What is Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that emerges when the cells in your brain that produce dopamine die off. Your brain uses the dopamine chemical it produces as communication with neurons in order to coordinate movement. Individuals with Parkinson’s present with symptoms such as: Tremors, changes in handwriting, muscle stiffness, mood changes, loss of smell, and constipation. The symptoms I’ve stated tend to become progressively worse over time. 

Side Effects of PD

Parkinson’s tends to invite other debilitating health problems such as loss of Bladder control, anxiety disorder, dementia, and severe loss of the body’s motor functions. At Acupuncture is My Life, we inform our newly diagnosed Parkinson’s patients of the fact that everyone’s constitution is different so this disease tends to affect everyone differently. There are cases where individuals after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, continue working and performing activities which they enjoyed doing. Others may require lifestyle adjustments to perform some of the more simplest tasks. 

Acupuncture for Parkinson’s

The number 1 cause of Parkinson’s is a person’s age. There is no cure for PD, but many experience a better quality of life with regular acupuncture treatments. An acupuncturist can attribute Parkinson’s disease to several patterns. 

  • One pattern involves the Liver and Kidney yin deficiency. An acupuncturist would look to nourish and tonify the Liver and Kidney and extinguish internal wind to eliminate tremors. 
  • Another possible pattern includes qi and blood deficiency. An acupuncturist augments qi and nourishes blood, extinguishes internal wind, and nourishes and unblocks the channels. 
  • Furthermore, another pattern could be phlegm that obstructs the collaterals. In this case, an acupuncturist will look to dry dampness, strengthen the Spleen, resolve phlegm and extinguish internal wind.
  • Another could be qi deficiency with blood stasis, where an acupuncturist would augment qi, invigorate qi and also extinguish internal wind.  

These are just a few examples of many patterns that can serve as the cause of Parkinson’s disease to an acupuncturist. If you’re experiencing symptoms of PD or know of someone who is, contact acupuncture is my life to discuss your options with regard to how acupuncture may be of benefit to you. Until next time, acupuncture is my life, what’s yours?