Walking: Possible Preventative Treatment
While the study prescribes walking as an effective, but supplemental treatment to what a patients doctor prescribes, I would also recommend this form of exercise as a possible preventative treatment. Sure, walking hasnt been proven to prevent Parkinsonsjust slow its progressionbut it doesnt hurt to make it part of your daily routine, especially when it is known to help prevent so many other diseases. So why not start today with a couple laps around the neighborhood or a walk to the corner store for milk instead of driving. Taking these little steps could prove to be a big step in keeping your good health.
Brisk Walking May Help Curb Parkinsons Symptoms, MedlinePlus web site, July 2, 2014 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_147117.html. Doyle, K., Walking may ease Parkinsons symptoms study suggests, Reuters, July 2, 2014 http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/02/us-parkinsons-walking-idUSKBN0F72D520140702. Fox, M., Walking works more magic This time in Parkinsons, Today Health web site, July 2, 2014 http://www.today.com/health/walking-works-more-magic-time-parkinsons-1D79878605.
Eating When Youre Tired
If you donât have energy for meals later in the day, you can:
Pick foods that are easy to fix, and save your energy for eating. If you live with your family, let them help you make your meal.
Look into a delivery service. Some grocery stores have them. Or you can check if you might be able to get food delivered from your local Meals on Wheels program for free or for a small fee.
Keep healthy snack foods on hand, like fresh fruit and vegetables or high-fiber cold cereals.
Freeze extra portions of what you cook so you have a quick meal when you feel worn out.
Rest before you eat so you can enjoy your meal. And eat your biggest meal early in the day to fuel yourself for later.
Special Diets For Parkinsons
Certain foods, vitamins or special diets are sometimes recommended as being beneficial if you have Parkinsons. You should always discuss any special food or diet with your doctor or dietitian as there is generally no scientific evidence to support these.
Broad beans are reputed to help Parkinsons symptoms as they contain levodopa but unfortunately this is in such small and variable amounts that they cannot be effective. The quantity that would necessary in order to obtain an effective amount of levodopa would probably cause illness or other side effects.
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Exploring Alternative Therapies For Parkinsons Disease
Because no two Parkinsons disease patients are alike, a Michigan Medicine neurologist encourages patients to consider conventional and alternative treatment options.
When Michigan Medicine neurologist Chauncey Spears, M.D., speaks to his patients with Parkinsons disease, he likes to make one thing clear: No two patients with Parkinsons disease are exactly alike.
There may very well be similarities between given patients, but every patient is unique, he says. Everybody is very different in their overall needs, as well as in their responses to treatments and medications.
For this reason, when it comes to the topic of alternative therapies for treating Parkinsons disease, Spears believes that patients are the best educators. There may be that one patient on the Internet who responds remarkably well to marijuana, but that may not be the case for the next person, he says.
Spears also wants to clear the air on how he views alternative therapies: Not as a last resort for PD patients, but as a diverse group of medical therapies, interventions, treatments, practices or products that dont fall under the category of conventional Western treatment practices.
Too often, patients believe that alternative therapies are a doctors way of saying, We’ve exhausted all conventional measures. One last desperate option is to put you on an alternative medicine.
This, he says, is not the case.
More Benefits Than Conventional Levodopa
The foundations of the patent, based on the references provided, reveal that, in relation to standard levodopa-carbidopa medications or levodopa-benserazide , the extracts of Mucuna have important advantages that confirm those listed in the previous chapter.
Mucuna has a wider therapeutic window: the range of dosage in which a drug can be used without causing toxic effects. That means that there is a large margin between the minimally effective dose of Mucuna and one that could cause damage in the body.
Patients get better sooner with it. Researchers gave patients a tablet of Sinemet, and they noticed the on effect after 54 minutes. But when they took Mucuna , they were already active after only 2327 minutes . In addition to being quick-acting, Mucuna has been found to be effective for longer durations: patients were still on for 204 minutes after taking the seed extract, beating Sinemet tablet by half an hour .
Neither acute nor chronic toxic effects have been described. Even with high doses of Mucuna , there were less adverse effects than in patients who received the equivalent of the conventional drugs . Other long-term studies of Mucuna have shown that the dreaded dyskinesia and other symptoms associated with continuous treatment with levodopa are lower and in some cases even tend to improve .
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How Is Parkinsons Disease Treated
There is no cure for Parkinsons disease. However, medications and other treatments can help relieve some of your symptoms. Exercise can help your Parkinsons symptoms significantly. In addition, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language therapy can help with walking and balance problems, eating and swallowing challenges and speech problems. Surgery is an option for some patients.
Are There Any Other Benefits Of Mp
There is some research in animal and cell models that MP may contain other ingredients besides levodopa which have anti-oxidant properties or other neuroprotective effects. More research is necessary to determine if this is clinically meaningful for people with PD.
It must be noted that there are parts of the world in which carbidopa/levodopa tablets are not available or are unaffordable. In these areas, increasing access to levodopa from plant sources may be very beneficial for the PD population.
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How Can I Know If An Alternative Treatment Is Safe And Effective
Alternative treatments can be helpful in some cases, yet some therapies can be ineffective, costly, and even dangerous. The best way to evaluate your options is to become educated. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the treatment?
- What are the side effects?
- Is it effective?
- How much does it cost?
Once you answer these questions, weigh your options and decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
If you do decide to try an alternative treatment, make sure your health is protected. Do not take the claim at face value: contact reliable organizations and discuss the therapy. Talk to others in a support group, your family and friends although they may not always be supportive, they can help you make an educated, objective decision.
Discuss the therapy with your doctor. Make sure your doctor knows what therapy you are considering so they can discuss possible interactions and/or side effects with your current treatments. They can also provide you with information on other patients who may have tried the same therapy.
Contact the Better Business Bureau and thoroughly research the background of the therapy provider. Determine how long they have been providing this therapy, what credentials they have, and what their philosophy of treatment is. Avoid therapy providers who refuse or are reluctant to work with your doctor. Be sure that the provider is willing to refer patients to a conventional doctor when necessary.
Controlled Release Madopar And Sinemet
Controlled release preparations have the letters CR or HBS after the drug name.
These let the levodopa enter your body slowly instead of all at once. They can increase the time between doses.
They may be used when the dose of standard levodopa starts to wear off and the person taking it no longer feels the treatment is effective.
Controlled release options can sometimes reduce involuntary movements .
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Environmental Toxins And Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease is said to be because of the loss of dopamine-releasing nerve cells in a small, central part of the brain called the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra produces dopamine, which helps coordinate movement in our body.
But when nigral nerve cells are impaired, less dopamine is released and motor function is affected. And thats when hallmark Parkinsons symptoms including tremors, difficulty balancing, and slowed movement start to set in.
Several studies have suggested that environmental toxicants including pesticides, herbicides, and other pollutants are linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinsons disease.
Heres how these chemicals are said to play a role in the development of the neurological disorder:
Gait Training To Improve Balance
Patients with Parkinson’s symptoms can enhance their treatment by doing what’s called “gait training” at home. This involves practicing new ways to stand, walk, and turn. People undergoing gait training should try to:
Practice gait training with the help of a metronome, a tool musicians use to keep a steady beat. A study published in March 2010 in PLoS One showed that when people with Parkinson’s walked to the sound of a metronome set about 10 percent faster than their fastest stride, it significantly improved their gait.
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You can also try dance classes for people with Parkinson’s through the Dance for PD program, which is supported by a grant from the National Parkinson Foundation. The classes first started in Brooklyn, New York, and are now found in locations across the globe.
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Homeopathic Remedies For Parkinsons Disease
Muhammad Ali is probably the all-time greats of boxing, but his battle with Parkinsons Disease has been no less extraordinary. The champion boxer was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease at the age of 42, and his brain injury may have been caused by the repeated blows to the head. In the majority of cases, however, there is no known reason for the appearance of Parkinsons Disease. A disorder of the nervous system, it affects movement. Parkinsons Disease manifests itself gradually, at times with a tremor in a hand that may even go unnoticed. The symptoms are usually stiffness or slowing of movement, with a slurred speech, and the condition worsens over time. There is no cure for Parkinsons Disease as such, but the Homeopathic mode of treatment can bring about improvement in the symptoms. The Homeopathic Remedies for Parkinsons Disease are made of natural substances and are completely safe, with no side effects.
Foods That Are Hard To Chew
Many people with Parkinsons have difficulty with chewing and swallowing foods. A person needs medical help if this is the case. A speech and language therapist may be able to help a person overcome this issue.
However, if a person is finding certain foods hard to chew and swallow, they may wish to avoid these foods.
Such foods include:
- dry, crumbly foods
- tough or chewy meats
If a person does wish to eat chewy meats, they could try using gravy or sauce to soften them and make eating easier.
They could also try chopping meat into smaller pieces or incorporating meat into casseroles, which can make it more tender.
Having a drink with a meal can also make chewing and swallowing easier.
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Symptoms And Warning Signs
Symptoms of Parkinsons fall into two major categories: those related to motor functions, and those related to changes in someones mood. The four most common signs and symptoms of Parkinsons disease include:
- Trembling: This usually presents itself in the arms, jaw, legs and face.
- Rigidity: Most patients experience stiffness of the bodys core as well as their arms and legs.
- Bradykinesia: This is the term for slowness of movement. Some patients pause or freeze when moving without being able to start again, and others begin to shuffle when trying to walk.
- Postural instability : This results in loss of strength, loss of balance and problems with moving muscles or coordinating body parts.
Other symptoms that can also occur, which often impact someones moods and other behaviors, include:
- Sexual dysfunction
Other Advantages Of Mucuna
Mucuna does not produce dyskinesia . A different study, this time in monkeys , produced very interesting results on the possibility of dyskinesias. One group was treated with Sinemet , another with Mucuna plus carbidopa, and the third only with Mucuna . All the animals experienced an improvement in their symptoms. Dyskinesia was then assessed by the study of spontaneous activity in the substantia nigra. Larger dyskinesia appeared in the Sinemet group. In those treated with the combination of Mucuna and carbidopa, dyskinesia seemed more moderate. Interestingly, in those who had only taken Mucuna , no dyskinesia was found .
Long-term Mucuna without dyskinesia . A similar experiment was performed, but this time Mucuna treatment was continuous, extending for a year. It was done in rodents and compared Mucuna with Madopar. One group was treated with Madopar , another with Mucuna plus benserazide, and the third only with Mucuna . All were controlled for a year. The symptoms were alleviated in all groups, but the improvement was significantly higher in those who were treated with Mucuna plus benserazide.
To highlight the results of long-term use: after 1 year, major dyskinesia appeared in rats that had taken Madopar. Rodents treated with Mucuna plus benserazide had some minor dyskinesia while for animals that took only Mucuna , none at all . Even more, in an experiment with different dyskinesias , these repetitive movements improved when Mucuna
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Add Fish Oil Pills To The Diet
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil pills are extremely potent, and this supplement is one of the best ways to boost brain health. Consuming 1,000 milligrams of fish oil every day can balance the natural chemicals in the brain and reduce general inflammation. Some preliminary studies have also found that fish oil can alleviate emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
Acupuncture #1 Natural Treatment For Parkinson
Acupuncture for Parkinsons disease has been scientifically backed to reduce the symptoms. Clinical studies show acupuncture for Parkinsons disease to be helpful in dealing with symptoms of abnormal sweating, hot flashes, depression, anxiety, and pain. Patients show positive results after just two weeks of treatment. By placing very thin needles in particular points of your body, acupuncture can provide very positive results for Parkinsons patients.
Additionally, Acupuncture for Parkinsons disease has no or minimal side effects making it a viable natural Parkinsons disease treatment for all ages. Research also shows that in combination with conventional Parkinsons medication, the results can be even more outstanding. In conjunction with the widely used Levodopa, studies show that acupuncture can increase its effectiveness.
If you want to undergo an alternative treatment for Parkinsons, acupuncture for Parkinsons disease can prove to be very beneficial.
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Whats The Alternative What To Know About Complementary Medicine For Parkinsons
This 1-hour webinar is an interview of a person with PD, a neurologist, and an assistant research scientist. They share what is currently known about mind and body practices , manipulative therapies , alternative medical systems , and energy therapies and what evidence there is that they are efficacious for people with Parkinsons.
Natural Treatments For Parkinsons Disease
What do singer Linda Ronstadt, former US attorney general Janet Reno, actor Michael J. Fox, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, and a million other Americans have in common? They all have Parkinsons disease.
Parkinsons disease is a tough diagnosis. The underlying pathology is death of cells in the substantia nigra, an area of the brain that produces dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in movement. As levels of dopamine progressively decline, tremors, rigidity, and problems with gait, balance, speech, swallowing, mood, sleep, and cognition worsen.
Conventional Parkinsons Disease Treatments Not CurativeThe most common treatments are levodopa , a drug that is converted to dopamine, and carbidopa, which makes more dopamine available in the brain. Other Parkinsons disease therapies include dopamine agonists, which mimic the activity of the neurotransmitter, and medications that affect its breakdown or release. Theres also deep brain stimulation, which involves the implantation of electrodes in the brain connected to a device that generates electrical pulses that help reduce involuntary movements.
These and other conventional Parkinsons disease therapies are not curative. The best that can be expected is delaying degeneration and managing symptoms. The natural treatments for Parkinsons disease we use at Whitaker Wellness do not cure this disease either, or even eliminate the need for drugs. But they do seem to slow progression, improve function, and enhance overall health
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I Am Overweight What Can I Do
Its easy to gain weight if you become less active but are eating the same amount of food.
If you are trying to lose weight, here are some tips to start with:
- Dont eat fried food regularly grill, dry fry, microwave, bake, steam, poach or boil, without adding fat or oils. Instead, use marinades, adding extra herbs, stock and spices for flavour.
- Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk instead of full fat.
- Try eating healthier snacks like diet yoghurts, nuts, fruit, crumpets or teacakes.
- Have sugar-free, no added sugar or low-calorie drinks and use artificial sweetener instead of sugar.
If you have other health conditions as well as Parkinsons, such as circulation problems, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes, and are concerned about being overweight, speak to your GP, specialist, Parkinsons nurse or ask to see a registered dietitian.