The main thesis of this website is that Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease is a manifestation of what happens when a person gets stuck in one of the "freeze" stress responses/survival instincts. In particular, the type of freeze in which stiffness or rigidity is pronounced, called by various names by different researchers: tonic immobility, death feigning, thanatosis, playing possum, catatonia, or "fright". Previously we looked in depth at one of the best, in my opinion, articles on the topic “DISSOCIATION FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC STRESS: ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT”, which explains how different types or ..read more

This is part of a series of guest posts by people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, aimed at sharing and learning from individual experiences. Here, Kelly Finch, who is experiencing symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, shares her story and the lessons she has learned in the crucible of a chronic illness. For those who wonder what it's like... I have a condition that is exacerbated by stress and causes my body to tremor, which interferes with my daily life. The best medicine I have been offered to help stop the tremors, works about 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time, it mak ..read more

In Part 1, SLEEP AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE, we considered why getting good sleep is vital for progressive symptom reduction with Parkinson’s Disease, and conversely why not getting good sleep accelerates disease progression. I then documented my journey and experiments, trials and tribulations, with various interventions I had tried, in an attempt to improve my sleep. At that time, I had not quite perfected my routine or sleep quality. I am now doing quite well with it, and my sleep is much better than it has probably ever been. So in this second part, I will just do a show and tell about the t ..read more

Guest post by Marvin H. Berman PhD. Bioenergetic Therapist, President, Quietmind Foundation, Co-Founder Neuronic Devices Ltd.  BACKGROUND I am working with folks with movement disorders to explore the use of neurofeedback and photobiomodulation* to aid them in their recovery. In this article, I cover my background, and how I arrived at these as a solution. I know you've raised the issue of emotional and other trauma as a core element in the development of movement disorders and I want to amplify that idea and provide some science and historical context for how the ways in which ..read more

Introduction Some years after my diagnosis, I discovered that I have a latex allergy. This emerged as a consequence of playing with balloons and rubber balls as part of my self-designed movement recovery strategies. I found out that both of my parents and also brother are very reactive to latex. So I experimented with trying to understand the effects of this sensitivity on my Parkinson's symptoms by handling the balloons and balls a lot more. After a few days, the impact was clear - it markedly increases my rigidity and associated pain, and dramatically decreases my ability to breath. In short ..read more

Guest article by Deanna Hansen, founder of Fluid Isometrics and Block Therapy, author of the books Fascia Decompression: The Missing Link in Self-Care & Unblock Your Body: How Decompressing Your Fascia is the Missing Link in Healing. Why the Fascia needs to be addressed to manage and potentialLy reverse the effects oF PD I have been working in the fascia system for twenty three years and have come to understand this system intimately. Spending over 60,000 hours working on both patients, and myself, the changes I have seen from Fascia Decompression, is helping people all over the world. Fi ..read more

My experience As I have slowly but progressively reduced my symptoms, it has become easier to see which factors make which symptoms better or worse. Something that has become very clear is that constipation is one of the biggest impact factors on worsening symptoms. Hence, converesly, resolving constipation is mission critical for reducing symptoms. I will cover below how I managed to resolve this for myself, and then we will look at the potential mechanisms of why constipation and PD symptoms are linked. I will first explain my self-observations which lead me to this conclusion. Although I do ..read more

Introduction The Endocannabinoid System (eCBS) runs throughout our bodies and brains, and, as we will see, seems to have many of the functions we currently ascribe to the Autonomic Nervous System and the Vagus Nerve, or at least is a parallel system for these functions. This includes having a vital role in regulating stress and dopamine, indicating this system is likely to be highly relevant to Parkinson’s Disease. Here, we review the literature on the eCBS, especially in regards to its relevance to PD. However, much of the literature on this is motivated by the medical use of cannabis, or by ..read more

Foreword by Gary Sharpe Tremors (uncontrollable shaking) are commonly seen in many named chronic conditions, from Parkinson’s Disease, restless leg syndrome, chronic stress and anxiety, essential tremors, shell shock/PTSD, MS, panic attacks, etc. In an episode of acute stress, tremors are an adaptive response. They are seen in animals and people, when their Nervous Systems are gearing up for fight-or-flight action, and also as a mechanism to discharge the energy/adrenaline after the danger or excitement has passed. Tremors are also seen when animals shake themselves out of a deeper freeze or t ..read more

Introduction This is a follow on from previous articles on the subjects of the roles of lack of oxygen to the brain, the neck and breathing problems in Parkinson’s Disease. Here, we focus on the potentially profound role of special chemical sensors in our necks, which most people affected by PD will never have heard of, called “carotid bodies”. I'm always interested in structures in the neck, because my major symptom remains the tightness/pain/rigidity that I get in my right neck/shoulder whenever the dopamine replacing drugs wear off. Our necks are such a potential "bottle neck” of the flow o ..read more