Category Archives: brain

Movement Controlled by Two Independent Brain Centers

Peter Strick, chair of neurobiology and scientific director of the University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, and other scientists hypothesize there is a brain circuit in Parkinson’s patients that can be switched on and off to control movement.

Strick’s collaborators are focusing on two circuits in the brain that are hypothesized to  control movement. One circuit is damaged by Parkinson’s which results in manifesting symptoms associated with a Parkinsons diagnosis such as tremor, freezing, and poor balance and coordination.

Strick believes there is a second control mechanism that is fully functional.  When accessed, symptoms are quieted. Strick’s hypothesizes the fully functional  circuit is  switched on by strong emotions activated by positive experiences. More simply put, the endless joy of doing something that feeds our soul activates the circuit that facilitates effortless mobility.

The bottom line? The most effective “medicine” is to embrace activities that give you the greatest joy. Acknowledge the profound relief of symptoms that is associated when you “follow your bliss.”

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
Rock Solid Walking Online Course

 

Ketone Esters

I have included my full interview with Bill Curtis on Parkinsons Recovery Radio with this post. He provides a remarkable summary of his customized treatment protocol involving ketones, fasting and exercise which has quieted his symptoms for many years now.

You having to take more and more medications to achieve relief? Bill has been taking five (5) prescription medications for many years with no requirement to increase dosages.

In summary I promise you will not regret taking 45 minutes out of your day today to listen to Bill’s remarkable story. His customized protocol is worth taking seriously!

Bill Curtis developed Parkinson’s symptoms at the age of 45 in the year 2000. He  discusses his experience with using ketones and other therapies.

Ketone Ester available at: https://www.ketoneaid.com/pr

Have questions? Email Frank at: frank@ketonaid.com

 

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
https://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

Empower Recovery

In his second book, “Parkinson’s Empowerment Training” author Karl Sterling goes deep into exploring many areas that will help a person with PD to empower recovery, improve the quality of movement, cognition, memory, and life itself.
You will encounter suggestions in my interview with Karl that will provide techniques and methods that offer the opportunity to reverse Parkinson’s symptoms.

He addressed ways to empower recovery including:

  •  Power of hope, empowerment, and beliefempower recovery
  •  The two step process to maximize neuroplasticity
  •  How to get sustained sleep at night
  •  Benefits of using Power Plate and whole body vibration
  •  The multifaceted roles dopamine plays in the body
  •  Techniques to improve memory and cognition
  •  Methods to Improve Gait and Mobility

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder
Parkinsons Recovery

Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
Olympia Washington

How to Heal Brain Degeneration

I just saw the list of topics for Dr. Hyman’s eight part series he has titled the “Broken Brain” that focuses on how to heal brain degeneration.  We all can view the eight episodes for free next week. I will be watching each of the videos since they all in one way or another apply to symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. As you can see below, the list of topics certainly applies to Parkinson’s.

  1. The Broken Brain Epidemic / Dr. Hyman’s Story
  2. Gut Brain Connection: Getting to The Root of a Broken Brain
  3. Losing Your Mind (Alzheimer’s, Dementia, MS. and More)
  4. ADHD and Autism
  5. Depression & Anxiety
  6. Traumatic Brain Injury: Accidents, Sports and More
  7. 7 Steps to An UltraMind (Part 1)
  8. 7 Steps to An UltraMind (Part 2)

One of the fascinating aspects of this series is that the experts in the area will be stressing that the problem with brain degeneration does not reside in the brain. Really you say? But that is where my problem seems to originate. And I would say, yes, really! Find out more about the many sources of brain fog, memory loss and dementia from the experts featured in this remarkable new series.

Click the link below to watch a short video about the new video series and register to watch for free next week.

Click here to Learn More about Broken Brain and Register for Free Access

Watch along with me! Spread the word. There are ways to heal a “broken brain” that your friends and family need to know about.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
https://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

 

Functional Medicine: A New Paradigm in Medicine

Dr. Jennifer Kessman MD discusses how to heal from disease. Functional Medicine has been around for a number of years and began with Dr. Jeffery Bland’s motivation to look at medicine in a different way. Now the field of Functional
Medicine is ever expanding and a center at the Cleveland Clinic has opened its doors for care. It is becoming more widely accepted and parts of functional medicine have been integrated into a wide variety of disciplines in medicine.

Here is a list of questions she answered during my interview with her:

1. What is Functional Medicine?
2. How did you come to get involved?
3. What are the root causes of disease?
4. So, if inflammation is the basis of disease how does functional medicine help with inflammation?
5. Tell me about your experience with Environmental Medicine?
6. Dr. Dale Bredesen and others have found ways to reverse early brain dysfunction and reverse dementia. How are they doing this?
7. Do you think this can apply to Parkinson’s?
8. The immune system is a big actor in most diseases we know- how can we calm our immune system?
9. What has been your experience with environmental impact of electromagnetic fields and brain dysfunction?
10. What is the influence of stress on disease?

A Maladapted Stress Response May be Playing Havoc with Your Brain

How Trauma Affects the Brain and Healing Through Neuroplasticity

My guest on Parkinsons Recovery Radio tomorrow is Annie Hopper who developed  The Dynamic Neural Retraining System™ as a therapeutic approach to improving brain function. Thousands of people have applied her novel program for varying chronic illnesses with great success. Focus of the program is to teach participants how to
self-direct neuroplastic changes in the limbic system that normalize threat mechanisms in the brain. This allows the brain and body to move out of a state of survival and
into a state of growth and repair, where healing can take place.

What is the Limbic System?

The following is an eloquent explanation Annie emailed to me in preparation for the radio show interview tomorrow.

“The limbic system is a complex set of structures in the mid brain that  includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala and cingulate cortex.  It has been described as the “feeling and reacting brain”. It is  responsible for the formation of memories and is constantly  determining our level of safety. The Limbic System assigns emotional
significance to everything we smell, see, hear, feel, and taste. It is  known as the seat of social and emotional intelligence and is the  brain’s anxiety “switch”. It is closely integrated with the immune  system, the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system.

When not functioning properly due to injury or impairment, the limbic  system becomes hypersensitive and begins to react to stimuli that it  would usually disregard as not representing a danger to the body. This  results in inappropriate activation of the immune, endocrine and  autonomic nervous systems that can lead to varied and seemingly unconnected symptoms.

This hypersensitivity of the limbic system causes over-firing of  protective and threat mechanisms in the midbrain. This can result in  distorted unconscious reactions, sensory perceptions and protective responses.

Similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it seems that limbic  system hypersensitivity, or dysfunction, involves impairment to  structures within the limbic system of the brain that alter  connectivity to the pre-frontal cortex. We hypothesize that the  hyperactivity in the limbic system fosters inhibition of the  inhibitory networks, which allows the over-stimulation of survival  mechanisms. This gives rise to an unconscious and persistent fight or  flight response associated with limbic system impairment. Over time,
it is possible this state of hyper arousal can weaken the immune  system, and affect systems associated with rest, digestion, detoxification, mood stability as well as motor and cognitive function.

The Dynamic Neural Retraining System™ was developed in 2008 by Annie  Hopper as a therapeutic approach to improving these conditions using  neuroplasticity principles. Thousands of people have applied the  program for varying chronic illnesses and have had great success. The focus of the program is to effectively teach participants how to
self-direct neuroplastic changes in the limbic system that normalize threat mechanisms in the brain.   This allows the brain and body to move out of a state of survival and
into a state of growth and repair, where healing can take place.”

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease

Brain Fitness Program – 50% Discount Until Tomorrow Only

I just learned that the Posit Science Corporation has a 50% discount off of their Brain Fitness Program which is good through Thursday, October 28th.They offer these discounts rarely and randomly. Enter the following coupon code to claim your 50% discount on the Brain Fitness Program: OCT199

Think Faster.Focus Better. Remember More. Posit Science brain fitness programs, clinically validated

The program consists of a disk which the company sends to you. You put the disk into your computer and presto – you are on your way to helping your neural networks create new pathways.  The program consists of 40 hours of exercises that challenge your neural networks to create new pathways.

I have no hesitation to recommend this program because it has a mountain of carefully crafted science behind it and there is a 90 day money back guarantee. If the program does not help – you get 100% of your money back. Regular price is $395. When you use the coupon on the shopping cart, the price is only $199.

Click on the link below to order. Again enter the code OCT199 on the shopping cart to claim your 50% discount. This program is well worth the price without the discount. With the discount, it is the bargain of the year.

Everyone in your family can use it. Your friends can use it. Your support group can use it.

Today is a good day to take action if you want to give your brain the nourishment it needs to remain healthy. People who are recovering take action. People who are feeling worse every week sit around and think about what they can do to feel better.

Think Faster.Focus Better. Remember More. Posit Science brain fitness programs, clinically validated

There are other programs listed on the link above. The 50% discount applies to the program titled “Brain Fitness Program” and to the Total Fitness Program which includes all of their brain exercises.

I just learned about the offer today. They come up quickly and they vanish quickly.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

The Ultra Mind Solution

Greetings Robert et al:

This is Linda Ralph writing to you. I have written to you a few times now. You may remember me, I am from Victoria and went on the Alaska Cruise. I have something I would like to share with you.

I am  half way through a  newly purchased book, “The Ultra Mind Solution by the author: Mark Hyman, MD. I have had one of Mark’s earlier books , “The Ultra Simple Diet” for years now , and was truly very excited to find two new books  published by him recently,  especially  the one having to do with the brain,  and healing and fixing the brain, entitled: “The UltraMind Solution“. On the cover of this book it says:

“Fix Your Broken Brain By Healing Your Body First”.

And, I really do believe that to be  true. For me, this book reiterates much of what I have learned through your website, Robert. Be it through your blog, your published works  or through information  that I have heard from radio show guests, or through the personal stories written or told, of many folks who are having successes in coping  with PD.

In addition to that, this book is also jam packed with practical information  to help one heal and to enhance the brain.  It has  realms of information , that although pretty detailed at times, does  provide the reader with learning that I feel is relevant and vital. And there are also a personal case studies as well, that seem, ‘bring it  all home’, so to speak, as well as referencing to PD.

Hyman speaks of

‘treating the body as a whole and not as separate entities’.

Now this is not a new idea. But it merits repetition. He too, states, that

‘your brain may be broken, but  it can be fixed’.

This idea certainly rings true of  the last few years findings and  new discoveries about the brain. Many  books and articles have illuded to the fact that you can rewire your brain, you can change it, and maybe you can even fix it.  Outlined in this book is a detailed (but not overly complicated ) way as to what one does to go about  ‘fixing the brain”, and  the methods to follow to have success.

Hyman says that by ‘pinpointing the biological problem one can  then fix it, by  letting the body’s  natural healing intelligence take  over to repair your brain’. He then goes on provide a program, a simple  way to do this through his : Seven Keys to Ultra  Wellness. This is a very well written and helpful  book.  (Another recent book of his, with over  200 recipes, “The Ultra Metabolism Cookbook“, is also an excellent resource.)

If you haven’t heard of him, ( and you probably have) I do believe that you would find this  book  of his, to be another delightful addition and resource for your readers. It is a good read.

There  may be some merit in your readers knowing about this book and its author. Maybe this author could be a guest on your show??

JUST ONE PERSON’S OPINION
Linda Ralph