NATURAL HELP FOR PARKINSONS DISEASE What is Parkinson’s Disease? Parkinson's disease is a progressive degenerative neurological condition affecting control of body movements. The main symptoms are abnormalities of movement, such as tremor and muscular rigidity. It is the second most common degenerative neurological condition with some 40000 people in Australia affected by Parkinson’s. The incidence of Parkinson’s is higher in elderly people, 60 plus. What Causes Parkinsons Disease? Parkinsons is caused by damage to dopamine producing cells in the brain - Deep in the brain are the specialised brain areas including the basal ganglia, the substantia nigra and the cerebellum all responsible for coordinating body movements. The Parkinson’s symptoms show when about 70% of the dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra are damaged. The progressive degeneration of these nerve cells in the middle area of the brain causes a deficiency in the availability of dopamine, a chemical messenger necessary for smooth, controlled movements. Dopamine has an exciting effect on the brain, and lack of dopamine makes it harder for the person to move especially starting movement. The damage to the dopamine producing nerve cells is thought to be due to oxidative damage (1-4). Oxidative damage is caused by the presence of free radicals. The free radicals are produced as part of energy production in the cells. Free radical production in the cells can be aggravated by build-up of heavy metals in the body, one source of the metals are pesticides and herbicides . A lack of stimulation of the area can mean the cells have less mitochondria, these organelles are the power-house of the cell and produce energy in the cell. Low numbers of mitochondria in the cell may make the cell use less efficient ways to produce energy, this could increase free radicals. In some cases the mitochondria may be faulty or work inefficiently. This is more likely if there is a history of Parkinson's or other neurodegenerative diseases on the mother's side of the family. Free radical production may be increased by the action of certain drugs which block the production of an important enzyme called Co-Q10 which is critical for proper normal function of the mitochondria. Statin drugs used for controlling cholesterol are one category of drug which does this (5). Other possible causes may include pesticides, toxins, chemicals, genetic factors and head trauma.
Some Signs of Parkinson’s Disease: - Tremor while at rest or involuntary shaking in the arm leg or face
- Difficulty starting a movement
- Bradykinesia - slowness of movement, monotonous voice, reduced facial expression
- Rigidity or muscle stiffness
- Slow to change positions
- Freezing of movement
- Stooped posture
- Shuffling gait
- Micrographia - small and coarse handwriting
- Lethargy
How can Parkinson's be treated? - Physical therapies are often useful for relieving the symptoms of Parkinson's and improving brain function. Brain Wellness Centre is able to use various non-drug, highly specific neurological stimulation techniques to stimulate the appropriate part of the brain. Dr Robyn is a Chiropractic Neurology Consultant. The highly specific care provided may help Parkinson’s patients as it stimulates dopamine driven pathways. The potential benefit of functional neuro care is that it extends the time that the patient is able to function and stay off L-dopa. Doctors try to keep Parkinson’s patients off L-dopa as long as possible because the effect of the drug wears off in patients after three to five years and side effects – mostly abnormal involuntary muscle movements called dyskinesias – also become increasingly severe, and may even be worse than the disease itself. Call us on 03 9432 4644 to arrange a consultation.
- L-dopa treatment is reserved by doctors for when the Parkinson patient’s symptoms gets really bad.
- Antioxidants - Neuro Rehab and Brain Wellness Centre is able to advise its patients on appropriate nutrition and supplements which may be helpful. One way to help repair and prevent further damage is to supplement antioxidants(1-4) . Antioxidant supplements is especially important for people taking a Parkinson's medication called L-dopa as it is known to produce free radicals itself.(1)
- Co-enzyme Q10 - If you are taking Statin drugs, it may be beneficial to take co-enzyme Q10. Feel free to call us for more information. Ph: 03 9432 4644
- Pesticide Exposure - If there is a history of pesticide exposure we can arrange a screen for heavy metals toxicity. A detox programme may be necessary.
References: 1. Prasad KN, Cole WC, Kumar B. Multiple antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of Parkinson's diease. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Oct;18(5):413-23 2. Kedar NP. Can we prevent Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease? J Postgrad Med. 2003 Jul-Sep;49(3):236-45 3. Prasad KN, Cole WC et al. Multiple antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disease: analysis of biologic rationale. Curr Opin Neurol. 1999 Dec;12(6):761-70 4. Wang JY, Wen LL, Huang YN, Chen YT, Ku MC. Dual effect of antioxidants in neurodegeneration: direct neuroprotection against oxidative stress and indirect protection via suppression of glia-mediated inflammation. Curr Pharm Des. 2006;12(27):3521-33 5. Nawarskas JJ. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and coenzymeQ10. Cardiol Rev. 2005 Mar-Apr;13(2):76-9 |
