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Jim , Your comments are so well presented that I would like to suggest to be included in the FAQ (frequently asked questions) that have been proposed by other list members ( Janet P. ? ) Best wishes , Jim Slattery wrote: > 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] -- +----| Joao Paulo de Carvalho |------ + | [log in to unmask] | +--------| Salvador-Bahia-Brazil |------+