May 16 2008

Parkinsons Disease Natural Treatments

Question:

Are you familiar with the work being done in Santa Cruz, CA (PD Recovery Project), and do you have any information about the success (or lack thereof)?

Answer:

I personally believe they are providing a useful alternative
for people with Parkinson’s who are interested in 
finding ways to feel better. There is a large body
of information on their website that is interesting
and informative.

I also know they offer group sessions as do
we at Jump Start, though the focus, content
and delivery differs considerably. We look at
Parkinson’s as an issue involving a number of
factors (toxins, nutrition, trauma, pathogens).
They are much more focused in their approach
as I understand it. 

I have heard many reports from people who have
participated in their programs. The feedback 
jumps all over the place and reports are mixed. 
It is clear however that some people have found
relief from their symptoms or have found techniques
that are helpful.  

I hope others who are familiar with their program
will comment on their personal experience below. 

We have observed that most people are actually
not aware that they are getting relief from their
symptoms. Just because someone says a program
did not help does not mean that is true necessarily.
It is very difficult to track yourself when there are
so many symptoms that come and go. 

I created the Symptom Tracker program so that
anyone with Parkinson’s can track their
symptoms over time. You simply go to the website,
enter any name (so you can not be identified and
the information is confidential) and answer a
39 item questionnaire. 

You initially get baseline results. Then, you visit 
the website in a month or so and (using the same name
to log in)  answer the questionnaire again.
The program gives you an immediate report of
how your symptoms have shifted over time.
You can print out the results and show them
to your doctor.  

System Tracker is free. Your past data are
always stored under the user name you give
so you can track yourself over time.

Just be sure and give a user name that
can not be connected to you in any way. 
The information is known only to you.  

I suggest that if you decide try any modality, track your
symptoms using Symptom Tracker.  We invite
everyone who participates in Parkinsons
Recovery programs to use Symptom Tracker so they can
monitor their own progress for themselves. 

If you join us in the Parkinsons Recovery Chat Room Mondays
(I participate from 9:00 am – 10:30 am pacific time) you 
can ask anyone else who is present about their experience
with the Santa Cruz program. This type of feedback from
people who have actually participated would clearly be
helpful to you at this point. 

I also want to say that everyone is different.  
Responsiveness to any specific modality – I do
not care what it is - will differ. 

For example, Sally reports to you that therapy A was the
holly grail for her. Sam reports that therapy A  gave him 
no relief and was a waste of money and time.  Down the
line Sam reports that therapy B is his holly grail, 
while Sally says it is a waste of time for her. 

We encourage people at Parkinsons Recovery to collect
information about all the many alternatives that are
available as you are doing now.  I encourage you 
to experiment with those that you are called
to and see what happens. 

The recovery program that will succeed for you
in the long run will be tailored to to your
situation, fit your personal needs and
satisfy your preferences.

Have fun searching.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery 

 © 2008 Parkinsons Recovery
  
 

4 responses so far

4 Responses to “Parkinsons Disease Natural Treatments”

  1. neuromuseron 16 May 2008 at 12:53 pm

    In nearly a year as a patient in the Santa Cruz Recovery Project, my symptoms continued to grow, and with them, my frustration at their dogmatic insistence that my experience should follow their theory. Most important, I found no examples of people who had recovered by using these methods. Vague claims of recovery came from the practitioners, but when I looked for real-world evidence, no one could be found who declared themselves recovered. Personally, I found the whole thing to be about faith healing, with all the distortions and exploitation of suffering typical of televangelists.

    With that said, I found some of the ideas, like letting go and adopting a position of “No Worries,” to be very helpful in managing PD. So, while the ultimate result is still questionable, and the theories behind the program are way out there, the Santa Cruz message seems positive.

    I would not invest in going there again, but prefer to learn from David Heydrick, Bill Hillman, and others who are committed to taking a data-based approach.

  2. mercerdon 17 Jul 2009 at 11:52 am

    interesting material, where such topics do you find? I will often go

  3. adminon 17 Jul 2009 at 11:52 pm

    The topics actually find me. I receive suggestions from people all over the globe about people to interview and topics to research. I am open to any possibility that helps. That opens the door to receiving fascinating suggestions every week..

    Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
    Parkinsons Recovery

  4. Henrietta Leeon 12 Sep 2009 at 10:14 am

    How do I find an acupuncturistin northern NJ withtraining i n foot-Parkinson connection? My foot has hadnumeroous injuries inclludingcomplicationof RSD.

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