few
days I try three drops. I feel emotionally very well
and optimistic, enjoy more of life.

Response:

Glad to hear the Aquas are helping. John Coleman,
ND, tells me that have been a big help to his
patients as well. 
 
Another subject: A Helpful Therapy that Contributes to
My well Being

I found a therapist that helps me to communicate
directly with my body. After a light head-neck-shoulder
massage she asks me to sit with my eyes closed
and concentrate on my body.

She asks what discomfort I feel, in what body part
it is located, and how long it is there. In a light
trance she guides me to the situation where the
discomfort started and encourages me to tell about
it and let it go.

Response:

This is truly fascinating. We all need to find
someone like this. Do they have a website? 

 
PS I was diagnosed PD in July 2007, I am free from
synthetic medicine. Still doing some professional work,
making long walks, go to fitness.

 Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Response:

One response so far

Nov 15 2008

Parkinson’s, Dryness of the Mouth and Vitamin D

Published by admin under dryness of the mouth, vitamin D3

Question One:

I have two questions. Thank you for being available to answer my inquiries:

Heat seems to bother me.  The sun shining on my back/neck
or a hair dryer creates a feeling of crawling or shrinking on my
neck and head and gives me a slight sensation of nausea or
dizziness.  Have you heard of this being a problem with Parkinson’s or
others with neurological problems?

Response:

I have not heard reports from people with Parkinson’s that are
specific to the symptoms you describe, but I must say that the
range of symptoms that are associated with Parkinson’s is very
wide indeed.

Sunshine is a key mechanism that helps the body manufacture
Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 provides foundational support for balancing
all other hormones in the body.

I might suggest that with this symptom, your body is giving you a
big clue about the source of hormonal imbalances in your body. You
might put on your detective hat and launch a search for the
underlying meaning of the symptom.

I will be doing teleseminars over the coming months with a serious of
naturopaths, medical doctors and researchers. I suggest you write in
your question on the pre-event teleseminar pages. I will ask our guests
your question so you can hear what they have to say about the possible
underlying meaning of this symptom. It is a mystery to be solved.      

Question Two:

My mouth, throat, and lungs feel dry, dehydrated, and have a
burning sensation and when I breathe deep I have a dry cough. 
Is this a problem related to Parkinson’s or do I have a problem
on top of a problem?  I am in the Californian desert for the winter
and the problem seems to exacerbated.

Response:

Excessive salivation is the more common symptom that is
associated with Parkinson’s. By your own description, it sounds
like you are seriously dehydrated. It would be worthwhile to
hear an interview I did with Dr. Jaroslav Boublik who specializes
in issues associated with dehydration. He is a researcher, not a
medical doctor, and explains what happens when the body become
dehydrated. You can listen to his interview by clicking here.
http://www.instantteleseminar.com/Default.asp?eventid=4462005

He explains that as we get older, our thirst reflect becomes
compromised, so we simply do not drink when our body needs
water as was the case when we were young.

Of the two nettlesome symptoms you list, I would make the
second the highest priority. By far, the most common cause of
death for persons with Parkinson’s is pneumonia, so addressing
any issues with the pulmonary function will avert more serious
problems down the line.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Nov 14 2008

Parkinson’s Supplements: Herbs that Help with Tremors and Salivation

Published by admin under Supplements, salivation, tremors

Last week I had the privilege of interviewing
Andrew Bentley who practices as a herbalist
in Lexington, Kentucky. A short excerpt
from my interview with him follows:

Question:

Many people ask me very specific
questions about how they can get help with
specific symptoms. For example, many people
have asked me recently about excessive
salivation. They have a lot of worries and
troubles with that.

Is there anything off the top of your head
that you would suggest as a possibility in
the herbal area for that?

There are some things that might help with that.
For example, oat bark extract taken in very
small amounts can sometimes help with excessive
salivation. Also, sometimes if you have better
muscle control in the muscles of the neck and
throat and the face, that can sometimes help
for the excessive salivation not to be a problem.

How about tremors? 

Oat straw is one thing that is sometimes helpful
for that. A nice thing about oat straw is that
it usually does not cause drowsiness. A lot of
things that are anti-spasmodic also cause sedation.
Sometimes people aren’t looking for that. That
is a helpful thing about that particular herb
because it doesn’t have so much of that effect.

Valerian is a much stronger herb for helping to
suppress tremors but it does carry some risk of
sedation, of feeling more drowsy and so forth
especially when people first start taking it.
Sometimes that lessons as time goes on.

It is a very strong substance when it comes to
helping control involuntary muscle movement
tremors and involuntary movement of otherwise
involuntary muscles. It is a good one for that.

Passion flower is also one that is helpful for
some particular individuals.  These are all
things that would go into that category of
working on tremors.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Nov 11 2008

Parkinson’s and Nutrition - What is a Good Multi-Vitamin?

Published by admin under Nutrition, multi-vitamin

Question:

Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate receiving your newsletter. My husband has PD and I seem to do more research all the time in learning how to help him do well. He presently take kaunch sand (he calls it that) along with 1 Sinement twice a day. This seems to keep him fairly well…not much shaking, but legs sometimes get weak (he rakes leaves, etc…overdoes at times). He has diabetes type 2 and is on meds for that…would love to get him off! But that might be too much for him to try! We thank God for His help and for you and the hope you offer through your newsletter. I have a CD of ‘Sit and be fit’ for PD sufferers. Hoping to get him started on those exercises.

I’m still looking for a multi-vitamin that is more specifically geared for those with PD. My husband can’t take any large pills or capsules, that is a problem.
 
   THANKS again for your positive and exceptional coverage on PD.

Betty

Response:

Thanks so much for your kind words. They are an inspiration.

I will be interviewing a series of naturopaths in Teleseminars over
the next several months. Be sure and ask your question about a good multi-vitamin to all of them.

You can write your question at the bottom of the pre-event announcement pages. You will likely hear different answers, but they will give you a good set of choices to consider.

One approach is to do testing which many naturopaths recommend. There are various forms of testing, but they all yield helpful information
about deficiencies in the body which inform specific supplements that
are needed. I have personally gone the testing route and it has been
very helpful.

There is another approach I think is worth considering. Begin placing an
emphasis on putting good food into the body every day. I personally do this in two ways. I juice live food as often as possible. And, I purchase canisters of Perfect Food from the Garden of Life. This is ground up food in powder form.

They also have “horse pills” which I can not swallow. I also have a terrible problem taking pills. With Perfect Food in powder form I put the powdered food in water and drink it - no pills are required. There are other excellent companies that offer good food in powder form. Perfect Food is just what I use. It was recommended by my naturopath. 

The idea is to begin giving the body the fuel what it needs every day to
function, maintain balance and sustain good health. Over time, most of
the vitamin and mineral deficiencies will be addressed.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Nov 04 2008

Is EFT Safe?

Question:

Janice Walton Hadlock wrote a book on Parkinson’s Disease and it is available on the web, I believe under PDrecovery.com.  She warns against using acupuncture if you have ever taken a PD drug for more than two weeks.  Since EFT uses a form of acupuncture, I am a bit concerned about the negative effects.
 
Could you enlighten me please?

Response:

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a fundamental form of energy healing. I personally do not place it in the same category as acupuncture which requires that you see a licensed acupuncturist and involves placing needles in the body (although acupuncture too is a form of energy healing).  
 
From the work on EFT I have seen, it is a safe and noninvasive therapy which you can administer to yourself and is a gentle approach for re-programming the energy pathways in the body.
 
At the end of the video on EFT that looks at its effect for war veterans
(http://www.emofree.com/splash/video_vets.asp). At the top of this web site, there are several links to pages that provide detailed instruction and training on how you can do EFT on yourself. You do not have to be a psychologist to do this on yourself!

Look over the training information and see what you think. Ask your own body the question! Your body knows the answer. Everyone responds differently to different therapies. EFT may not work for you. Then again, it may work miracles!
 
I have personally never known anyone who has had a negative experience with EFT, but be sure and check out the research yourself. If you find any information which suggests there may be a problem, be sure and let me know!
 
EFT has been around for quite a while and it has grown in acceptance every year because I think it is safe and easy to do.
 
I am reviewing the literature on acupuncture as it has been used on Parkinson’s patients and will be reporting on my findings in the near future. Overall, the studies suggest it too is an effective therapy for Parkinson’s, though I have not yet seen any studies that focus specifically on acupuncture as it is used on people taking prescription medications. 
 
In the end, I would advise that you always use your intuition. If it feels right to do EFT, give it a try. If it does not feel right, look elsewhere. I like EFT because it is easy to do and anybody can do it on themselves anytime of the day or night. You can see whether it is helping relatively quickly.
 
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
 
© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

One response so far

Nov 03 2008

Emotional Freedom Technique and Parkinson’s

Parkinsons Recovery is all about identifying
approaches and therapies that give relief
from the symptoms of Parkinson’s. One among
many such techniques I have identified from
my research is the Emotional Freedom Technique
(or EFT). EFT is a marvelous, easy to use
technique that has provided relief to some
people with Parkinson’s I have interviewed. 

Can it help you? Maybe. Maybe not, but why not find
out more about it? 

EFT can be self-administered. Anyone can use it. It
is free. You do not need to hire a therapist, though
some people prefer to go this route.

In my opinion it is well worth giving EFT a try.
There is really nothing to lose.   
 
Click on the link at the bottom of this newsletter
and you be able to view a 20 minute video that shows
what happens when EFT is used by five veterans who
have been traumatized by war. The video illustrates
how EFT is done and shows its potential to heal the
wounds of war.

I believe EFT can also be helpful in healing the
traumas associated with Parkinson’s. What do the
traumas of war have to do with Parkinson’s?
Regardless of its origin, trauma has a profound
impact on the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

This video will obviously be of interest to any veteran,
but I urge you to watch this video even if you are not
a veteran of war.

Many of the symptoms you will see in this video are the
same symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. The video
clearly illustrates a link between trauma and
the symptoms of Parkinson’s.  

The good news is that EFT helped these five people.
I believe EFT also has the potential to provide relief
from the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Click on the link below. It is an amazing video.
I urge you to watch. 

http://www.emofree.com/splash/video_vets.asp

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Oct 18 2008

Parkinson’s Plus

Published by admin under Parkinsons Plus

Question:

I was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 2002. 
In 2006 I was told that I probably had
Parkinsons+ or CBD.  Since then neurologists
have no suggestions for help with CBD. 

I wondered if you knew of anything being
used for Parkinsons+.

Response:

Your question is the perfect question for
a medical doctor who is trained in a two
step process for treating disease. First,
the condition is given a diagnosis. Second,
the diagnosis informs a treatment (though
in this case the neurologists do not have
anything to follow-up with).

Medical doctors have to be very concerned
about following this protocol or else they
could be sued if something goes wrong.
I am not a medical doctor (I am a researcher),
so I have the latitude of thinking about
the problem differently.

At Parkinsons Recovery I propose a different
model to follow, a model of wellness. The
argument that underpins everything I am
writing about and everything I am discovering
in my research is that the body has an inherent
wisdom to heal.

If there are symptoms, then the body is simply
giving us valuable information about an imbalance;
Perhaps too much stress in your life, perhaps
too much trauma, perhaps too many toxins.
Something is out of balance or overtaxed.

Some people choose to respond to troubling
symptoms by covering them up, numbing them
or otherwise killing them in some fashion or another.

I say - let the symptoms roll on. They are giving
us valuable information about what is up.

With my approach, there is no emphasis on the
disease state. The name is inconsequential -
Parkinson’s, Parkinsons +, MSA - it is of no
consequence. Rather, the focus is on giving the
body what it needs to become healthy. I
propose a positive mind set rather than a
negative mind set.

The bottom line is that if you follow the
traditional disease model, here is what happens:

(1) You receive a diagnosis (and I certainly have
no doubt in your case but that the diagnosis
is sound)

(2) You discover little or nothing can be done
for this particular “disease.”

(3) You get depressed, crawl into a hole and
wait to feel worse.

Using my approach, the sequence is dramatically
different:

(1) You receive information from your body
that something is out of balance (perhaps
there is a nutritional deficiency, perhaps
the stress hormones are overpowering everything
in your body, perhaps your elimination organs
can not handle the heavy traffic of toxins, etc.)

(2) You discover through your own research that
there are hundreds of options for addressing the
problem.

(3) You start experimenting with one approeach or
another and determine what works for you.

(4) You become hopeful, launch out into the world
and begin feeling better.

I prefer the second approach, but I am a little
biased.

Where do you find out about the hundreds of
options? One place is Parkinsons Recovery.
I interview people every week who have the
most interesting and helpful suggestions for
treatments. I have been overwhelmed by the
number of therapies and approaches people have
tried that are helping.  

The fun part is to review the options and
determine which ones you want to try on for
size. Keep experiementing and you will find
therapies that will help give relief from
symptoms. 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Oct 17 2008

Parkinson’s Nutrition

Published by admin under Nutrition, candida

Question

Have you ever heard of a connection between
candida and Parkinson’s?

Response

I am going to answer your question in two parts.
First, I have never seen any research that
considers candida as a factor that causes the
symptoms of Parkinson’s. I must also admit
that I have not done a search to make sure
this observation is correct, but I am almost
positive it is.
 
The next part of my answer addresses your
question: is there a connection? My answer is
unequivocally yes.

Candida obviously does not cause the
symptoms. Removing candida will not,
in my opinion, relieve all symptoms. But,
candida obstructs the natural process of
digestion. I do know that the more you
can get your digestive system back on
line, the more relief you will get from
your symptoms.
 
I am guessing this may be your body’s way of
telling you not to eat sugar. There are great
natural substitutes. Sugar is one of the most
deadly neurotoxins that exists. If you can stop
ingesting sugar, you will feel better.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

Oct 16 2008

Parkinson’s Medications

Published by admin under medications

Question:
 
My meds were changed recently from Mirapex 1 mg.4 x per day
and Stalevo  100 mg. 5 -6 x per day as needed.
Now I take stalevo, sinemet, and Activet on rising,
then 16 mg of Repex in the mid morning.  Then I might
need another 2 doses of stalevo and one more dose of
Sinemet before bed. 

I don’t feel all that great in fact I have a much worse
time being off in the morning, hard and very depressed
at the same time.
 
any thoughts??
 
Response:
 
It is really inappropriate for me to comment on your
medications since I am not a medical doctor. I am not
qualified to make suggestions with regard to medications
or dosages. Most medications do have serious side effects
which could possibly account for why you are feeling so poorly.
 
I strongly suggest you have a nutritional consultation done.
Click on the link below to hear an interview with Randy
Mentzer who talks about some of the issues with drug interactions
and nutrient depletions when multiple medications are taken.
Randy explains that when 5 medications are taken, there is
almost a 100% chance of drug interactions and/or depletions. 

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/Default.asp?eventid=4225818
 
Randy offers long distance consultations. My personal 
suggestion is to use him. He is a pharmacist and a nutritional
counselor. Randy is the most gifted person I know in this area.
Believe me, it took me a long time to find a person with Randy’s
ability to look at the big picture.  He is incredible.   

Most importantly, consult with someone you trust about
possible drug interactions and nutrient depletions. It obviously
does not have to be Randy. 
 
All the best
 
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

No responses yet

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