Parkinson's Disease Montana

Parkinson's disease is a serious brain condition that results from nerve damage in certain regions of the brain that regulate the body's voluntary muscles. Also referred to as "PD," Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that causes muscle rigidity, shaking, and slow difficult walking.(1),(2) PD usually strikes in mid to late adult life, although 30 percent of people with the disease experience symptoms before age 50.(3) Another 40 percent develop the disease between ages 50 and 60. PD is a slowly progressive and incurable disease.

Like all cells in the nervous system, brain neurons function in response to electrical impulses that travel with lightning speed from cell to cell. These impulses need assistance in order to jump from one neuron to the next. They get this help in the form of neurotransmitters, chemicals in the body that carry messages across the gaps between adjacent neurons. Without neurotransmitters, brain neurons would be isolated and alone, wholly unable to communicate with each other and with the rest of the body.

The hallmark feature of PD is a loss of neurons governed by a neurotransmitter called "dopamine."(4) These cells are found in areas of the brain that allow us to control voluntary muscles. When we want to move, walk, write with a pen, throw a ball, swing a golf club, drive a car, or do just about anything, the brain sends a message to the muscles that perform the given task. The muscles contract properly and movement occurs. As dopamine-containing neurons die off in PD, signals from the brain that coordinate movement and muscle function are transmitted too slowly.(5) When the signals are received, the body is unable to respond normally.

The first sign of PD is often a slight tremor in one hand. This tremor is most visible when the individual with PD is standing or sitting still. The shaking is generally not noticeable when the hands are moving or doing something. However, tremor is absent in a small percentage of people with PD.(6) Other classic symptoms include slow movements, "shuffling" while walking, muscle stiffness, stooped posture, and a blank facial expression.(7),(8) Before these symptoms begin, a person with oncoming PD may experience vague, aching pain in the limbs, neck, or back and decreased spinal flexibility.(9) Other early and subtle symptoms include impaired handwriting ability and low speaking volume.(10) As the disease progresses, cognitive function often suffers, and some patients develop dementia.(11) In the later stages, people with PD often become depressed, which is certainly not difficult to understand.

Although much is known about the brain degeneration that occurs in Parkinson's disease, why this happens remains a mystery.(12) Viral infections and exposure to certain substances have been implicated, but in most cases PD is an "idiopathic" disease, one with no known cause.

European Parkinson's Disease Association, 2004.

• Parkinson's disease affects 6.3 million people worldwide.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2006.

• Parkinson's Disease strikes about 50 percent more men than women.
• An estimated 15 to 25 percent of people with PD have a known relative with the disease.
• More than 50,000 new cases of PD are diagnosed each year.
• About 5 to 10 percent of people with PD have "early-onset" disease that begins before the age of 50.

CDC NCHS Data on Parkinson's Disease, 2000.

• In 2000, 15,600 deaths were attributed to PD, a rate of 5.5% per 100,000 people in the total population.
• In 1999 and 2000, there was an average of 238,400 hospital discharges per year relating to PD.

The National Parkinson Foundation, 1999.

• It is estimated that up to 1.5 million Americans are affected, more persons than those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy combined.
• Parkinson's disease affects one of every 100 persons over the age of 60.
• Approximately 25%, of PD patients do not have tremors.

• Anticholinergic agents
• Levodopa/carbidopa
• Benserazide
• Bromocriptine
• Pergolide
• Amantadine
• Monoamine Oxidase b inhibitors such as deprenyl
• Catechol-O-Methyltransferase inhibitors

In one study, 885 patients with Parkinson's disease took NADH, either orally or intravenously. About 80% showed measurable improvements. The oral and intravenous forms were more or less equally effective. After statisticians had analyzed the data, it was apparent that NADH was most beneficial in younger patients still in the early stages of PD.(16) While this study looks promising, it was an "open" trial, meaning it was not designed to eliminate a placebo effect that might have at least partially accounted for the results.

Another study, this one being a placebo-controlled trial, failed to show any clear benefit from NADH. While NADH may yet prove helpful for relieving PD symptoms, some researchers feel the evidence is too preliminary to justify recommending it.(17)

In a human study, 80 patients with early PD were placed in one of four groups; Co-Q10 300 milligrams per day (mg/d), Co-Q10 600 mg/d, Co-Q10 1,200 mg/d or in a placebo group. The researchers concluded that those receiving Co-Q10 developed less disability than those taking placebo.(21)

In China, the medicinal use of ginkgo leaf as a brain tonic dates back 4,000 years. Ginkgo biloba extract is the most frequently prescribed herbal medicine in Europe, and it ranks high on the list of America's most popular herbal supplements. Ginkgo is also one of the world's most extensively researched herbs, with more than 100 clinical studies to its credit. The most dramatic benefits are reported in improving circulation in the elderly.(26), (27) This research shows ginkgo is a focused and effective brain tonic that improves memory and mental function. Ginkgo biloba extract may be helpful for people with Parkinson's disease whose cognitive abilities are starting to decline, although this possibility has not been tested yet in scientific studies.

Cuprum metallicum
Typical Dosage: 6X or 6C, 30X or 30C
Periodic spasmodic pains; Muscle cramps and spasms; Violent cramps in the calves and feet especially at night

Mercurius solubilis
Typical Dosage: 6X or 6C, 30X or 30C
Tremor in hands with weakness; Jerking of arms; Great weakness; Knees give out; Sensation of rigidity; Torpor and cramping in thighs and legs; Cramps in toes

Thuja occidentalis
Typical Dosage: 6X or 6C, 30X or 30C
Severe neuralgia with muscle tremors; Tearing pain in muscles and joints; Worse from humidity and cold; Better from heat

Zincum metallicum
Typical Dosage: 6X or 6C, 30X or 30C
Continual restlessness, especially of the feet and legs; Prickling sensations