What Are Some Natural Remedies or Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease?

5 Comments

1. Kim says:

   April 7, 2011 at 12:10 pm

   Q10 is suppose to help with the symptoms. Also aloe vera gel taken internally is also known to help. I have a close friend with the disease and she takes both of these, she has noticed an improvement with the uncontrolable shaking in her legs. Parkinson’s is a disease that gets progressively worse over time, you can suppress the symptoms a little with a healthy diet of whole foods (fresh fruit and vege’s) and plenty of filtered water. Also I read in a ebook about oxygen therapy and how that can really help.
2. Bco4th6th says:

   April 7, 2011 at 12:31 pm

   According to Dr F. Batmanghelidj, MDs 20+ year study, Parkinson’s is caused by dehydration, and can be treated successfully.

   You can learn more by clicking on the link below:
3. Mags says:

   April 7, 2011 at 1:28 pm

   As a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure, symptomatic treatment is not the only form to consider. It is important to look a the few areas which have some possibility to slow progression until such time as treatments which can reverse the disease or a cure(s) can be found.

   As a collection of conditions rather than just one, PD is different in different people. Although there are many common features: tremor, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), rigidity/stiffness, postural instability (balance issues) only about 75% of PD patients develop tremor, for example. The disease is still considered predominantly idiopathic but about 15-20% of the cases are now considered genetic (with an environmental trigger) according to the Mayo Clinic. This means that there are going to be general treatments, therapies, pathways but that one size may not fit all (even assuming the diagnosis is correct).

   Despite everything that you read, unless you are on a standardized version of mucuna puriens or have a source where there is consistency in the fava bean (or which even name) processing, you will probably need to be on a dopaminergic medication for PD eventually. There is much to be said about careful use of mucuna puriens and I encourage you to explore that possibility. But read as much as possible before you buy anything. Have a plan.
   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15548480
   You might prefer this Ayruvedic website for information:
   http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/clinical/Parkinson
   Recipe sites are helpful if you decide to make these beans a consistent part of your diet although you can by the standardized dopabean on Amazon and other online sites.
   http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0506b.htm

   So we begin with diet. I am providing you with a link that talks about foods to consider and why because diet is a very good place to begin, being the most natural. The article is More Food for Parkinson’s Disease Thought:
   http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-food-for-parkinsons-disease.html

   While this article talks about nutritional content in specific fruits and veggies, I want to add a reminder about the importance of fiber in the PD diet. Salads, certain legumes are ultra significant to aid full processing through the GI tract. Constipation is not just a serious concern in PD, it is a symptom which can be avoided by proper dietary habits.

   Green and black teas are another natural for PD:
   http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-it-true-what-they-say-about-black.html
   In addition to the huge and very long Hawaii study on caffeine which seems to be definitive in showing that caffeine can prevent or delay the onset of PD, there was another huge study in China about the polyphenols in green tea having an antioxidant effect which might protect neurons from the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). Important for PD.

   So lets move on to the nutritional supplements. Creatine and CoQ10 are being studied now. CoQ10 has been already found to be beneficial at 1200 mg per day. That’s a lot and is costly. But now the studies are comparing 1200 mg and 2400 mg. When the Mayo Clinic talks positively about it, you can be pretty sure that this is significant. Creatine has long been in the body builder repertoire and I just recently viewed a webinar where it was mentioned as being one of only 2 things which might be neuroprotective.
   http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/mix-and-match-with-parkinsons-disease.html

   So certainly consider nutritional supplements such as CoQ10 (1200mg minimum at smaller amounts throughout the day), creatine, and vitamin B complex, Omega 3, NAC (N-acetyl-L-Cysteine) and Alpha Lipoic acid for starters. There are more so don’t overlook vitamin D3, vitamin E complex (the entire alpha complex where you can see the % of each component) and Vitamin C with bioflavonoids is a must because E and C act synergistically.

   You can read more about both Creatine and CoQ10 here.
   http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/mix-and-match-with-parkinsons-disease.html

   And more about complementary treatment for PD at the University of Maryland Medical Center:
   http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/parkinsons-disease-000123.htm
   Please bear in mind that complementary medicine is meant to accompany not to substitute for other forms of treatment.

   There are many other herbs and vitamins which you can add, many through diet but not all. But it doesn’t stop there. Exercise is ultra important as a therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Yoga for stretching (flexibility), relaxing, breathing, range of motion. Nautilus or similar equipment. Specific vocal training to aid breathing, swallowing, speaking and to reduce the risk of choking is important to begin early so that the muscles can learn. Swim therapy is important to aid balance and for low resistance exercise. I also happen to feel that strength training is important for the possible kinetic memory and eventual loss of strength benefits.

   In physical exercise, one of the most important types of exercise may well prove to be Forced Exercise. Clinical trials are almost underway in Ohio and Nevada from the Cleveland Clinic. Already observed is that with the use of motorized equipment which can compensate for a weak side and inability to maintain a speed of 90 rpm, symptoms and reliance upon medication have been reducible when 40 minute session 3X a week are maintained.
   http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/05/forced-exercise-to-relieve-parkinsons.html

   Massage therapy is another crucial PD treatment for ROS, relaxation, ease of pain, reduction of muscle knots and tight muscles. It must be ongoing and should be done at least once a week to be effective.

   At this point there appears to be only one medication which might slow progression and that is the MAO-B inhibitor rasigiline (Azilect) as established in the Adagio study which you can read about at the Michael J Fox Foundation website or the Teva website.

   Please know that because of the deficiencies and the need for homeostasis in the body, the treatment of Parkinson’s disease can be very complicated. Balance, timing, trial and error are going to be the pathway.
4. funnyisay says:

   April 7, 2011 at 1:56 pm

   METHYLENE BLUE AND VITAMIN C
5. Ansel says:

   April 7, 2011 at 2:00 pm

   Ummm the brain needs dopamine and there isn’t a “natural supplement” for that brain chemical! Get real treatment to slow it’s progress. Dying from not being able to swallow (choking) or breating properly is horrific.