Now for the very good news. Since we now understand that PD is principally a problem with the Nervous System, it is entirely possible that we can pro-actively prevent further degeneration, and even regain what we've already lost, because Vagal Tone can always be improved, neurons regenerated, neural pathways re-written, and senses retrained ..read more

Here is the book review for the new book on Parkinson's (search for "Lilian Sjoeberg" on your local amazon and the book should come up ..read more

Dysregulation in the DAT ferrying system is associated with a number of chronic conditions, including ADHD, Bipolar, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, Parkinson’s, and dystonia. If there is too much DAT activity, it means that there is a deficiency in active Dopamine outside the cell, as it is being pulled back inside the cell constantly ..read more

In Part 1, we looked at how the MAO enzyme breaks down Dopamine in the brain and body, via what we termed the “MAO pathway”. In this part, we consider another pathway by which Dopamine is broken down, via another enzyme called Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). We mentioned COMT already as being responsible for the last part of the MAO break down pathway, but it can also act directly on Dopamine itself. It not only breaks down Dopamine, but also Adrenaline (as does MAO too) [note, for shorthand, I will be using “Adrenaline” throughout to refer to both Noradrenaline and Adrenaline]. This has ..read more

Foreword by Gary Sharpe, Out-Thinking Parkinson’s I am often asked if I am aware of Dr Janice Hadlock’s work on the Parkinson’s Recovery Project, and how Janice’s teachings compare and contrast with the Nervous System perspective of PD that form the basis of the ideas presented here. Yes, I am aware, and it would seem to me we have independently converged on similar understandings, just from different perspectives: more from a Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view in Janice’s case, and more from western science here. Recall that my explanation for Idiopathic PD is that this is what happen ..read more

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