Understanding Parkinson
- dianadem
- Nov 26, 2022
- 6 min read
In this post, as per an order and to come closer towards our dear reader, we will discuss a complex of disorders that is named under Parkinson's disease.
Shortly, Parkinson's disease classically resides under a division of extrapyramidal neurological disorders. It may start slowly or fastly at different ages and at first stages of diseases is described by resting tremor (often at first shaky hands, limbs, head), slowness and decreased movement (bradykinesia) and postural instability (difficulty to keep certain postures), rigidity. There is also a syndrome called Parkinsons syndrome, which encompasses some of the symptoms above, but often resides as a milder discomfort throughout life
The Pathological Way of Parkinson
One of the reasons in the western medicine is now determined: there are structures in the midbrain that relate a lot to the movement and the reward system of the human body. More specifically, it is found that there are structures called substantia nigra (in translation, dark matter), and these areas become damaged due to specific growth of Lewy's bodies (specific pathological bodies with synucuclein compouund)
Studies have shown that areas and neurons in and around substantia nigra lack nigrosomes and often have damaged matrix.
As substantia nigra is one of the important brain basal ganglions that produces a neurotransmitter dopamine, the dopamine production starts to slowly change, most often diminish. After some time, the dopaminergic neurons start to have damages and the normal process of movements may be harmed.
Mostly, it affects just 1% of people and start somewhere near 65 years. Disease starting somewhere between 21 and 40 years old is called early onset Parkinson's disease. There is also secondary Parkinson's disease that happen due to ingestion of some toxins or toxic drugs, narcotics (mostly LSH and emphetamines) etc so the meaning is that it's not the brains primary damage.
The usual treatment in western medicine is oral drugs many times a day following a certain regiment and the drugs might be dopamine agonists, monoaminooxidase inhibitors and others involving neurotransmitters or "musculoskeletoneurological" medications and many other options. Recently, a myriad of technological advances have been discovered that alleviate the symptoms of heavy symptoms, but so far, no complete cure have been discovered.
The prognosis is really different depending on the age of onsite, subtypes of disease, lifestyle and other factors. Usually it will develop over years into more difficult symptoms....
Sometimes, people with this disease might experience shuffle, falls, stopping while being in movement as the first symptoms. Sometimes it is tremor. At times, they might receive first diagnosis of psychiatric disorder and only later discover the real pathophysiological underlying problem.
History
Western medical literature from the famous physician Galen, dating back to around 175 AD, gave one of the first descriptions of this condition under the name “Shaking Palsy.”
A British physician called James Parkinson (1755-1824) studied such conditions and discovered the pathological areas in the brain. The Parkinson's disease was described by the physician in 1817 in his "An Essay of a Shaking Palsy". n 1990, Bala V. Manyam published the results of his study in the Journal Movement Disorders in which he found that Mucuna pruriens contains levodopa, or L-DOPA, within its seeds. That became one of the most important drugs to help with the disease. However, both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine had described this condition centuries before quite specifically and also the Mucuna pruriens was used for centuries in its natural form.
Ayurvedic Perspective
In the Ayurvedic perspective, the condition is treated as a primary vata dosha disease.
It is called Vepathu ("to go out of track"( or in other literature, kampa vata (kampa refers to tremor and vata is the body composition dominance composed of air and ether elements).
There is also a psychological description of a person who may develop the ailment:
-tendence to be controlling
-may be aggressive when things go not how they are "supposed to be"
-inability or inexperience of taking care of soothing oneself
-person who desperately loves challenges
-often a powerful person who has hundres of people working under him or her
-fear-control-loss cycle in life loops
-sudden big events, often very sudden an unexplainable losses of life (loosing all family, work, property etc in an non/logical way)
Interestingly, it would most often be an ailment of pitta-dominant person that has a large vitiation of their vata dosha.
In that case, the vata dosha deviation relates the most to the ailment of space, so-called the "defective space". It relates to the apana vayu accumulates (sanchaya). Apana vayu is an essence of wind of space that is connected also to an earth element as is very imporant means to cleanse the systems between our emotions such as fear from our body.
The vata dysbalace is causing the different toxins that have been accumulated in the body and the psychological agitations to acumulate in the brain structures. The pathophysiological description is very multiplex so perhaps more in depth in another post if there is someone who is interested. Let's go together now to the healing area
Ayurvedic Healing of Parkinson
Oil massages (snehana) is a must and as usual, often using shwagandha (Withania somnifera) and bala (Sida cordifolia). Eemoving the possible toxins and improving the lifestyle. Rebuilding the ojas with proper nutrition, rest and emotional stabilisation. "Letting go therapies".
There is a special steam therapy with the leaves of nirgundi - it minimizes possible atherosclerotic changes and relaxes the muscles, aids the emotional body and works mostly with vata vitiation.
Nutrition and Drinks
Dashamula Tea - a tridoschic tea blend suggested to use 3 times a day
Garlic Milk - one clove of garlic chopped into small pieces and boiled with milk works good with neurotransmitters such as melatonin and increasing tryptophane. Induces relaxation
Triphala - a potent Ayurvedic tridoshic remedy for rejuvenation, useing hald of teaspoon daily at night.
Gold water, colloidal gold. Using one teaspoon twice a day or 20 drops of colloidal gold diluted in one teaspoon of water twice a day. Alternatively, may use mahayogaraja guggulu (but not all together!!!)
Nutrition restriction - no nightshade, potato, tomato, eggplant or beans. Follow vata- pacifying food habits, you can find some of these Vata Lifestyle Guidelines here .
Small but frequent meals, with a lot of liquids
Herbal remedies
In randomized trials, herbal remedies usually fail to give any clear effect. However, they might alleviate the problems with sleep, emotional instability, improve overall wellbeing.
As some herbal remedies might carry too potent healing power and thus may carry toxicity issues, posting here more adaptogents that shouldn's cause any negative side effects in weekly or even daily use.
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) - good mood lifter and helps in seasonal depression symptoms. Relaxes and gives emotional strength for healing. Use in tea or in capsules (300 mg a day).
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) - for relaxation and clarity of the mind, helps in panic problems. Don't use if you have hypothyroidism (thyroid issues are not rare in Parkinson's disease)
Mothetwort (Leonurus cardiaca) - helps for any chest symptoms and panic symptoms. Helps if you feel undervalued or if you lack or have lacked motherly care and nurturing in your life. Helps with emotional swings and stabilizes. Better fresh in small quantities in tea or tincture, small quantities (not suitable at all for pregnant).
Other
In exercise, spine bending and moving exercise are important (bowing, bridge exercise etc)
Proper long sleep is a must. Frequent naps when needed.
In the book of dr. Vasant Lad (Ayurvedic Perspectives on selcted pathologies, a whole regimen is suggested. However maybe it is safer for yourself to find out and with a harmonies relationship of your physicians and therapist or message me directly.
Enough help such as support group, supportive talks, understanding the disease and lots of emotional healing.
Sometimes music therapy helps a lot.
Now, have a good healing. The earlier you start, the better the outcome. Consult with your practitioners and make following investigations and all that is needed. It is a systemic approach. Also, look deeper into your space and air. It relates to physical spaces that you reside in and air also relates to thoughts....
Now. Have you heard of Parkinson's Law?
It is the notion that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion and was articulated by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in 1955.
Feel free to always heal yourself, dear nerves and beloved readers"
Used Materials:
1. Parkinson daily https://www.parkinsonsdaily.com/substantia-nigra-and-parkinsons-disease/
2. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
Jameson J, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Loscalzo J. eds.Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 20e. McGraw Hill; 2018. Accessed November 25, 2022. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2129§ionid=159213747
3. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 20th Edition
Robert E. Porter (Editor-in-Chief) ISBN: 978-0-911-91042-1 April 2018
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Merck+Manual+of+Diagnosis+and+Therapy%2C+20th+Edition-p-9780911910421
4. Goetz CG. The history of Parkinson's disease: early clinical descriptions and neurological therapies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2011 Sep;1(1):a008862. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a008862. PMID: 22229124; PMCID: PMC3234454.
California College of Ayurveda
https://www.ayurvedacollege.com/blog/parkinson/
5. California College of Ayurveda
6. Kim TH, Cho KH, Jung WS, Lee MS. Herbal medicines for Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e35695. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035695. Epub 2012 May 15. PMID: 22615738; PMCID: PMC3352906.
7. Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care Paperback – March 22, 2016
8. Ayurvedic perspectives on selected pathologies, Vasant D. Lad, 2018
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