TheParkinson’sdilemmaInHealthandHealingbyJohnColeman/September12,2008Parkinson’sdiseaseisconsidered,byconservativeWesternscience,tobeaprogressive,degenerativedisorderwithnoknowncauseorcure.

Despitemanymillionsofdollarsspentonreductionistanddopamine-centredresearch,therehasbeenlittleadvanceinunderstandingtheprocessofdevelopmentorwaystoreversesymptomsofthedisorderoverthelast60years.Thoseofuswhohavedisplayedhealthexperienceatvariancewiththeaccepted‘wisdom’ofconservativeWesternmedicinehavebeignored,belittledorvilified.

IusedtohaveParkinson’sdisease!Thisboldstatementattractseitherexcitementfromthoselookingforsomehope,ordenialfromthosewhochoosetobelievethat‘incurable’diseasesmeanthatpeoplecannot‘recover’.

During1995,Iwasdiagnosed,bythreeexpertWesternmedicalprofessionalsandthreeskilledcomplementarytherapypractitioners,withadvancedParkinson’sdisease.Bymid1998,Iwasfreefromallsymptoms,andhavecontinuedtoimproveinhealthsince.

Parkinson’sdiseaseisdifficulttodiagnosebecausethereisnodefinitebloodtestorscanthatindicatesapositivefindingofthedisease.Ifwedisplaycertainpatternsofsymptoms,andthereisnootherexplanationforthosesymptomsfoundwithtestingandexamination,thenwearediagnosedwithParkinson’sdisease.In1995,mysymptomswereunmistakeablyParkinsonian,andtherewasnoother

explanationforthosesymptoms;therefore,Ihavenodoubtthatthediagnosiswascorrect.

Itwasnotmyintentionto‘specialise’asanaturopath,butasmallstoryinaMelbournepaperinearly1999broughtmanyenquiriesfromthosediagnosedwithParkinson’sdisease.Latercameenquiriesfrompeoplediagnosedwithmultiplesclerosis,motorneuronediseaseandavarietyofotherneurologicaldisordersandautoimmunediseases.

SymptomsshowingSoonIbegantonoticeapatterninthosewhodisplayedsymptomsofdegenerativedisorders:allhadlivedthroughtraumatictimesintheirearlylife,buthadnothadtheopportunitytofullyexpresstheirresponsetotheseevents.Thisintriguedme,soIcompiledasmuchdetailaspossibletomakesureofmyobservations.Bylate2000,Ihadformedanhypothesisconcerningthedevelopmentofneurologicaldisorders,laterextendedtocoveralldegenerativedisorders.ThishypothesishasbeensupportedbyresearchpublishedbyDr.JeffVictoroff(neurologistandneuropsychiatrist),ProfessorBruceMcEwen(neuroendocrinologist)andDr.GaborMate(GeneralPractitioner).

FightorflightAfterworkingwithhundredsofpeopledisplayingsymptomsofdegenerativedisorders,Icanconcludethatneurologicaldisordersbeginsomewherebetweenconceptionandlateteenageduringcircumstancesinwhichournaturalfight/flightresponsecannotberesolvedbyviolentphysicalaction(fightingorrunningaway).Manyothercircumstancesduringourlivesmayexacerbatethedegenerativeprocess.Forinstance,weknowthatmanychemicalsinourenvironmentareneurotoxic,weknowthataspartame(inallartificialsweeteners,‘diet’drinksand‘lowcalorie’foods)isextremelyneurotoxic,manyworkplacesaretoxic,andapoordietcanleadtoallkindsofillness.Ourgeneticprogrammingundoubtedlyplaysapartindeterminingwhattypesofsymptomswedisplayand,therefore,whatdisorderwillbediagnosed.

Atthecoreofmyexplorationwastheeffectofunresolvedflight/fightresponsesonthehypothalamusofourbrain.Overmanyyears,certainareasofourbodybecomedeprivedofsufficientnutrientsfornormalfunction,soproducelessoftheirdesignatedchemical(e.g.dopamine,serotonin,glutamineormyelin);theybecomefragileandmorevulnerabletoassaultbyfreeradicals,toxicchemicalsorfurthertraumaticevents.

Ourresponsetostressfuleventsiscontrolledbythehypothalamus,anditisherethatwecanintervenebypersuadingourbodyto‘changeprogrammes’andslowlyreturntomorerobusthealth.

TraumaTraumaneednotbephysicallydamagingifitistreatedandresolvedhealthilyandholistically.Butthisisrareinthesortsoftraumaweoftenencounterinthissociety.Prolongedstressandunresolvedtraumatriggerourbodyintocontinuousstressreactionsthat,overalongtime,becomedamaging.

Theinitialphysiologicalreactiontoanytypeofsignificantstressortraumaisthe‘flight/fight’response.Simplyput,weproducehugequantitiesofstresshormones(adrenaline,aldosterone,cortisoland

testosterone)underthecontrolofourhypothalamus.Thesechemicalsadjustthebalanceofwater,nutritionandenergytowardsthoseareasrequiredforfightingandrunning,andawayfromthosepartsofourbodynotrequiredinanemergency.

Wehavenegativefeedbacksystemstoadjustlevelsofadrenalhormonessotheydonotbecomedamaging.However,stresscanoverridethesenegativefeedbacksystemssothatwegoonover-producingthesechemicals.Evolutiondecidedthatallstresswasgoodorbad,soourbodywasthebestjudgeofwhetherweneededadrenalhormonesornot.Evolutiondidn’tbargainonthelong-termstressesofWesternsociety.Further,Westernsocietyhasdevelopedsoquicklythatourevolutionaryprocessescan’tkeepup.Ourphysiologicalabilitytocopewithmodernstresseshaslaggedwaybehindthedevelopmentofthosestressors.

TheneedforreassuranceThecentreofourconsideration,whenwewishtorecoverfromdegenerativediseasessuchasParkinson’s,istheactionofthehypothalamus,andcellfragility.Alltreatmentsweseek,andsuggestedself-helpactivities,mustbebasedontheaimofchangingourhypothalamicresponse,andaphilosophyofgreatgentlenesstoavoidaggravatingsymptoms.

Mypersonalexperienceisthatassertivetherapies,nomatterhowwellintentioned,willaggravatesomeofoursymptomsandmaydissuadeusfrommovingtowardwellness.Gentleandlovingtherapies,deliveredbya‘heart-based’practitioner,willhelpusmovetowardsbetterhealth.

SafetyOurfirstaimistopersuadeourhypothalamusthatwearenolongerindanger,andwecanresumeanormalfluctuationinstresshormonesconsistentwithastateofsafety.Thisisbestachievedbycautiousandgentleuseofhomeopathic/herbalremedies.Whiletheseremedieswereoriginallydevelopedforenduranceathletes,verycautioususecanandwillchangehypothalamicprogrammingovertimeinthosechallengedwithneurologicaldisorder.Ihavenotyetfoundanotherremedythatwilltrulydothis.

Itisoftenpossibletodiscovertheperiodinwhichitismostlikelythatdegenerationbegan.Wherewecan,itisimportanttoworkwiththatknowledge,andchangeourbody’sresponse.Wecandothiswithmanyformsofcounselling,psychotherapyorhypnotherapy;kinesiologyandvariousregressiontherapiesarehelpful,asaremanyrecentlyre-emerging‘energy’therapiessuchasspiritualhealing,reiki,pranichealingandsoon.

Perhapshomeopathicremedies?Wheretheinitiatingcircumstancesarenotapparent,homeopathicremediessuchasMedicineTree’sTrauma/PostTraumaorappropriatefloweressencesmayassistwithgentlerepair(againusedverycautiously).Inallcases,weneedgentleandlovingguidanceratherthanconfrontation.ManypeoplediagnosedwithParkinson’sdiseasehavenevermovedbeyondconservativeWesternmedicinebeforethis,andmustbeledgentlytowardself-responsibilityandunderstandingoftheirownpower.

Practitionershaveresponsibilitytotrytoalleviatedistressingsymptomswhereverpossible.Some

symptomswillpersistuntilrecoveryissufficientlyadvancedtoallowincreasedproductionofdopamine,serotonin,glutamineandanumberofotherneurotransmittersdeficientinthosewithParkinson’sdisease.

Thisisnotsuchafrighteningtasksinceweloseatleast80%ofourneurotransmitterproductionbeforewedisplayphysicalsymptoms.Therefore,weneedonlyrestore10%or15%inordertoliveasifwearefullywellagain.

BattlingfatigueandotherissuesSomesymptomsmaybealleviatedwithappropriateuseofherbs,homeopathicsorgentlebodywork.Urinaryfrequencyandurgencyiscommon,andrespondswelltoparticularhomeopathicsandBowenTherapy.Fatigueisaconstantbattle,andmaydiminishourwilltorecover,sotheuseoftonicremediescanbeuseful.Painandstiffnessrespondswelltoingestibleandbodyworktreatments,asdocrampsandmusclespasms.Pilatesandsimilar‘consciousmind’exercisesmayhelpwithmobilityandbalance.AcolleagueandIhavedevelopedstretchessuitableforthoseconfinedtochairsorwheelchairsthatcanrelievepainandimprovemobility.

Bodyworkisanimportantaspectoftherecoveryprocess.Manytherapistsseerigidmusclesasachallengetobetackledaggressivelyand‘madetobehave’.Inmyexperience,thisiscounter-productive.Verygentlebodyworkhelpsto‘encourage’musclestoresumemorenormalmotionandflexibility.

During1999and2000,Iconductedaninformaltrialofaquahydrationformulasandbodyworkcombinations.Therapiesincludedcraniosacraltherapy,remedialmassage,Feldenkrais,reflexologyandBowentherapy.Overaperiodof18months,IobservedthatthoseusingBowentherapymadebetterprogress.LaterresearchrevealedthatBowentherapy,infact,assistsintherehydrationprocessbychangingtheviscosityofthefascia.

However,notallBowentherapyisthesame.TherearemanyBowentherapistswhobelievethatfirmorhardtouchisrequired.ThesetherapistsmaydiminishourchancesofrecoveryfromParkinson’sdisease.Ontheotherhand,numbersofdedicatedBowentherapistsarelearningasmuchastheycanabouttheprocessofdegenerationandrecovery,andworkingwithlovinggentlenesstoassisttheirpatientsonahealingjourney.

ManypeoplewithParkinson’sdiseaseutiliseBowentherapyincombinationwithothergentlebodyworkonalternateweeks,withverygoodresults.Themostimportantaspectoftheworkisgentlenessoftouchandempathyforthelongandarduousjourneyweareundertaking.

TheoriesManytheorieshavebeenproposedandtreatmentprogrammesinitiatedbycomplementarytherapiststohelpthosewithParkinson’sdisease.Theseincludevarious‘detoxing’regimes,mega-dosesofaminoacidsandsupplements,intravenouschelationandglutathionetherapies,andevensuchdoubtfulpracticesasinjectingfoetalstemcellsfromsheep.Few,ifany,practitionerstakeanynoteof

hypothalamicfunction,cellfragilityortheinitiatingtrauma.Occasionally,someofthesetherapiesbringsomemeasureofreliefforashorttime,butarelargelyasunsuccessfulasthe‘bandaid’approachtakenbyWesternscience.

Force-feedingsupplements,replacingneurotransmitterswithsyntheticanalogues,orbeingaggressivewithanytherapycannotbehelpfultopeoplewhohavebeeninastateoflow-gradetraumasincechildhood,andhavelackedtruegentlenessintheirlife.Medicaltreatmentsmaybehelpfulforamoderateperiodoftimeifusedgentlyandwisely.

Ifindthelevodopadrugs(sinemet,madopar,kinson)tobethemostusefulwhenusedatverylowdosesandsupportedwithfolicacidandvitaminCtopreventhyperhomocysteinemia.Unfortunately,mostneurologistsseektomaskmostorallsymptomsand,therefore,tendtoover-prescribedrugs,thusreducingtheirusefullife.IknowofonlyoneneurologistwhoprescribesfolicacidandnonewhoeventalkaboutvitaminC.Usedsensibly,levodopadrugscanassistusforanumberofyearsbyreducingfunctionaldisability,withfewsideeffects,andhelpusfocusongettingwell.Again,gentlenessisthekey.

WecanrecoverWecanrecoverfromParkinson’sdisease,eventhoughthereisno‘cure’.We‘cure’bacon,hamandleather.We‘recover’treasureandourhealth.AtleastfourAustraliansarenowfreefromParkinson’sdiseasesymptomsafterbeingappropriatelydiagnosedandtreatedbyconservativeWesternpractitionersforsomeyears.Manymorehavereversed,orarereversingtheirsymptomsverysignificantly,reducingtheirmedicationandleadingabrighter,morejoyfullife.Manywithmultiplesclerosisarefollowingsuit,aswellasthosewithavarietyofneurologicaldisordersandautoimmunediseases.

Byseekingpractitionerswhodisplaygentleness,patienceandlove,wecanfindskilledandsupportivecompanionsonourjourneytowellness.

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