Parkinson's Disease Finds a Treatment in Chiropractic
By Chris Brown
Of all the diseases that come with age, the scariest have got to be ones involving the brain or nervous system. Scarier still, many of these neural diseases seemingly appear without warning and are progressive in nature. By the time symptoms have appeared, the diseases have often reached a point of mental and physical degression. Parkinson's disease (PD) is one such disease, characterized by dysfunction with movement and mental acuity. Chiropractic may provide symptomatic relief, and in many cases partial recovery, for Parkinson's sufferers.
Quick Overview of Parkinson's Disease
The cause of Parkinson's is still mostly a mystery in the medical community. Genetics and environmental factors, such as toxin exposure, may influence its development. However, once a patient has been diagnosed with PD, they are unable to be cured. For PD patients, neurons in the brain start to die resulting in a range of symptoms. Most typical PD symptoms are the result of dopamine producing neurons dying off and dopamine levels become deficient. At this point, the fight against PD lies in slowing cerebral degradation and symptom accumulation. Chiropractic has shown promise in doing just that as spinal manipulations can even help PD patients partially recover functionality and quality of life.
Chiropractic Impacts on Parkinson's Disease Symptoms
Chiropractic helps PD symptoms by optimizing central nervous system function, allowing the brain to better communicate with the body and influencing it to strengthen those connections. PD symptoms are in part due to neural communication loss through degraded neurons and reduced dopamine levels. By clearing nerve interference in spinal dysfunctions, chiropractic can partially make up for the brain's weakened neural signal by enhancing the communication network itself.
Two separate case studies, of a 67-year-old female and an 81-year-old male with PD, have supported chiropractic treatment with encouraging results. Over a six-month period, the female with PD was adjusted 12 times. Following treatment, the patient reported less muscular weakness, tremors, and greater overall mobility. Objectively, tests found improvements in radiographic measurements, paraspinal thermography, and sEMG (which tracks electrical activity in muscles). Similarly, the 81-year-old male suffering from PD for 12 years found a reduction of symptoms and tremors, plus improved walking ability, after only a week of treatment using a list of alternative methods that included chiropractic.
Visit The Joint Chiropractic for more information on treating neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Sessions are affordable and appointment-free to fit anyone's busy schedule. The Joint has 500-plus locations nationwide, so you never are far from pain relief.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Tulsa, Okla.