Archive for September, 2011

Sep 28 2011

Parkinsons Recovery- The escape from Parkinsons Disease

Parkinsons Recovery- Don’t lose hope

I know I saw a deal if we buy the book Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease we join membership or if we get membership we get off on the book.  I am very interested in your philosophy and book.  My brother has parkinsons and I would like to get him the book in kindle and I would like to purchase an e copy so I could go along with him.  There was also an idea a day for parkinson’s that comes in your e mail. I am interested in that too. 

Harriet

Response:

Thanks so much for your interest in the work of Parkinsons Recovery. You can discover information about the content you will find in Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease by visiting the following website: http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me. You can also obtain a print book or kindle version from Amazon.

As for an “ïdea a day” – this is more linked to the Parkinsons Recovery membership program which is designed for people looking for support day in and day out. I record meditations that are posted on the member website every week. For the next several months I am recording mindfulness exercises that will reduce stress.

The member website also contains many other features which support the recovery process that are updated daily. You can discover more information about the Parkinsons Recovery membership program by visiting: http://www.parkinsonsrecovery.org. The program costs $25 a month and is computer based. It is designed for people who visit their computers on a daily basis. A copy  of the current version of my book, Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease, can also be downloaded from the member website. The member website always has the most current and updated version.

Parkinsons RecoveryRobert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

Parkinsons Recovery is possible.

 

 

2 responses so far

Sep 28 2011

Natural Cures for Insomnia

Published by under insomnia

Having difficulty sleeping? No one approach for getting a good night’s sleep will work for everyone. Here are four natural cures for insomnia that you might consider giving a trial run. I have a strong hunch that one of the four natural cures for insomnia will work beautifully for you. Why not try them all and see which one works best?

  1. Focus on your breath. Breath in for five seconds. Hold your breath for one second and breath out for 5 seconds. Change the time you count to match your comfort level. The rhythm of the breath will quietly sink the tissues of your body into a relaxed state and quiet your busy mind from rattling off babble that does you, your family or your friends no good whatsoever.
  2. Formulate lists based on totally arbitrary criteria. The idea here is not to make lists of tasks you need to accomplish the following day. Making task lists will just keep you wide awake. Rather, formulate lists based on criteria you create for that night. For example, make a list in your head of red foods or animals with long legs or states that grow corn or words that have the letter z. You get the point – send you mind working on random tasks that call your subconscious away from activating worries that keep you awake. Change the task each night. This really does work folks.
  3. Imagine having an experience that is sensually pleasing. The experience of course will differ from person to person. Perhaps you need to float on the warms waters of a Miami beach or meditate on top of Mount Ranier or hike through the ancient forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains or walk barefoot on the warm sand of a Puerto Rico beach. Perhaps you need to fly above the clouds in your imagination or simply sit on top of a cloud. Everyone has their own special place where they feel totally relaxed and comfortable. Go to that place when you are ready to sleep. Enjoy the fantasy. Notice how easy it becomes to sink into a cozy place of deep sleep and relaxation. Celebrate how quickly you sink into a deep sleep.
  4. Tense up, then relax each of your muscle groups. This is a relaxation approach I have personally used with great success since I was a teenager. I tense up my muscles (starting from my left calf) for 5 seconds, then relax them. I do this will all the muscle groups up my body from my feet to my head. It really helps to tense up the muscles in my face since those particular muscles are always tense (from babbling too much I suspect). Once the muscles in your body become fully relaxed, your mind will switch off worrisome thoughts and fears.

Parkinsons RecoveryRobert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me.

Parkinsons Recovery is possible.

 

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Sep 28 2011

Deep Brain Stimulation and Panic Disorders

Do you have any information regarding deep brain stimulators causing uncontrolled panic disorders?  The only solution seems to be turning the stimulator off.  

Joan

Response:

A 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the effects of Deep Brain Stimulation surgery compared to medication for 156 subjects. Half of the subjects received deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery (for a sample of 78) and half  took medications only. Fifty percent (50%) of the DBS subjects experienced adverse events of one type or another. Results showed that DPS was superior to using medication alone.

Four psychotic “events” were experienced by the DPS subjects who were followed six months after surgery. Three cognitive disturbances were reported and four events of depression occurred. The New England Journal study did not specify how many subjects were involved with any of these reported “events” and did not track subjects longer than six months after surgery.

In summary, according to the recent research on DBS, some subjects did experience events that likely fell into the category of panic disorders, though such an outcome was not specifically reported.

What do you do about this unwanted outcome? To begin with your DBS surgeon will certainly have some beneficial recommendations. I suspect adjustments to the simulator can make a huge difference. As you know, I am not a medical doctor so this is not my area of expertise.

One avenue of investigation you might consider pursing is to investigate methods you can use to “ground” yourself. This means taking your energy from your head (where it has been hanging out as a result of your surgery) and distributing this energy down to your legs and feet. I will be posting a video soon that will demonstrate a way to ground that is simple and quick. For now, simply paying more attention to your feet may help enormously.

Randy Eady (located in Delray Beach, Florida) is also known as the foot whisperer. Randy was my radio show guest on May 11, 2010. Visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/parkinsons-recovery and scroll back to hear his show. Randy  recommends that persons  with symptoms of Parkinsons (including anxiety) walk without shoes as much as possible. He explains this allow your feet to connect with the ground. When we are not energetically connected to the earth, there is a short circuit which  causes serious anxiety attacks to result.

Parkinsons RecoveryRobert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

Parkinsons Recovery is possible.

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Sep 28 2011

Cannot Sleep at Night: Any Suggestions?

Published by under insomnia

Parkinsons Recovery- Sound Sleeping Suggestions

My husband has PD and he cannot sleep at night.  Any suggestions?

Sherri

Response:

I would like to respond to your question using my own experience as a guide. I have attended a multitude of seminars where health care professionals offer step by step instructions that are supposed to help you sleep. You have probably heard the same recommendations:

  • Go to sleep at the same time every night
  • Don’t watch TV before you go to sleep
  • Don’t eat or drink anything before bedtime
  • And so one and so forth …

Speaking for myself, I can not do these things before I sleep. These routines are too rigid for me. I cannot live my life that way. My life is too unstructured.

Instead I have adopted five simple strategies that do help me sleep well every night.

Ear Plugs. It may sound silly, but many people are very sensitive to sounds. Spend a $1 at the dollar store. Buy some wax type ear plugs (like swimmers use). Put them in your ears before you sleep.

White Noise. We turn on an air cleaner at night when we sleep. It is a soothing way to screen out extraneous noise that can put your hormonal system on alert. Noises that come from unknown places in the dark create fear in the body which is bound to keep you awake.

Darken the bedroom. When we started closing the blinds in the bedroom at night, we discovered it is much easier to sleep. For years we looked out the windows at our beautiful view of the Puget Sound, but at the cost of sleeping at night. Darkening the room promotes sound sleep.

Holosync. This is my personal favorite strategy for sleep, though it is the one recommendation that costs a little money. If I am ever unable to sleep, I pop on my holosync ear phones. I am out in two minutes. I just interviewed Dr. Suzanne Jonas on my radio show last week who has a number of incredible holosync CDs that offer wonderful relief for people who cannot sleep.

Turn Off the Hamster Wheel.  A  frequent reason for being unable to sleep is the hamster wheel of thoughts that are not in our best and highest good. Make it a practice every night when going to sleep to place these thoughts aside for the evening. Tell your subconscious mind not to worry – that you can re-visit those thoughts in the morning. You literally have to stop the hamster wheel from churning around and around. Do it with clear intention and get that deep sleep that is so essential for recovery. 

Parkinsons RecoveryRobert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

© 2011 Parkinsons Recovery.

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Sep 24 2011

Parkinsons Recovery Happens Day By Day: People Get Better

Parkinsons Recovery- People Get Better

I am a recently joined member from England. I am so excited about finding your web site and want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. There are no words to express my gratitude and excitement. I am really going to enjoy my recovery as it happens day by day. I have always had a little place inside me that says “I will figure this out”.  Now I have found the way with your help and I have regained my drive.  It is fantastic!

I have had definite symptoms for 12 years though I have been burdening  my mind and body with severe stress for years, mistakenly believing I could handle anything. Then the oak tree collapsed: I was totally exhausted and had no idea. I have been taking requip for 5 years and sinemet for 18 months and am determined to get free of them. I know I will though I don’t know details of the how yet. Don’t worry I shall be very careful and I have a lot of support. I have learned that relationships are even more important than health.

The things I am doing NOW are:

listening to your radio shows lots of exercise,  my dog gets 2 1hr walks per day in beautiful woodland exercise bike stretches and balancing listening to guided meditations really clean healthy diet lots and lots of water singing class nintendo wi writing out and reading poetry aloud eft feldenkrais recording my progress and activities and goals. my writing is loads better already hot and cold showering every day. The EFT Deft is HUGE for me.

I am not the person I was before my symptoms came along. The changes are quite staggering that actually I am a bit overwhelmed and confused. It has helped uncover something of the pay- off I get from having my symptoms – a mega breakthrough.

I found your site, actually the radio downloads on itunes 5 weeks ago and have improved so much already ( from really quite a bad place as the drugs were beginning not to work. They work well now. I have only stared eft in the last week

I was doing something of the above list before but now I have designed myself a programme which is a little bit strict and a little bit flexible. I have decided to stick to working with  this before I look at supplements and more complex things. I want to give my body some time on the basics  – good food, fresh air, mental stimulation, relaxation, fun etc. I have realized how sensitive I am at last. And I forgot to mention I have started detoxing  my environment – so far I have junked all my toiletries for natural ones, and only have about 1/8 what I had before! Now I am working through the cleaning stuff. It feels so good.

I am 55 years young, have a great husband who doesn’t give me too much sympathy and does his own thing, yet is fantastically caring and I have 2 fantastic sons aged  24 and  27. I have a brother who I would do anything for and a sister that I value  and love though I don’t have the same rapport with her.

I have just joined your membership pages today to continue my parkinsons recovery and it is great to get your emails. Encouragement is fab.

The crucial thing you have given me is the knowledge  PEOPLE GET BETTER. Now I know that I am on my way.

With heartfelt thanks

Fiona

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Sep 20 2011

Oat Straw Extract as Therapy for Tremors

Published by under oat straw extract

Parkinsons Recovery- Oat Straw Extract as Therapy for Tremors

I purchased your book and have found it most useful.  My only symptom of Parkinson’s seems to be the tremors.  I could not take Valerian as it gave me insomnia. I am now trying oat straw extract and was wondering how long I should take it to see any possible results. Is it immediate or does it take  weeks or months?

Thanks you for any advice.

Response:

I have taken a few days to ponder on your question. I considered calling some of my resources who are herbal experts and ask them to tell me about about their experience with oat straw extract. Then I thought – no – that might well give misleading information.

Why? Because everyone’s body is different. It might take you several months to see a result from taking oat straw extract or you may never see a benefit while someone else sees a result within 24 hours. The  body mechanisms are truly complex. Underlying reasons for your tremor are likely to be entirely different from anyone else – whether they currently have a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease or they are experiencing neurological difficulties of one form or another.

Here is what I believe is true. Your body has the answer to your question. Your body is the expert here that is entirely trustworthy.

When I have a question such as yours, I always just ask my body. My body always gives me the correct answer.

Parkinsons Recovery- Oat Straw Extract Answers

  1. Should I take oat straw extract?
  2. How often?
  3. How much should I take each time?
  4. How long should I take it?

We can ask our bodies questions like these by testing our muscles. If the response is strong – our body is giving us a yes answer. If the response is weak, the answer is no. Your body will always give you a reliable answer to your question.

Why not ask your body and see what answer you get? You can ask repeatedly and see if you don’t get the same answer each time. If you are uncomfortable doing muscle testing on yourself, ask a health care practitioner to help you out. Many use muscle testing as a foundation of their practices.

If we rely on presumed experts to give us the answers, they will certainly give us the best answer they have – but they do not have any idea how any supplement – be it oat straw extract or another substance – will impact your body.

Parkinsons RecoveryRobert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsdisease.me 

Parkinsons Recovery is possible.

 

 

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Sep 12 2011

Climbing to the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Published by under mt. Kilimanjaro

I was infused with a large dose of infinite inspiration Saturday. The Northwest Parkinsons Foundation sponsored an event In Seattle which boosted my appreciation for the power of raw courage and determination. Everyone who attended the event  heard the stories of people with Parkinsons disease and MS who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

A majority of participants made it to the top – but not all. People without any symptoms of Parkinsons or MS experienced just as much of a challenge on the climb to the top as those with the symptoms. The slide shows which were shown of the 6 day climb up the mountain showed smiling faces and determined spirits on each day of the climb – from day one to day six.

You are likely thinking – Right. The people who joined this adventure probably  had a few minor symptoms and were diagnosed last month.  Wrong my friends. One of the participants had Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. All had experience the symptoms of Parkinsons for a number of years.

Two of the climbers were guests on my radio show – Nan Little and John Carlin. Listen to the radio show and you will  hear them talk
about their expectations of the trip. Both summit-ed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

You are likely thinking – that mountain is probably no big deal. Wrong again my friends. Mt. Kilimanjaro is one mile higher than
the highest mountain in Washington state – Mt. Rainer.

There were two members of a medical support team who also participated in the climb up the mountain to provide support to the climbers who had MS or Parkinson’s and their support person. Both members of the medical staff expressed some initial concern before the trip about whether some of the people who signed up would be able to do the climb. Both said that their doubts were
quickly dismissed.

Once on the climb up the mountain, both did not even think about who had symptoms of PD or MS during the climb. Everyone on the trip – those who had symptoms of PD or MS and their support person.

I encouraged the company who organized the climb to do it again next summer.  For my part I promised them that I would get the word out so the trip would fill up with all persons who currently experience the symptoms of PD.

John Carlin’s wife (John currently experiences some symptoms of PD) reflected on her experience which is summarized in her blog. Her insights are an inspiration to anyone and everyone: http://www.marthacarlin.com/2011/07/lessons-i-learned-from-the-mountain

If you are like me, you think from time to time you can’t do something, be it exercise or a change in life style or change in diet or …
The desperate thought that creeps in is:

I do not have the balance or stamina or energy or physical strength to fulfill my dreams. 

Become acquainted with what these four amazing people with PD symptoms accomplished last month. They inspire us all to fulfill our passions and dreams. They teach us that with focus and clear intention, anything is possible, absolutely anything.

A transcription of my radio show with John Carlin and Nan Little will be featured in the second edition of Pioneers of Recovery which will be released this fall. I consider it a high privilege and honor to have met each of them.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me 

One response so far

Sep 08 2011

Blossoming of Incredible Creativity Thanks to Parkinson’s

My name is Andrea and I live in Florida with my Mom. She was diagnosed with PD about 17 years ago. She’s still in a pretty good shape because she takes as little medication as possible and we tried different type of alternative therapies like stem cell injection in Mexico, electromagnetic brain stimulation in Hungary, taking Kapikacchu powder and vitamins. She boosts her immune system with fermented papaya powder (Osato USA) and she received glutathione injections for a while (Dr. Perlmutter).

The medication side effects caused us lots of trouble and cost lots of money.She’s definitely in better shape than 2 years ago.Thank you for you the next thing what we want to try the sound therapy by Sharry Edwards. [Sharry Edwards from Sound Health Options was featured as a guest on your radio show last week].

The reason I’m writing to you that you probably know where we can find electromagnetic brain stimulation in the US. It helped for about 3 months. I know the FDA approved it only for stress management, not for PD. But I heard that we still can find this treatment in the US. It’s probably not legal but we don’t really care. Do you have any information about it?

It must be true that people with PD are getting more artistic. My mom started doing shell crafts, mostly animals. Everybody’s saying around us that she’s really creative and talented. I put together a web site for her and an e-book (photo album). The website which displays her creative art work with shells is: http://www.shelladybug.com

I think this type of activity is really therapeutic and helps fighting against the PD. (Of course when she’s burning her fingers it’s not so much:)

I just signed up as a member on your web site [http://www.parkinsonsrecovery.org]. I think it’s great and I really hope my mom will take advantage of it.

Andrea

Response:

Thanks so much for sending in the story about your Mom. You are certainly trying out some fascinating therapies. Sounds like her situation is improving every month. Hooray!

As for what you call electromagnetic stimulation, visit the following website for more information:

http://www.theconnectedself.com

I am not sure this is what you are asking about but Dr. Jaclyn Gisburne, Ph.D. has been using neuro-feedback with wonderful results. Her approach is noninvasive and natural. She uses a cutting edge form of neural feedback to challenge the brain to create new neural pathways. She also reports that early trauma has a profound impact on the symptoms.

The exciting positive side effect of Parkinson’s symptoms is a blossoming of incredible creativity. It is as if under used parts of the brain are suddenly activated. Thanks for sending us all the link to the website which displays your Mom’s art work. I loved seeing the shell work and reading your story.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

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Sep 07 2011

How to Raise Money Needed to Recover from Parkinson’s Disease

Published by under money,recovery,road to recovery

My grandfather has Parkinsons in its later developments. He’s currently in stoke hospital recovering from a recent fall. He’s pretty much fully recovered now and ready to be released, Unfortunately his care home wont take him back unless he has a properly fitted chair to get him around without falling over again. The chair costs around £3000 for the type that he needs. I’m trying to find a way to raise this money, I was hoping you might have some ideas as to how I might do it?

Response:

Sometimes people need a jump start to begin feeling better. Sounds like your grandfather may need just that. I typically do not work on questions about wheel chairs, since they invite thought forms which are negative and De-energizing. Sounds like in your grandfather’s case, a properly fitted chair might help improve his quality of life significantly so he can begin to feel better.

I believe the way to approach this type of challenge is to set up a website interface which makes it possible for friends and family to donate small amounts of money. A person may well be unable to pay 3000 pounds, but they can probably donate 5 pounds or 10 pounds. When you set up the website interface, you explain how the funds will be used and invite people to make donations of any size. Many small donations will eventually amount up to 3000 pounds. You will be surprised by how many people will be eager and happy to assist. The money goes for a very worthy cause.

A guest on my radio show, Sue Richards, who appeared on September 15, 2010 talks about her success with setting up just such a website to raise money she needed for her own recovery. It is not difficult to do. On the show Sue offered to help people who want to do this. I suggest you listen to the show and see if her approach calls out to you:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/parkinsons-recovery

Scroll back to the show which aired on 9/16/10 with Sue Richards. You could probably raise enough in the short term to put a down payment down now – and could continue to raise funds over time until the chair is paid off. Everyone can contribute – if even 1 pound. It all adds up.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

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