Dr. Leia on Acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Question for Dr. Leia: My brother-in-law who is 60 years old, was just diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

Is there any info on parkinson’s disease treatments or ways to work through this that you can suggest? I have found so little info on treating symptoms and signs of PD and I don’t know where to find accurate information. I want to help him, as he does not want traditional medicine due to side effects. Can you help me?

Dr. Leia’s Answer: Dear Brenda, you might like to try Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. It may sound a bit strange to our Western ears, but Acupuncture works upon balancing the body’s energy using a force called Chi or Qi. It is a form of medicine which has been around for thousands of years, and Western medicine is just beginning to acknowledge that there is some validity to it.

Find a licensed Acupuncturist in your area and ask if he/she has had any experience with treating Parkinson’s Disease or any other neurological types of disorders. In some instances, Acupuncture has been shown to decrease or control the symptoms of the disease, and the best part of it is that Acupuncture works best if the patient is not taking any chemical drugs or is taking a minimum number of drugs. However, most patients opt to combine the best of Oriental medicine with Western science, and there may be a place and time for the use of both types of medicine

In the beginning, though, it is best to err on the side of the least invasive type of medicine and proceed from there as needed. Good luck in your endeavors helping your brother-in-law with alternative Parkinson’s Disease treatments.

By Dr. Leia Melead

CoQ10 Study and Early Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Currently, there’s an exciting study underway with CoQ10 in patients with
early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in
this country (after Alzheimer’s), affecting about one percent of all people over the age of 50.

Parkinson’s
is caused by the death of brain cells that control movement. It is a double-blinded, prospective, randomized
study using doses of CoQ10 of 300 mg, 600 mg and 1200 mg daily. The study will be completed later this
year and it may turn out that high dose coenzyme Q10 may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

There is strong evidence in the medical literature indicating CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and may
protect the neurons (brain cells) from dying.