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Hi Don, >Essel program last Sunday night and he was talking about an accupuncture >method that is supposed to cure PD in a matter of weeks. This is hard to The principal mechanism in idiopathic Parkinson's Disease is an insufficiency of the neurotransmitter, dopamine. Nothing can "cure" PD, except replacing or regenerating the dead brain cells that should be producing the dopamine. As to what causes the cell death, no definitive answer has been reached as yet, though one or more environmental neurotoxins is the most likely answer. These may include such things as pesticide sprays, especially organo-phosphates, water-borne metals such as iron and copper, natural plant substances such as ergot and cycad-palm flour, and some medications such as anti-emetics and anti-psychotics. Whether or not acupuncture can relieve PD symptoms is another matter. From personal experience, acupuncture treatments for dystonic and dyskinetic leg muscles (i.e., twisting and writhing) actually aggravated the symptoms. I believe a cure may come for some sufferers from gene replacement techniques, new transplanting techniques, or nerve-cell regeneration techniques, all in the experimental stages at the moment. I say some, because I don't think that such techniques will aid long-term sufferers such as myself (15 years), as most, if not all, of the structure has been destroyed. (For the technically minded, it is the substantia nigra of the striatum of the basal ganglia of the cerebellum.) One of the major contributing factors to dyskinesia (random, uncoordinated movements, mainly of the arms and legs) in PD are the psycho-chemical effects of anxiety and stress, and of anti-parkinsonism medications. Some relief from these side-effects may be obtained from relaxation and bio-feedback techniques, etc., and perhaps acupuncture may aid some people here, though I doubt it, since the interactions between the natural brain chemicals, PD medications, and the central nervous system, are far too complex for simple remedies to be effective in all cases and at all times. Jim Slattery, Australia [log in to unmask] Webmaster, Central West PD Web http://www.lisp.com.au/~cwpdweb [log in to unmask]