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Nancy, I'm a western-trained health professional, and I can assure you I take alternative therapies very seriously indeed. My professional organization (the American Dietetics Association), although very conservative, has recently formed a dietetics practice group made up of dietitians who are interested in complementary and alternative therapies; I was a charter member of this group. I encourage my clients to freely discuss any supplements or alternative therapies they use, and I always offer to work with other therapists to provide a holistic care program. Awhile back coenzyme Q-10 was laughed at by health professionals; now it's taken seriously as a supplement for people who have congestive heart failure; and is being tested around the country by Parkinson's researchers. I believe that's also true for NADH. Paul Mote recently posted about a study on Tuina, a therapy used by practitioners of Oriental medicine, to help relieve some of the effects of PD. Initial results on a small number of people look promising, though it's still early days. I have had rheumatoid arthritis since a fairly young age. I get acupuncture treatments from a neurologist, and they are helpful. The neurologist took up the study of acupuncture because he found important areas of treatment not addressed by his western-medicine training. I think that western medicine and alternative therapies can support and strengthen each other, and I hope more research and trials will take place. I believe that adequate research will show that many therapies offer help that western medicine does not address. And I hope that listserv members won't be afraid to speak up -- in my opinion, no one should feel "censored." Open discussion is important. Heck, Galileo was persecuted for demonstrating that the world was round, but guess what -- he was right. Best, Kathrynne Nancy Burnham wrote: > > My sediments exactly. Whenever I mention nonstandard therapies we are > trying I can feel the cold shoulder all the way to Montana. Consequently > I've just about stopped communicating. I am really getting a phobia about > mentioning any information I find out > about on this list. I feel that we are doing lots of things right since my > husband, who has had PD for at least 16 years, is still able to work 10 hour > days 7 days a week on our ranch. This last week he spend fixing fence in > our mountain pasture. He would leave around 8:00 in the morning and get > home around 8:00 in the evening. Yesterday we took the cattle to the > mountains. Left our yard at 4:30 on horseback, arrived at the pasture at > noon. Back home around 2:00. I took a nap, but Don didn't get a chance to > rest until he went to bed around 8:30. I didn't even ride, just took food to > the riders for breakfast and lunch!!! > > I've investigated aromatherphy, but never tried it. I've heard of personal > testimonies from several who have had great results. > > Some of the products we try seem to help, other don't. I have high hopes > for what we are doing now. I'm sure not going to leave our health only in > the hands of the medical profession. > > Earlier I wrote about the clinic in California that gets to the root cause > of chronic conditions, have talked to several who have gone and have had > great results. ( not PD) In conjunction with the clinic is a non-toxic > dental clinic. We are seriously thinking of making an appointment with the > clinic. I'm sure one of the first recommendation will be for Don to have > all of his fillings removed. > > Nancy B cg for Don 65/16. > > PS I'm leaving this week to visit my children in Boise Idaho. I have a son > and daughter there and three Grand Babies. Will probably get off the list > for a short time. > -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Medical nutrition therapy Author: "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease" "Parkinson's disease: assessing and managing unique nutrition needs" http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/