Category Archives: Parkinsons Disease Symptoms

What causes Parkinson’s symptoms?

There exists a wide variety of factors that can inflame Parkinson’s symptoms.  Of course, everyone knows dopamine is often deficient, but what is the cause of this? The most important reason that symptoms flare up is unrelenting anxiety caused by stress.

Members of my global audience consistently say they had to deal with extremely stressful situations  before their symptoms became problematic. Reports vary but always involve challenges in their life that result in high anxiety and stress.

  • Perhaps their business confronted financial or legal problems.
  • Perhaps a family member died.
  • Perhaps a child became addicted to alcohol or street drugs.
  • Perhaps there was a stressful divorce.

Regardless of the specifics, anxiety persists day in and day out, week after week.  The stressful circumstances do not let up. Relaxation is not an option. Worry is constant. The neurological system becomes locked on overdrive.

Feelings triggered by the continuous onslaught of stressful circumstances get stuck in the body like super glue. To celebrate a relief of symptoms, any and all trauma that has been  trapped in the cellular structure of the body has to be released.

  • Is your body rigid?
  • Are you often anxious?
  • Is stress unrelenting?

The best way to calm and even eliminate symptoms  is to address and release traumas from the past including childhood. In doing so the body  becomes flexible, calmer and less stressed.

I have developed a free course which offers ways to release the traumas that are trapped in your physical body. Click on the link below to register:

Jump Start to Recovery Crash Course  

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder
Parkinsons Recovery

 

Food for Parkinsons Disease

Food for Parkinsons Disease

Mr. Glen Pettibone will discuss his ongoing progress applying the diet and exercise approaches he uses to treat his Parkinsons disease, as featured in his book “Powerful Food And A Walk In the Sun“. He will touch on some of the newer approaches he has discovered that are featured in his blog atpowerfulfoodandawalkinthesun.blogspot.com and also talk about stepping up the exercise with “Rock Steady Boxing”.
Title: Sunday Connections with Glen Pettibone
Date & Time: Sunday, October 18th at 2:00p m Pacific

Attend by Phone:
Guest pin code: 200414#
Primary dial in number: (425) 440-5100
Secondary dial in number: (323) 476-3997
Full list of dial in Numbers:
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/Local/?eventid=73856946

Event Page:
http://iTeleseminar.com/73856946

 

Nutrition for Parkinsons Disease

Nutrition for Parkinsons Disease

Mr. Glen Pettibone will discuss his ongoing progress applying the diet and exercise approaches he uses to treat his Parkinsons, as featured in his book “Powerful Food And A Walk In the Sun“.  He will touch on some of the newer approaches he has discovered that are featured in his blog atpowerfulfoodandawalkinthesun.blogspot.com and also talk about stepping up the exercise with “Rock Steady Boxing”.
Title: Sunday Connections with Glen Pettibone
Date & Time: Sunday, October 18th at 2:00p m PacificAttend by Phone:
Guest pin code: 200414#
Primary dial in number: (425) 440-5100
Secondary dial in number: (323) 476-3997
Full list of dial in Numbers:
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/Local/?eventid=73856946Event Page:
http://iTeleseminar.com/73856946

 

Cure for PD

Two questions which a similar theme follow:

Hello Robert,

I have just listened to your podcast “what is the biggest roadblock to recovery“. You talk about reversing symptoms or finding compelling relief of symptoms ~ Would you liken this to a cure for PD?

I am writing because my husband, 44 yrs old has a hand tremor & we are concerned that he has PD. We are in the process of finding a neurologist to evaluate him and give us some direction. This is an absolutely frightening experience for him/us. I appreciate any information you can provide.

Sir:

I am suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 8th year. How can the the Parkinson’s disease be cured?

Hi:

Speaking as a researcher who focuses on identifying the factors that cause neurological symptoms and natural therapies that help to reverse them, I never think in terms of a “cure” for anything. In general, this term is typically used when a treatment resolves the symptom completely. I know of no such intervention that works this “magic”.

The term “cure for PD” conveys a static condition. If the body is “cured” it is set in “concrete” so to speak. Once “concrete” is cured – it is hardened. The body is fluid and dynamic. Symptoms come and go for everyone – those with Parkinson’s symptoms and those who do not have symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The body is always communicating to us what is out of balance. Instead of thinking of tremors as a “problem”, think of them as a message your husband is receiving from his body. In many cases, the body is simply releasing trauma – which it does successfuly by shaking (or tremoring).

You can certainly suppress tremors with medications which is an option many people prefer. There are also natural therapies that are helpful in suppressing tremors which I have document in my recent book “Treatments for Tremors“.

As you already know from listing to my recent radio show What is the Biggest Roadblock to Recovery? I believe the most formidable roadblock to recovery is a failure to recognize the impact of trauma has on the ability of the sensitive neurological system to function.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Parkinsons Recovery
robert@parkinsonsrecovert.com

Do Parkinson’s Symptoms Come and Go?

Question #1:

Do other PD people notice a change/worsening of symptoms seasonally?  I just realized that for several years now my symptoms seem to increase about Dec or Jan or there abouts. This time period is when I have been starting or changing or increasing medications.

Susan

Response:

Yes – my experience is that many people experience a flare up of symptoms during the winter. I suspect there are several reasons:

  • Diet – the holidays trigger unhealthy eating.
  • Lack of exercise – the winter months can mean colder weather with more rain and snow.
  • Lack of sunshine – Although you live in a rather hot climate, vitamin D3 may not be an issue – but Naturopath Doctor Laurie Mischley finds most people with Parkinson’s symptoms have severe vitamin D3 deficiencies. If there is less sunshine – your body will be getting less D3 the natural way.
  • Change or addition of medications – If you have been adding new medications or increasing the dosage, that could also be a possible cause of a symptom flare up due to interactions and side effects.

All in all – there are a multitude of factors that can potentially contribute to shifts in symptoms seasonally. Since there are typically fluctuations – you can always celebrate improvement down the road.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

Books
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
Pioneers of Recovery
Five Steps to Recovery

Resources
Vibration Therapy
Dehydration Therapy: Aquas
Parkinsons Recovery Membership
Parkinsons Recovery Chat Room
Eye Drops for Cataracts
Symptom Tracker
Parkinson’s Disease News


Copper and Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Lori sent me several messages from her i-phone about her remarkable recovery from the symptoms Parkinson’s disease. With her permission I am posting her correspondence to me below. Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.

My symptoms are currently reversing. My sons, myself and my sister tested very high copper levels.  Found out once started prenatal vitamins started improving almost gone after nine months .
Neurologist confirmed marked improvement! Work out alot. Eating better. Cut out diet coke addiction. Pray alot! My sons and I take zinc to chelate copper. Water tested positive copper. Copper pipes leaching copper.

It’s so weird! You have been so positive for me. Footdrop gone. Cogwheeling gone. Smile back:) Bradykinesia almost gone. Just action tremor.

They tell me I don’t have Wilson’s disease because cervoplasmin high too. They thought copper was elevated because of bc pills. But off them ordered own serum copper, i’m an OD, still high! My husband md, always said no resting tremor and he would notice it. Five doctors confirmed. Even went to cleveland clinic. Raised 7000 dollars for mjff.  Acceptted it. Something kept telling me have another baby. Got off meds. Started prenatal. Bam – got better. I’m supposed to be in that big mjff study. Called Cleveland. They said pd never gets better. Must be ingesting something.

I kept telling neuro that thought copper toxicity due chronic green hair when moved into house with copper pipes five years ago. Peds doctor helped me most because tested sons and high so he called toxicologist geneticist and metabolic.

I’m so scared it’s going to come back but I don’t think God does partial miracles.  My sister was higher than me. Currently get lots blood tests but say not Wilsons!

Thanks for positive vibes. Pd is so gloom doom. No hope awful, I think no one should not be given hope. People forget the God factor. Please post because if it happened to me it can happen to others.  My husband always thought h1n1 did it. But he sees what vitamins are doing for me, vitamins with no copper.

My handwriting is no longer small. Still trembles but so much easier.  I wrote and dated a journal so I can see the change.

Mirapex never really helped. It really only made a slight improvement in handwriting.  Never helped foot, smile cogwheeling or tremor. My doctors sill say I have PD and haven’t seen all improvement – think I’m nuts!

But pharmacy assured me mirapex er out of system. Completely done with it Nov 1, started to taper it Oct 21. started prenatal vitamins Oct 21. Noticed improvement. Started documenting it all on Nov 16th.  Haven’t seen neuro since nov 18th. I think they are going to be shocked!

Movement specialist said she never doubted my diagnosis, doesn’t want to see me til Feb. I’ve learned I have wrong doctors and the best peds doctor.

The thing that worried me was at 6 year old son started getting breasts. Doctor documented this. I researched crap out of it. It would come and go. Told peds everything, in youth elevated copper secondary sex characteristics. I started boys on vitamins. Youngest would not take them. I told doctor the oldest sons will be lower because been on vitamin. This turned out to be true. My husband’s copper level is normal.

I feel God put me thru this to help my boys! I’m planning to get prego once all gone . It will be miracle baby! It sounds unbelievable!

We have bottled water. Looking to get copper filter for shower! I would love to move but houses not selling.  We have a really nice house but I hate the copper pipes!

Lori

Research Shows Link between GMO’s and Symptoms of Parkinsons

Sharry Edwards was my guest on the Parkinsons Recovery Radio show yesterday. During the show she discussed a connection between Genetically Modified Foods (GMS’s) and symptoms of Parkinsons that she personally experienced.  Sharry has given me permission to post her full research article here. Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.

Study finds Link between GMO’s and Current Health Care Crisis
…by Sharry Edwards, MEd, Director
Institute of BioAcoustic Biology
September 26, 2010

The August 14th, 2010 issue of Science News, ”Separating wheat from chaff in celiac disease”, reported that a research team led by gastroenterologist Robert Anderson of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville, Australia, had identified specific triggers (gluten sensitivities) associated with celiac disease.

Since our research efforts often evaluate clients who exhibit gluten sensitivity and a myriad of associated diseases, it was imperative that this important information be added to our software databases. I translated the three proteins into BioAcoustic bio-frequency (biomarkers)* and was immediately inundated with an avalanche of novel data showing that the metabolic pathways influenced by these proteins were linked to nearly all systems of the human body; causing immune distortion, acute cellular inflammation and disruptions in cell communication.

The article listed three proteins, w-5 gliadin (wheat), g-3 hordein (barley) and g secalins (rye) that were implicated in the production of the specific anti-gliadin antibody reactions. These proteins, which have been proven to be responsible for allergic reactions, are associated with grain glutens from which they are derived.

Patient records indicated the grains involved are clones developed in a laboratory by Monsanto, a multinational agricultural biotech conglomerate. This would confirm that the present day epidemic of gluten sensitivities/allergies stem from laboratory created grains. These gluten-distorted, allergy causing grain clones are being used to create foods that we eat everyday; bread, cereals, crackers, pastry, seasonings, even some packaged chip products contain wheat. As I developed the BioAcoustic correlations I was aghast with the realization of how thoroughly our health is being negatively influenced by these genetically modified foods (GMO’s).

Further investigation revealed that the cloned genes contained two substitutions that distorted the way the body processes two sulfur rich amino acids: proline and glutamine. Disturbances in these amino acids substitutions result in the impedance of the methylation of these two essential nutrients.

BioAcoustically Speaking, Glutamine distortions seem to be the most destructive. The enzyme required to utilize glutamine is glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). Glutamate is a key molecule in cellular metabolism and the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in a vertebrate nervous system.

In mammals, GAD exists in two isoforms encoded by two different genes – Gad1 and Gad2. GAD1 and GAD2 are expressed in the brain where GABA is used as a neurotransmitter; GAD2 is also expressed in the pancreas. This led to an evaluation of the GAD genomes and what happens when these genes are activated:
Glutamate decarboxylase aka glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is an enzyme that catalyzes the decarboxylation (part of the process of breaking down for use by the body) of glutamate to GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) and CO2.

GABA is a natural tranquilizer and an important inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps regulate neuron activity and the body’s nanosensors. Starting with the GAD enzyme response and moving toward GABA in conjunction with the active form of B6 (PLP), the nanotransmitters of the body are created and regulated. The movement of electrical energy and hence magnetic potential within the body are controlled by these nanotransmitters.
GAD uses PLP (pyridoxal 50-phosphate) as a cofactor. PLP was granted a patent by the US government patent office to the Canadian company, Medicure. PLP is now under the control of the pharmaceutical industry and its lack is often associated with blood clotting distortions, migraines, neural disorders and seizures.

Nanotransmitters produced in conjunction with GAD metabolism show direct associations with a multitude of diseases: diabetes, autism, arthritis, Parkinson’s, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, joint pain and deterioration, auditory disorders, Celiac Disease, Crohns, Irritable Bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders, aspartame sensitivity, MSG reactions, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, depression, seizures, brain signaling, the use of calcitonin (cancer related), histidine function (seasonal allergies), cellular inflammation and vaccination reactions.

Of particular importance is GAD’s involvement with cancer via Calcitonin, a 32–amino-acid peptide/hormone that participates in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. BioAcoustically Speaking, calcitonin is a major player in the role of how the body handles any cancer threat.

Parkinson’s is an incurable, debilitating disease that also shows GAD involvement. The activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the enzyme involved in formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), was studied in autopsy brain samples from six Parkinson’s patients and 13 controls. The activity of GAD was significantly reduced in brain samples of patients with Parkinson’s disease, being about 50 percent of that in controls. Moreover, levodopa treatment showed a tendency to increase the activity of GAD. The results suggest the involvement of GABA neurons in Parkinson’s disease.

A search of the GAD literature stated that acetylcholine, γ-aminobutyric acid, dopamine, calcitonin gene-related peptides, choline acetyltransferase and enkephalins are involved with the metabolism of GAD. It would be important to include these biochemicals when testing subjects for GAD presence and methylation.

Glutamate is the same Frequency Equivalent* as aspartame and is part of MSG (mono-sodium glutamate). James Oschman in his publication, Energy Medicine, states that cells emit frequency-based signals as a request for needed biochemicals to gather at the site where they are needed. Since Glutamate and Aspartame are the same frequency, this may explain why Aspartame has been implicated in so many muscle and joint disorders.

These observations are based on the mathematical matrix of BioAcoustic Biology developed over the last twenty years by the Sound Health Research Center located in Albany, Ohio, USA. The system allows for the evaluation of any item associated with the body in terms of numeric mathways. Sharry Edwards, the recognized pioneer of this emerging technology states, “I expect this information will be the impetus that opens the world to the potential of BioAcoustic Biology and the hope of allowing access to Self Health care; even after the appearance of a disease process”.

From the original Science News article:

“Three protein fragments are looking like the guilty parties in celiac disease, an intestinal ailment that affects as many as one in 133 people in the United States. These partial proteins, or peptides, are the part of gluten in wheat, rye and barley that triggers the immune systems of celiac patients, damaging the small intestine. An Australian research team reports the new findings in the July 21 Science Translational Medicine.”

“This is an impressive and very comprehensive study,” says immunologist Ludvig Sollid of the University of Oslo. “The authors find that most celiac patients make a response to these three gluten peptides.”

Are GMO producers aware of the damage to health that is being caused? Why are GMO producers and the US government boldly attempting to prevent package warnings that would notify people that they were eating GMO products? Is it greed, ignorance or a misguided attempt to improve our food supply that is in fact poisoning our food, our population, and our genetic pool? Is this assault on our food supply intentionally creating a future that will keep us ill and medication dependent?

References available by request

* all issues expressed in terms of Frequency Equivalent™ (a “term of use” for BioAcoustic Biology)  a numeric representation of a person, place, thing or emotion.

Lyme Disease and Parkinson’s Disease

Question:

I was tested and treated for Lyme disease (including intravenously) 3 times last year. In January 2010, I was diagnosed with PD.

Have you seen the same thing with many of your bloggers?

Joanne

Response:

There is a strong connection between the symptoms associated with Lyme disease and the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Many people are mis-diagnosed with Parkinson’s. They actually have the bacterial infection that causes Lyme disease.

Most of the cases involve a process that is reversed from yours. The diagnosis of Parkinson’s is given. No treatments seem to help. The person searches for other solutions. They eventually discover that they have Lyme disease, not Parkinson’s.

Your question elicits a larger issue. I believe that many of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s are actually caused by bacterial infections. Lyme is only one of the culprits. Some of the bacteria do not have cell walls and thus defy detection by standard diagnostic tests.

If you had three separate treatments last year, you must have a deep respect for the resiliency of the Lyme infection. It is only one of hundreds that can create havoc in the neurological system. Most bacterial infections these days are very difficult to treat successfully.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

Books
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
Pioneers of Recovery
Five Steps to Recovery

Resources
Vibration Therapy
Dehydration Therapy: Aquas
Parkinsons Recovery Membership
Parkinsons Recovery Chat Room
Eye Drops for Cataracts
Symptom Tracker
Parkinson’s Disease News

Heavy Metal Chelation and Parkinson’s

Cruise is coming up, isn’t it?  Wish I could have joined you, but had other obligations to pay for, one is my upcoming heavy metal chelation.

Just wanted to let you know that I have been testing for heavy metal for over 7 years now and nothing ever showed up on lab tests.  I kept having a nagging feeling that a big part of my symptoms were caused from heavy metal poisoning, but I couldn’t get anyone to prove it.

I kept searching and found a naturopathic doctor who consented to another urine test, but this time he used the chelating agent MDSA to pull the metals out of my tissues.

The results confirmed my feeling of years.  Extremely high levels of Mercury, Lead and Uranium.  He said in all of his practice, he has never seen such high levels and promptly started me on a heavy metal chelation.  I’m now on a two week regimen to support my organs from permanent damage prior to the chelation.

He said that while he can’t promise a definite correlation of symptoms and heavy metals, he does feel there is a huge relationship.  He also so that he can’t promise complete relief of symptoms after chelation and removing these heavy metals from my body, but he said he feels confident that my symptoms will improve, and my symptoms shouldn’t worsen and my body should be allowed to heal, once the mercury is gone.  He said that with my levels of metals, it may take up to a year to completely chelate.

I will keep you posted.  I just thought you might be interested in knowing my most recent finding, and possibly an option for some of your other followers.

Again, thanks for all you do and continue to do.  You are amazing!  Such a gift to humanity, not only those with a PD diagnosis.

Take care,

Melanie

Life with Parkinson’s Disease

Comment:

I tuned into the recorded version of your interview with Leif last night. I could not listen to it for very long as the part where he experienced much difficulty moving around and talking, and when he apologized– it really bothered me. So I exited the show.

I can honestly say that he dashed my hopes somewhat. I felt somewhat frightened and depressed. I was  hoping  to hear the voice of the motivated, and strongly positive author, “Leif”. Didn’t  expect ‘off times”. It recalled to me  the supposed later stages of this condition, and of how dreary a future  this condition could prove to be for me. ( Now maybe I should have stayed on line and listened to all — but I couldn’t.)

However a good thing. It re- emphasized to me how very important it is for me  to listen to my own body and deal with it day by day, and not fixate on what may/may not happen to me in the future, down the road. Each case of Parkinsons Disease seems to be different depending on so many influencing factors. Everyone seems to go through this neurological condition differently.

Now for me after my diagnosis in’ 98 , I am fairing well, all things considered. But it takes effort to stay well and it takes time, and it takes attitude! I used to  receive mail from the Parkinson’s organizations here, inviting me to attend meetings having to do with: falling, drooling,  freezing, depression, suicide, support for spouses, making a will etc. Talk about gloom and doom. So I  unsubscribed to such mail.

I make a practice of staying away from websites, articles, presentations of the same persuasion, because they are NOT helpful at this time and may never be– who knows. It is just more positive for me to practice and adopt a lifestyle that channels my energy and thoughts in a more positive way, to surround myself with people and circumstances that celebrate life — sunshine, nature, spirituality, music, friends, travel, vegetarian food, exercise, breathing, laughing yoga. Some may say that I have my” neck stuck in the sand” , “to face the music”, “to accept my disease”. I think not.

In the days and weeks  following  my diagnosis in ’98, I spent many a day and dark hour, dwelling entirely on this “di sease”. I found myself buried  in a very dark place, a deep hole, thankfully I was able to crawl out. I  never wish to return there!

So sorry( my opinion), that Leif experienced  ‘off times’ during his talk, because he had a wonderful message to convey. I did read some excerpts from his book, and I do share in, and believe in much that he writes. Now maybe  the  rest of the show was entirely different, but….

Just someone sharing her thoughts having and dealing with” Parkinson’s” recovery.

Linda

Response:

What a fascinating report of your reaction to my interview with Leif this week, author of I Have Parkinsons But Parkinsons Does Not Have Me. Your experience is a true testament to how easy it is to be sucked into the dark and dreary negative belief template about Parkinsons that continues to linger out there in the ethers. As you so eloquently describe, it is so easy to be trapped by the negative belief template. Crawling out of it can sometimes feel like the challenge of breaking out of jail.

I think the actual experience of listening to my interview with Leif patterns your same experience over the years since your own diagnosis eleven years ago. Deep depression initially followed by a determination to engage the activities that help you feel great everyday. You are probably wondering what happened in the second part of the interview?

Leif took a mere ten minute break in the interview to meditate by breathing and grounding. His symptoms vanished. When you hear the second part of the interview you hear a voice of strength and power (though of course English is not his native language). It is a true testament to the reality that by setting his intent to move out of fear and paying attention to his body, his symptoms vanished in a flash. Healing happens in the moment. You do not have to wait years.

His symptoms were up during the first ten minutes of the interview because it was a stressful experience. After all, he was not just have a friendly chat with me. The interview was being recorded. Thousands of people will hear the interview. Once he was able to relieve the stress of doing the interview, all of his symptoms resolved.

Listening to the process of my interview with Leif is really the same experience you have had over the years as you successfully were able to shift from being trapped in the belief template of fear into a belief template of health and wellness. You both are doing quite well indeed now, but it was also a struggle for both of you in the beginning. I suspect this is a familiar process for many people.

If it ever feels right to you, you can always download the interview and fast forward the recording about 12 minutes. You will be delighted with what you hear in the second part of my interview with Leif.

Thanks again for sending in your thoughts. You have helped so many people by telling us all about your own experience with Parkinsons.

Here is where you can download the interview if you every decide to give it a second try:

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

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Stress and Parkinson’s Disease

Comment:

I know stress is a major player in my Parkinson’s symptoms.  I have chronic pain and suffering from a surgery to my face that developed into what is referred to as a central pain disorder.  Meaning, the central nervous system has become involved.  I think it interesting that where this takes place is in the vicinity of the Substantia Nigra area of the brain where Parkinson’s develops.  I’ve always thought there might be a connection.

I take 2 anti-epileptic (dangerous) drugs in order to function but this still leaves me with unbelievable discomfort that registers on my consciousness at all times. This, I see, as  one of my greatest challenges to any kind of recovery.  The others are :

1) Subtle stress in most everything I do (I just realized this) and

2) Negative thought patterns even though I see myself as a positive person.

I had childhood trauma and trauma as a young woman. I developed an autoimmune disease at age 22 that most often is not manifested in anyone younger than 50.  I attribute this to a sensitive body that could not handle the devastation of estrogen packed birth control pills manufactured in the early 70’s.

Anita

Essential Oils Uses for Parkinson’s

Last Friday I interview Jean Oswald from
Rochester, New York who is a certified
aroma therapist and a registered nurse.
Jean provided a wealth of useful information
about how essential oils can be used to
provide relief from the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Here is her answer to two of my questions:

What if an individual has problems with
rigidity of their muscles and it is very
difficult for them to move with ease. What
is an essential oil that might help relieve
that particular symptom? 

There are a few essential oils that could
be most beneficial for muscle rigidity.
Essential oils like Cedarwood, Frankincense
and Sandalwood are high in Sesquiterpene.
They cross the blood brain barrier. They are
going to be carrying more oxygen throughout
the body and helping with firing neurons and
relieving neurological symptoms.

Muscle rigidity in connection to that is
helped by Marjoram essential oils which are
very relaxing to the muscles and Basil which
is an anti-spasmodic.

Use them in a massage or put them directly
on the skin over the spine, on the soles of
the feet and specifically on areas of the skin
where the tension itself is present in the muscles.

I would recommend a blend, a lotion that
combines the Marjoram, Basil and other essential
oils.

How about the problem of tremors? What essential
oils might be recommended to relieve that symptom?

I would say Basil or Frankincense, the
anti-spasmodic oils.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Symptoms and Treatments for Parkinson’s

Question

Dear Dr. Rodgers:

After reading a number of your helpful articles, I am writing to ask your opinion regarding a difficult case of Parkinson’s disease or similar disorder (as described below, the symptoms are somewhat atypical for classical PD). 

The person in question, now 63 years old, was diagnosed in mid-2005.  The symptoms include right arm/shoulder pain, which has worsened over time, along with a mild tremor in the right hand.  This is accompanied by a feeling of internal tremor or other unpleasant sensations which are difficult to describe but are all the same extremely and increasingly difficult to experience, sometimes like a feeling that his entire body is disintegrating (but he is otherwise healthy).

On observation, he has a slow or shuffling gait and decreased facial expression at rest and mild tremor of the right hand, but otherwise few other noticeable signs to indicate PD.  

This person has been on Dopicar (L-dopa/carbidopa combination) for over a year, which helped for the first 3-4 months.  However, over a short time the beneficial effects of L-dopa have diminished greatly, so that now it sometimes doesn’t help at all, and when it does, only for a very short period of time (an hour or less). 

The present dose of L-dopa varies between 300 and 600 mg 2-3 times daily, depending on the particular symptoms and feelings on a given day.  When the effect of the L-dopa wears off, the right arm becomes stiff like a log and very painful (worse than before taking it).  This means that most of the day he is feeling bad, with little relief from L-dopa. 

He has also been taking Azilect with little noticeable benefit.  This was stopped recently after hearing John Coleman’s teleconference, but pain and other symptoms have worsened since that time.

My questions are 1) have you ever seen anyone like this who responds very poorly to medications after such a short period of time, and whose primary symptoms are pain and a very unpleasant internal tremor or other sensation, and if so 2) what helped, or what treatment or other plan would you recommend?

Response

At the top of my response to your fascinating question is a brief explanation of my qualifications. It is true that I am
a doctor, but I am not a medical doctor. I have a Ph.D. and am a researcher. I need to be clear that I am not a medical doctor and so I am not qualified to diagnose or treat any disease. 

I regularly interview people with Parkinson’s (like John Coleman)  and conduct teleseminars with experts in various modalities regularly, so I am in a position to provide insights based on the research I am doing. Please do not interpret anything I might say as medical advice but rather as simply information. It is always important to check with your doctor or health care provider for taking making any changes to a health care program.

Your questions in order:

Have you ever seen anyone like this who responds very poorly to medications after such a short period of time?

From my research, your report of getting relief from medication after 3-4 months is typical, but at the low end of the range. I do not have enough data now to give you a good estimate, but qualitatively speaking, the average time appears to me to be around 7-8 months. Some people get no relief. Some get good relief for 2 years or more. I hear many reports of good relief for 6 months.

Regardless of the length of the honeymoon, I have not interviewed anyone yet who has been on medication and not had to increase the dose after a period of time. The brief honeymoon suggests to me that the primary cause of symptoms may be rooted in factors that are not directly connected to the level of dopamine in the body. 

Have you ever seen anyone like this who whose primary symptoms are pain and a very unpleasant internal tremor or other sensation?

If I have learned anything from my research, it is that each person’s symptoms are entirely unique to them. I interviewed a man recently whose primary symptom was pain. I am currently writing about how to address this particular symptom. So, stay tuned.

Internal tremors are very common among the many people I have interviewed.  It is a clue that the neurological system is not functioning at full capacity.

You also mention that his symptoms have been worse after going off the medication. This too is very typical from the people I interview. Some people who try and stop cold turkey without gradually reducing the dosage wind up eventually deciding to start  taking the medication again at an even higher dose.

You can probably expect a period of time for the body to adjust. From my research, what has happened to him is very typical and very difficult to deal with.

You also ask what treatment plan would I recommend. I will soon have a very concrete answer for you to see. I have created a web site interface that contains information, exercises and experiences that my research shows is needed for a person with the symptoms of Parkinson’s to feel better.

The honest answer to your question is that a person can begin feeling better slowly and gradually when they make certain changes in how they eat and live. Finding ways to reduce stress and release trauma have also helped many people.

Finding ways to help the body release toxins has certainly helped many people with Parkinson’s. I am beginning a series of interviews with naturopaths and other doctors who offer different approaches for helping people detox their body. I would recommend that you might consider these many different options and see if one calls to you and him.   

Another place to look is his digestive system. My guess would be that his digestive system may be compromised. Ayurveda has offered some people with Parkinson’s wonderful relief. Please note that I say some.

I suggest he experiment. Check out what is working for other people. Try out something that calls to him (a herb, a form of body work, a detox method, etc.). If it begins help, stick with it. If not, turn to something else. The people who are having the greatest success with recovery do just this. They are always experimenting.

I might mention that this is precisely what John Coleman did. He experimented with a number of therapies. Some helped and some did not. 

Give whatever is tried time to take effect.  Most people are not aware they are getting better, so they abandon therapies too early because they falsely convince themselves the therapy is not helping.

We do know now that it takes time for the body to heal from the symptoms of Parkinson’s. The range I now have is a minimum of two years to a maximum of 6 years. Recovery is a slow process.

The one thing that will help him the most is to acknowledge no single medicine or pill exists that can fix the problem. The causes of the symptoms are far too complicated and delicate for this to be true. It takes a dedicated commitment to give the body all that it needs to heal itself.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parknsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Support for Healing Parkinson’s

Question:

Hello, I am so happy to have received the link to this website..VERY INSPIRATIONAL!!
I am an Energy Practitioner and Motivational Coach. I am presently working with 2 clients who have been diagnosed with PD.

My 1st client, after 3 years since diagnosed, he has been doing incredible work/ inner work on himself and is transforming and shifting to a higher level of consciousness, awareness and spirituality- which is bringing him much trust, faith and hope in his recovery. His attitude is very Positive and he is feeling GOOD more than not!!! NO DRUGS!!! HE IS RECOVERING!!

On the other hand, my second client , also has been about 3 years since diagnosed.. still very depressed and closed to any new thing that I bring to him to help his attitude to guide him in the right direction of his recovery. I have directed him to this website, the blog etc.. He refuses.. but every week I continue to see him to do energy work, massage and coaching.

There are times that he gets very inspired and makes a couple of steps forward, but the majority of the time, he goes backwards. He is not getting any support or encouragement from his family- and lives in a very stressful household. I am getting frustrated as a practitioner but know only too well that everyone chooses to either heal or not.. It is in their own time and I can not force anything..

Do I continue with my therapy?? I have been working with him now for about 1 1/2 years. He said that he was going to give himself til November 2008, with doing alternative work before he chooses medication.

His family wants him to go on medication, he really does not want to go on medication but does not want to do the work that will get him on the path to recovery. It is a catch 22- He does not feel good, there fore he does not have the energy or motivation to do the work- but not understanding that if he does the work (yes- will be hard at first) but by continuing, he will feel better. He eats well and takes all of the supplements that is suggested but not moving his body and has become VERY STIFF AND SORE- CAN NOT MOVE.

Can you offer to me any words of advise or encouragement or support for me. If the only thing that I can do at this time is just to be there for support for him, than that is what I will continue to do, but it is frustrating watching this 36 year old man going down hill when he does not have to be. He wants to see PROOF.. Like I said, I have directed him to this website for proof… but he is not looking…thank you so much for your time in reading my blog…

Response

Warm congratulations to the one client of yours who is feeling so much better. He is clearly on the path of recovery. It is a bumpy ride, so having you there will make all the difference in the world. 

Your deep concern of course lies with your second client who is getting worse. Your question is : how do I help him? Your experience is very similar to my experience. Some people are deeply committed to heal and are willing to experiment until they find what approaches work for them. They do get better. I can assure you and your clients that there are many people on the path to recovery.

The second person would prefer to have someone fix them, to make the symptoms magically vanish.  I don’t blame them one bit.  When I have an ache – I feel the same way.  Of course – no such “cure” exists with Parkinson’s, yet many people prefer to believe it will happen to them.

There are many very deep, unconscious reasons why your second client will not do anything to help himself.  On the most basic level he does not have the energy to do anything but see you. A nutritional IV can help persons in such situations. A nutritional IV is a direct infusion of essential vitamins and minerals directly into the body. It is not a chelation. It is mainstreaming food the body is not getting. Some naturopaths and  some medical doctors specialize in nutritional IV’s. It helps people get back on their feet and  give a much needed burst of energy. 

Second, I would recommend you suggest to him that the reasons for his symptoms may in part lie in the area of toxins. There are many gentle ways to detox the body. It sounds like to me he is not ready to address any of the stress or trauma which sounds like is a key reason for the symptoms from your description. He may be open to doing a little detox work. 

Third, some people – and he may be one of them – take on a condition from another family member out of love. Sometimes it is a parent or a grandparent. Sometimes it is a brother  or sister. It depends. This is an unconscious entrapment into disease (his happens  to be Parkinson’s). This is a larger  family system issue that keeps people sick until they address the issue. He is unlikely to go there now, but maybe later. 

Fourth, when people are stuck like him, there is a very conterintuitive suggestion to make. Give him a mantra to say three times a day for a week. The mantra is

I refuse to get better.  I like my life just the way it is.
                                The answer is no. 

If he can connect that that place within himself  that refuses to heal, he may be able to move out of his stuckness. We all get stuck sometimes.

Why might he not want to heal? There may be negative pleasure in having the debilitating symptoms. This too is unconscious. He is not doing anything about his situation  because having the disease gives him something. The condition defines his role in his family and the roles of all the other family members.   If he gets better, it puts all of that delicate balance out of whack.

The point here is to make explicit his moment to moment choice to feel worse and worse.   You can talk about all the things that will happen like nursing homes and wheel chairs so the truth is spoken out loud. We all make choices in our lives. Maybe the truth of the matter is that his true (though unconscious) choice is to check out of living and die.   

Having said all of this, I think in the end your job is to honor whatever choice he makes. Who is to judge that his choices are not the best for him, whatever they may be? When you ask what you can do for him, I would suggest you now put this back on him.

Ask him what he needs from you. Then give it to him in a loving way – honoring whatever choices he makes.  You can facilitate his journey on whatever path he choices to take. Somethimes the most loving thing to do for a client is to honor their choice to get worse.

Keep up the wonderful work. Know in your heart that you are the perfect healer for him at this time in his life. 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Parkinson’s Symptoms and Medications

Question: 

My Parkinsonian symptoms are going on with me now for
4 months and the strongest is my slowness of movements,
speech and the way my face looks so sad.  Today I just felt
fatigued and some feeling in my brain like a flush or a wave of slowness.
 
I am seeing a neurologist for the second time on 9/l6 for
further evaluation.  I have yet to be formally diagnosed
with parkinsonism.  In a small corner in my mind I carry
he thought that these symptoms are temporary and it is
not Parkinson’s.  Do others that you may know of have
similar symptoms like my self that turn out not to be Parkinson’s
and they are well again?
 
Thank you for letting me update you on what is going on
with my health.  I am reaching out as far as I can for help
and guidance on all I can do.  My life has changed l00%
this past 4 months.
 
I was taking SAMe for three months for depression. 
It elevated my mood and I was feeling 80 percent better
so I stopped taking it one week ago.  I weaned myself off
in a week.  Now I am wondering if stopping SAMe is
the reason I do not feel so good now.
Are you familiar with SAMe?
 

Response:

Well – you have been on a roller coaster these past few months. 

The question you ask is: Do I know of people who have symptoms like
yours who have been able to recover or feel better? 

The encouraging answer is yes!  I interview people all the time with symptoms
like yours – give them any name you wish – who have figured out ways to feel
better. I just finished an interview with John Coleman, a naturopath doctor
from Australia who had Parkinson’s in 1995 but who has fully recovered today.

You can hear his interview by clicking on the link below:

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/Default.asp?eventid=4116702

I will soon have a member web site available for
access where I will be
posting interviews and doing
teleseminars with people like John. Many
are not health
care professionals like John – just people who have figured out
what to do for themselves to feel better.

I personally believe there are two basic ways to
approach problems like yours.
First, many people
spend a great deal of energy and time trying to figure
out what
is wrong. From my experience, this approach 
tends to sustain a great deal of 
fear and makes sure that
you will experience the symptoms of Parkinson’s because
fear triggers hormonal imbalances in the body.

The second approach is to say – OK – my body is giving
me some information. It is working perfectly – as it always does.
It must be the case that my body needs something I am not
giving it – perhaps good food, exercise, mind challenges,
levity, relaxation, detoxing, etc., etc.). With this approach 
a person can begin to
make some changes in their life and 
eventually turn their health around.  It does take
time and trust.  

As for tests revealing problems with lesions and tumors and
cancers and – you name
it – my personal feeling is (and remember
this is only my personal feeling) – everyone has
things like this
in their bodies. Everyone has cancers in their body at one time or 
another. Most people have lesions of one type or another. Etc. 

Clearly it is a good idea to get things checked out by doctors
and consider  their
recommendations. Medicine sometimes
works miracles for people.

The challenge for anyone in a situation like yours is that
if you spend most of your time focusing your 
attention on
what is wrong with your body  – if those thought
forms
dominate your thinking – you will be guaranteed to manifest
something wrong.
Our thoughts create our reality.  

As for the drug you asked about – I stay away from making
any comments about
drugs since I am not a medical doctor
and I am not qualified to do so. However,  I have an
appointment this week with Randy Mentzer who is a certified
nutritional counselor and a pharmacist.

Randy is amazing. I hope to do a teleseminar with Randy
in the next several weeks. Be sure to
listen. You can ask
questions. I can ask him your question and he will answer it! 

Teleseminars are so cool. So, stay tuned. I hope to have the
announcement out this week about the teleseminar with Randy. 

I am hoping for good news from the doctors for you…

All the best,

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Parkinson’s and Anxiety

Question:

Robert I spoke with you several weeks ago
and I am having difficulty with anxiety along
with PD.  Would sure like some advice. 

I take 125 mg mucuna, 25 mg losodyn, .50 4 times
daily plus .50 ativan 2 times a day and am still
very shaky and slow moving.  Suggestions?
All meds are MD prescribed. 

Norma

Response 

I have two thoughts in response to your question.
First, you report taking three different medications.
It is possible there may be an issue with the particular
combination of medicines that you are taking.

Side effects can flair up when certain combinations of
medications are taken that do not happen when any one
drug is taken by itself.  Certain combinations of drugs
can cause mineral depletions in the body or other
vitamin deficiencies. Only an expert can say for sure
if this is happening in your case.

I believe it is always important to have your medications
reviewed by a certified nutritional consultant. The person
we recommend is Randy Mentzer who is also a licensed
pharmacist who looks at the whole picture. (He does
phone consultations). It may be there is a problem
with foods you are eating or other supplements you
are taking in conjunction with the medications you are taking.
Someone needs to take a look at the whole picture.  

Click here for more information about Randy’s nutritonal consultation

Second, when it comes to finding relief from anxiety, Craniosacral
therapy and Bowen therapy can be very helpful. I have written
two blogs eariler today with information about how you can link
up with either type of therapist.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

What Can I do about Problems I am Having with My Fingernails?

Question:

Why am I having problems
with my Fingernails?

Response 

One healthy approach for understanding
any health problem – in this case problems
with your nails – is to acknowledge that
your body is sending you a signal that
something is out of balance. Perhaps
there is a mineral or vitamin deficiency
such as, for example, the C or B vitamins
or both.

The challenge is to figure out what
your body needs. When bodies 
scream at us to be heard, 
it can be difficult to figure
the problem out. I have two
approaches for you to
consider: homeopathy and 
an exploration of the underlying
reason for the condition. 

Homeopathy 

Homeopathy can be very
useful in getting to the root
cause of a problem. Homeopathy 
treats illness in a novel way.
Homeopathic doctors use 
substances that produce,
in a healthy person, symptoms
similar to the symptoms seen in the
illness. 

Homeopaths use serial dilution (which
involves shaking between each dilution)
to remove the toxic effects of the remedy. 
The underlying qualities of the substance
are retained by the diluent. The diluted
substance is usually indistinguishable
from pure water. 

Practitioners select treatments according
to observations they have of a patient
through consultations that explore both
the physical condition and any emotional
issues that may be associated with the
condition. 

Below is a link to a web site that
lists various conditions with nails
and suggests possible reasons why
such conditions might develop. 
The descriptions give you an idea of
how homeopathy can be helpful
in sorting through a health challenge
and finding a solution to it. Homeopathy
can be used to treat any condition.

http://www.hpathy.com/papersnew/traub-finger-nails-homeopathy.asp

Explore the Underlying Cause of the Problem

A second way of figuring out what your
body is telling you is to investigate what
might be the underlying (and unconscious)
reason for the problem.  

Louise Hay, author of You Can
Heal Your Life,
believes that
there are always underlying reasons
why a particular health problem 
presents itself.  She offers probable
reasons for a wide variety of ailments. 

In the case of problems with nails she 
writes that a probable cause is linked
to issues connected with protection.
The new thought pattern that she
suggests will help heal this problem is:

“I reach out safely.”

On a more general level, Louise Hay
says that problems with fingers are
related to issues associated
with the details of life. The healing
thought pattern is:

“I am peaceful with the details of life.”

If either of these possibilities resonate
with you, then you might want to
write one or both mantras on a piece of
paper and affix it to a place you
will see it everyday like your bathroom
mirror, refrigerator or front door.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

Are Writing Cramps your Excuse for no longer Writing Creatively?

Question:

My creative writing has come
to a standstill because my
hands and fingers are currently
not flexible enough to type. 
I am trying to find other creative
outlets, but I really love to write.
Any suggestions? 

Response 

The symptoms of Parkinsons
can include cramping. tightness
and weakness in the hands and
fingers, making typing much
more challenging.  It certainly
sounds like you are worried 
your creative writing career
is dead because you are having
such a tough time typing on
a keyboard.  

I have a great suggestion for
you. Actually, it is an awesome
suggestion.

There is another way to write
without having to punch the
keys on a typewriter or computer 
keyboard. You can talk into a
microphone and your e-mails,
letters, articles and books will be
produced automatically using 
speech recognition software.

It is simple. You talk into a
microphone that is connected
to your computer. The words
you speak are automatically
translated into written words
and sentences that magically
appear on your computer
screen. 

Really! If you can talk, you can
write anything to anyone. And I
do mean anything. 

I should be using speech recognition 
software right now to write this blog,
but I am not. Why? I am stuck
in my old habits of using my
fingers to think. My writing would
probably improve if I started
using my mouth to write. I have
always had a big mouth.

There is a big advantage if
I start talking out my blog
entries and newsletters rather
than typing them. Why? I can talk
much faster than I can type. 
My Parkinsons Recovery book
would be written in a few days if
I talked it rather than typed it.  

I need to disclose a little truth
and advertising here. I have not
personally used this software 
but a friend of  mine has. 
He tells me it works beautifully.

My friend does give me one
warning: Do not look at the
computer screen as you talk.
It is totally weird to read what
you have just said as you are
thinking about what to say
next. 

A little work on your part
is required before the software
will work. You have to train
the software program to recognize
the connection between your voice
and the words. The creators of this
software accomplish this by having
you read several pages of a story 
so the software can identify how
you say words. The program can
then correctly connect the dots
between what you say and the
written words you are speaking. 
Once you are set up, you are good
to go. 

The software is called Dragon
Naturally Speaking 9 at
www.nuance.com/talk.
I just watched a video that
demos the software which is
very informative. Apparently
it costs $100.

The other good news is that
the more you exercise your
voice the better your ability
to speak forcefully and clearly
will become.  

Sorry. No more excuses for not
writing to your friends and family.
The world needs to hear from you
so start talking. 

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

   

Are There Any Natural Remedies for Parkinson’s?

Question:

I am 52 years old and I have been
experiencing Parkinsonian symptoms
for over a year now.  I went to a
neurologist and he said I did show
early stages of parkinsons i.e. trembling
in left foot, cramped/small handwriting,
left hand has trouble touching thumb
to middle finger at a fast pace; I feel I
talk slower; I have constipation
(I thought the constipation was from
my acid reflux condition) and I recently
fell into a depression cause of some
events in my life…

I am taking SAMe now for three weeks
and feel somewhat better but not l00%…
I am scheduled to see this neurologist
again in September to see if my condition
is true and or progressed and at that time
he will discuss taking medication for
Parkinson’s.
 
I am praying that these symptoms I
am experiencing are due to another
situation like menopause and or my
depression/stress.  
 
I am reaching out to you for any input
on where I am at and also any natural
remedies I might start doing now to
improve my health and well being.

Response

Thank you for sending in your question
to Parkinsons Recovery. You will find
my newsletter, this blog and our website
contains information and resources that
offer many choices you can consider. 

You will always find new information on
this blog every week. I write a daily
Parkinsons Recovery newsletter that
covers a wide range of topics, all
related to natural remedies. You can
subscribe to the newsletter by entering
your email address in the space to the
right at the top of this blog. You will
receive an e mail asking if you wish
to receive the newsletters. Simply
click on the address and you will
receive the newsletters on a regular
basis. 

I write about approaches people say
have helped them, so we are very
practical in our approach here. Our 
mission is to provide you with a
wealth of information about natural
approaches and remedies so you
can make the choices that are
right for you.

I interview people with Parkinson’s
who tell me what has worked for them.
And, I also interview experts in their
various fields (e.g.: process psychologists,
physical therapists, herbalists, craniosacral
therapists, Neural Linguistic Programming
experts, biofeedback therapists, acupuncturists,
etc., etc.) who tell me about how their
work can potentially help people with
Parkinson’s feel better.

The good news is that I hear 
reports every week from
people with Parkinsons who are
feeling better. You can too, though
you will have to make some
changes in your life.

Speaking generally, the natural
approaches that people tell me offer
relief from symptoms are: a healthy
diet, daily exercise, detoxing heavy
metals and other harmful substances
that reside in the body, awareness of
what stress does to the body, release
of traumas, meditation, laughter, 
social contact and dedication to a purpose
in life. 

The theme at Parkinsons Recovery is
to emphasize health and well being rather
than to dwell on “disease.” We believe
the body knows how to heal itself. It just
needs a little help sometimes.  

Welcome aboard.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery

What is Wrong with My Health: Do I fight or Give In?

Question: 

Do I fight the symptoms or
do I give into them? 

Response: 

I know what you are thinking. The
answer is obvious. Of course you fight,
right? This will not be my answer.
Since there are only two choices, you
now know my answer.  Read on.

Fight versus Surrender

One of my favorite past times is
reading obituaries. OK. I agree
this is weird, perhaps even
demented, but give me credit
for a little self-disclosure here. 

What do people say about their
loved ones when they die of cancer?

“She fought a courageous battle.”
It goes without saying (although
I am now saying it) the obituary
never points out that the battle
was lost. For all of the thousands of
obituaries I have read, no one –
I repeat no one – won the battle. 
These odds are not encouraging.   

This is my twisted way of alerting you
to what you are not expecting. I will 
argue that a healthy way to heal
the symptoms of Parkinson’s is to
embrace the meaning and information
they offer to us.  

My explanation starts with a story
about horse racing. How in the
world is horse racing related to
Parkinson’s? Ah, is impatience
an issue for you? It is for me. Let’s
each tolerate our impatience 
as I write and you read the next
section.  

Horse Racing and Parkinson’s

One of my pleasures in life has been to
live at one time in the beautiful city of
Lexington, Kentucky which is home to
some of the fastest and most famous
thoroughbred racing horses in the world.
Part of the Lexington folklore revolves
around Patrick Henry, a horse that won
over 6 million in purses. 

In his retirement years Patrick Henry
lived on a horse farm near the famous
racing track known as Keeneland.
His handlers told me that the most
dangerous time to be inside Patrick
Henry’s horse stall was when the racing
horn at nearby Keeneland signaled
the time for a race to begin. 

Patrick Henry knew he was not at the
starting gate. He knew he was not racing.
He knew he had been “put out to pasture.”
He did not like it one bit.

 Patrick Henry would become angry,
even violent. His entire body would
shake, rattle and roll. He tore up
anything in his way – his hay rack,
the walls to his stall and even his
handlers if they were inside the stall
with him. It was dangerous business
for his handlers on racing day.

Patrick Henry was determined to
race. He had no interest sitting
on the sidelines, hearing the shouts
of the crowd while eating hay in
his stall.   

His handlers quickly learned that you
could not confront Patrick Henry during
such occasions. His fury would be ignited.
He temper would intensify. His symptoms
would become measurably worse. 

His handlers explained to me that the
only response was to allow Patrick
Henry to have his pout, shake like
a mad horse and scream out his anger
from the bowels of his life force. The
only response possible was to allow
the energy to be expressed.

Once he was able to fully and
completely express his feelings they
would pass. The shaking would stop.
The fury would pass. 

Patrick Henry was processing his
own feelings of inadequacy. His
handlers and owners decided he
was too old to race. Part of him
certainly knew that he was too old
to race. 

But this was all too much to stomach
for this proud horse. Patrick Henry
needed to release his own feelings of
inadequacy in his own way.

Parkinson’s and Horse Racing

Let me now explain the connection
between Patrick Henry’s frustration 
and Parkinson’s. Having known now 
many persons who have the symptoms
of Parkinson’s, I have observed that
there is an underlying intensity that
is usually present.  The intensity is
coupled with a genuine sense of power
and focus, two remarkable traits that 
help people succeed in life.

The intensity and focus is a good thing.
It is a precursor to success in life. It is
the reason why so many people with
Parkinson’s have a long record of amazing
accomplishments.  

The Place of Balance 

When the symptoms of Parkinson’s present
themselves what is the typical response for
anyone?  For most people (myself included) 
the typical response is to fight the symptoms,
to engage an internal war against them.   

This response works beautifully for some
people, but I want to offer a companion
response for you to consider. 

Consider the possibility that
your body will find a place of
balance no matter what
circumstances you confront
or how you respond.  

If you operate in high gear day in and day out –
running marathons, accomplishing miracles,
running a business, setting high goals, handling
the traumas of everyday living – your body will
find a way – anyway – to find balance in your life. 

You cannot stop this process no matter how
hard you try. You have no control over
it. 

Yin Versus Yang 

We need both yin and yang. Aggression needs to
be balanced with receiving the pleasures of life. 
The war inside us needs to be balanced with
making peace within us.  

If it suddenly becomes more difficult to move,
your body may simply be finding a way to
slow you down. If it is more difficult to talk,
maybe your body is telling you it is time to
listen more often. If your body wants to shake
uncontrollably, perhaps there is tension in the
tissues that needs to  be released.

In other words, any symptom you experience 
is valuable information your body is giving 
you. All you need is to listen to your body. 
Give in to the pain, discomfort and frustration.|
Set your intention to learn  more about its
underlying meaning. The symptoms –
however unpleasant they may be –
are gifts in disguise.  

The best analogy here is to think
of what happens in martial arts
when you absorb the blows of your
opponent rather than counteracting 
with equal force. There is limitless
power when you flow with the energy
of the moment – absorbing the blows
rather than fighting them. 

If you counteract the blows of your
opponent you will ultimately lose
the fight. In the end the route to 
victory is “giving in” and yielding. 

Process Work 

This philosophy is eloquently honored in 
Process Work as formulated by Arnold
Mindell
and explained in the Dream Body.
The following is taken from my interview
with Steven Fenwick, Ph.D.,  who
is a psychologist and national expert in
process work.  

“As you look at the underlying meaning
and purpose of the symptoms, what are
they trying to tell you? It is like it has a
gift for you.”

“Even though you may hate the symptoms
- we all hate symptoms – but even though
we hate them and we want them to go away
and we do everything we can to make them
go away, which is good, we also want to look
at what the meaning is.”

“What is it trying to tell you about your life?
What is it trying to tell you about your life’s
purpose and meaning? And as you unfold
that and get more in touch with that and
express it more in your life, often times the
symptoms do get better. ”

“From a Process Work point of view,
I would say … instead of always trying
to repress the symptom, experiment. 
Amplify the tremor or whatever your
most disturbing symptoms
are with just making them bigger and
feeling what they are expressing. ”

“Maybe you could dance it some; of if
you’re sitting in a chair you could move
various ways to express it. You could
draw it. And just feel – If this had a
message for me, what is it telling me?”  

Summary 

No one likes to have the symptoms
of Parkinson’s. They are horrible.
A usual response is to launch a battle
against the symptoms or to find ways
to suppress them through medications,
drugs, herbs, supplements or other
therapies. 

I am suggesting here to consider a
counterintuitive approach that is
embodied in process work:  

  • Acknowledge the sympt0ms
    as gifts in disguise.
  • Set the intention to explore
    what they are really about.
  • Listen to what your body is
    telling you.  

Your body is not broken. It is
working perfectly.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

© 2008 Parkinsons Recovery