Category: posture

Update from Chris Hageseth MD

Robert and I have recorded interviews three times in the past:

  1. September 2016: Five years no medications. Parkinson’s improving. How I had gone for 5 years without meds and was doing well using exercise and yoga
  2. January 2017: Wholistic (or holistic) how different PWPs approach their treatment.
  3. October 2018: Shifting the Parkinson’s disease mindset.
  • This is my fourth appearance on the show today, and I still hold to my beliefs.  
  1. EXERCISE. EXERCISE, EXERCISE. I cannot exercise as hard as I did before. Gradually I had to walk more and jog less. Could only 3 – 4 miles.
  2. More convinced than ever that MINDSET/ATTITUDE is the key, PARKINSON’S IS A CHALLENGE, NOT A CURSE.  When I was formally diagnosed, I was 70 years old. Life expectancy for me was 84.1. Well, now I’m 82.4. In a year and a half, I will have reached my life expectancy.
  3. YOGA remains critical.
  4. WAIT UNTIL you really must take Levodopa. Levodopa induced dyskinesia (LID) is a real deal and can be disabling. Google it on YouTube. 
  • Let’s look at my life since we last met, year by year.

2018 – I shot a video titled So High So Low for the “I HAD A DREAM PROJECT” where I hiked a three mile walk trail and climbed a thousand feet. 

Link: https://www.ihadadreamproject.com/i-had-a-dream-project-videos 

That year I also went to Uganda to demonstrate the practices I used to manage so long without meds. (Robert, this is quite a tale, plus I have pictures.)

  • 2019 – After directing the local Parkinson’s support group, I resigned so new blood could take over.

BUT: New symptoms emerged that I didn’t know about:

  1. Anomia: a language specific disturbance arising after brain damage whose main symptom is the inability of retrieving known words. But it’s not dementia!
  2. Pseudo Bulbar Affect Crying or laughing excessively upon feeling any deep feeling.
  3. Dysphagia: difficulty or discomfort in swallowing as a symptom of disease. It starts out with mucus as postnasal drip. Get to an OT!
  4. Oily, flakey skin
  5. Sleep disturbances. Fall into deep sleep in the middle of the day. And then don’t sleep well at night.
  6. Pain in bed at night. Interfered with sleep.
  • 2020 – It was a remarkable and horrific year. PANDEMIC!

No more yoga classes! No gym with weightlifting. Social interaction approached zero. 

  • 2021 – Then, a condition worse than Parkinson’s emerged: Major Depression.

March 2021 – Fell and shattered right knee – 16 days in hospital.

July 2021 – Fell and broke my right hip.

August – Severe depression, I became suicidal.

September – Chose to have a course of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)

October- It worked, and my PD improved a lot.

The falls were due to the antidepressant I was taking may increase fall for people with Parkinsons.

LESSON: Make sure you MD goes through all meds in case a med might make falling more likely

My story with Depression

Family history is strong.

Parkinson’s did not cause my suicidal depression, genetics and environment did.  Antidepressant medication failed to work and led to my falls!

2022 – I returned to my new normal. And that’s where I am today. I just have more symptoms and feel weaker.

I followed up with PWPs who I have advised in the past.

It became clear to me: I want to coach people with PD. 

I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER!

Teach PWPs how to become a “Bad Ass with PD.” 

No more withdrawal and depression.

My PD website: www.makemostofpd.com  

Robert, I want to come back with a program I have just developed to make being a person with PD and their caregiver have a better relationship. 

New website www.the-kindness-dialogue.com 

Robert Rodgers PhD

Parkinson’s Regeneration Training

Karl Sterling is a neuro-rehabilitation specialist and NASM Master Trainer based in Syracuse, New York, and is the creator of the Parkinson’s Regeneration Training ® and NeuroMotor Training ® education programs.

While his extensive experience as a rehabilitation specialist includes working with a variety of populations, he primarily specializes in working with clients who have movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, MSA (Multiple System Atrophy), MS, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy, Autism, and more.

Karl travels extensively around the world as public speaker, keynote speaker, and educator in the movement disorder, human movement, and personal growth arenas. He is the Chief Operating Officer of Agile Human Performance, Inc. and owner/CEO of NeuroMotor Training LLC, which currently offer courses worldwide.

In his second book, “Parkinson’s Empowerment Training” author Karl Sterling goes deep into exploring many areas that will help the person with PD to manage symptoms and improve quality of movement, cognition, memory, and life. Topics include:

  • the power of hope, empowerment, and belief
  • how to maximize neuroplasticity
  • sleep management
  • benefits of using Power Plate and whole body vibration
  • learn about the many roles of dopamine
  • improve memory and cognition
  • “Nutrition in Parkinson’s Disease” written by dietitian, Cynthia Lopez

www.karlsterling.com

Parkinson’s Empowerment Training

In his second book, “Parkinson’s Empowerment Training” author Karl Sterling goes deep into exploring many areas that will help the person with PD to manage symptoms and improve quality of movement, cognition, memory, and life. Topics include:

* the power of hope, empowerment, and belief

* how to maximize neuroplasticity

* sleep management

* benefits of using Power Plate and whole body vibration

* learn about the many roles of dopamine

* improve memory and cognition

* “Nutrition in Parkinson’s Disease” written by dietitian, Cynthia Lopez

Read inspiring stories by:

* people living with Parkinson’s

* caregivers

* doctors

* physical therapists

* fitness trainers

Guest writers include:

Sylvie Patrick

Russ Parker

Alison Klaum

Rubén Artavia

Alfredo Bozzierre

Mike Mitani

Melissa Tafoya

Dr. Pepe Gonzalez

Dr. Lalo Guadarrama

Donna Parker

Kabugo Hannington

Lilia Drew

Laura Olmos

Ted Byrd

Visit www.thepdbook.com and link to Amazon from there

Shifting the Parkinsons Disease Mindset

Dr. Hageseth dates his first non-motor symptoms to 2004 when his sense of smell disappeared. In 2008 he developed severe constipation which he has had ever since. In 2011 he saw the emergence of a tremor in his right hand which progressed over the following year to involve his entire right side. It went on to include stooped posture, shuffling gait, and problems with balance. A neurologist confirmed his diagnosis in 2012. He tried three different medications over the next four months but discontinued each one due to side effects or lack of efficacy.

His neurologist gave him one piece of advice: EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE.

A year later many of his symptoms had regressed. He attributed his improvement to the intensity of his exercise and taking up yoga. He established his first website: Sweating Out Parkinsons Disease. He intended to encourage other PWPs to follow his example.

By 2014 he was doing so well that he had a DAT scan to confirm the diagnosis of PD. It was positive.

Over the last year and a half, he explored why more people are not doing better with PD. It was then that he started to examine how the mind may influence the course of PD. Exercise is the key to living a full life with PD, But if the mind does not believe the degree of improvement that exercise can achieve. Then improvement will only go so far.

Because of the problem of dyskinesia developing after five years on levodopa, he thinks newly diagnosed should pursue a program of great intensity and focus and manage their minds, so they realize they can live with PD and not require levodopa.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Gravity, Human Movement and Parkinsons Disease

Looking for better mobility? Michael Protzel has some marvelous suggestions for you.

Innate human coordination requires being in sync with the STRAIGHT-down influence of gravity. This enables us to tap the substantial energy generated by the downward movement of our body mass.

In infancy, we all learn this highly evolved skill as we teach ourselves to sit, stand and walk with grace and power. Early in childhood, however, through deep cultural conditioning, we forget. From the day we are born, we see everyone around us sitting back in chairs, sofas, car seats, etc. At around 3 or 4, we get sucked into this utterly normal, but mal-adaptive behavior. We begin sitting-back with staggering repetition. In so doing, we interfere with gravity’s influence by sending our body mass down on a BACKWARDS trajectory.

Our brains automatically react — with muscular strain and skeletal distortion — to keep our head/neck functionally vertical. We don’t notice these reactions nor feel anything unusual. It all happens subconsciously. This kinesthetic disconnect spills over into how we stand and walk.

The consequences are all around us: society-wide epidemics of bad posture, lower back and neck pain, knee and hip replacements. For people with Parkinsons, the consequences are even more severe, restricting free movement considerably. This can be changed — through re-developing sensitivity to our downward-moving body mass and how it is affecting us moment-by-moment.  www.uprighting.com

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

 

Feldenkrais® for Parkinsons

Irene Pasternack [http://movebeyondlimits.com] tells us how you can use the Feldenkrais Method to improve your balance, prevent falls, cope with freezing, maintain facial mobility, speech volume and swallowing, and find greater comfort and ease in day-to-day activities. The show includes a short Feldenkrais® lesson to improve posture, comfort and stability in sitting. In addition to making you feel more comfortable, this lesson helps improve the mobility of your neck, head, and eyes, and has a direct impact on your balance in standing.

Irene Pasternack discusses how Feldenkrais® is useful for treating a wide variety of symptoms that are found in a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery