Diagnose with PD in 2004. Had DBS surgery in 2016 and it was literally a Godsend! Totally eliminated the hand tremors which had become significant! Hit the gym EVERY morning 7 days a week with emphasis on cardio-vascular! Now my problem is "freezing of gate." However after getting my Teeter Inversion Table just a few days ago and using it 3 to 4 times a day my freezing seems to be getting much, much better!
Attitude I believe is very important and I do maintain a great attitude! I always say, "It could always be worse!" And my gym workouts consist of the eliptical, stationary bike, light weights and my favorite the Step Mill!
Written by
boydbill
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I don't want to be a 'STICK-IN-THE-MUD' but I know many people who have had DBS but none of them live a 'NORMAL LIFE' since having the DBS. Some of them no longer shake but still have other symptoms that are far worse than tremors.
I went the exercise route and not only no longer need to take any Pd medication since 2002, I now lead a normal life again at the age of 83, including walking 7 kilometres every second day, within an hour. We are all different and we all have different attitudes and different values. You may well have been able to achieve what I have, but who knows? It costs nothing to do Walking; it costs nothing to adopt a Positive Attitude; it costs nothing to Manage Stress Levels; it costs nothing to do Su Doku Puzzles or Cryptic Crossword Puzzles; and it costs nothing to learn how to take Conscious Control of our Movements. It does cost a lot to take expensive medication. Who would stand to GAIN anything by you doing what I did? The answer is YOU! Who would LOSE if you had done that first? The answer is OBVIOUS!
If you want to learn more about what I did to achieve my improved condition then look at my PROFILE or go to my website - reverseparkinsons.net and contact me.
Such a pity you had to spend so much money on DBS!
Well John I will say this! I did not say or imply that the DBS has cured me! I did say and will say again that it is responsible for the elimination of my tremors. I have been a dedicated "gym attendee" since my teenage years and I know that if you remove me from the gym schedule I will become bed ridden!
Additionally I am discovering that the Inversion Table helps significantly with my freezing! Prior to the DBS surgery I was a mess being unable to even make it to the bathroom, cook and clean up.
John, yes I am very interested in your history of what I can do in order to improve my situation regarding diet, meds, and activities! Please send! Thanks!
Freezing can be controlled by Consciously taking control of your movements. Pd affects movements made by the subconscious brain. Walking is normally controlled by the subconscious brain and DBS does nothing to change that.
John, can you explain why I have freezing then? What am i doing wrong? Is it a result or byproduct of PD? HOW can I overcome the freezing? My neuro surgeon who did my DBS never claimed that it would stop the freezing!
Hi boydbill. You are not doing anything wrong. Your subconscious brain is no longer capable of communicating with your body. Your conscious brain, fortunately, is able to still communicate very well with every part of your body.
Do this little test when next you freeze:
1. Ask someone to hold your arm, while you are frozen.
2. Stand up straight
3. Relax your body
4. Place all the weight of your body onto your left leg
5. See how high you are able to lift your right leg up in front of you
6. Then place all your body weight on your right foot
7. See how high you can lift your left leg up in front of you.
If you could not do this then you are not carrying out one of the instructions.
If you were able to do as I said then were you able to left each leg up quite far in front of you? If so, you were using your conscious brain to move those legs. When you normally walk, your subconscious brain is telling your legs to move. That does not work properly and sometimes you freeze.
Now, all you have to do is to learn to walk by consciously placing all your weight on one leg at a time and moving the other leg out in front of you and placing the heel of that foot firmly on the ground. Then transfer the weight of your body onto that front foot and lift the back leg off the ground and land the heel of that foot onto the ground etc.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE RISK FACTOR OF INVERSION AND COMPLICATIONS OF YOUR DBS!!!! I’m a retired PT that has utilized the Gravity Guidance Systems for 30 years having learned the clinical efficacy from the developer, DR Robert Martin, DC DO MD.
It’s a powerful tool, but everything that has the power to help has the power to hurt!! Don’t do anything more without discussions with your neurosurgeon!
I also have had DBS and consider it very valuable.... please heed my advice.
I use an inverion table too, for my back. Its like having a chiropractor in my house. But i agree that if you have an implanted device in your brain it is contraindicated to use an inversion table. So please be careful! I wouldnt go down more than a few degrees below horizontal if i were you. My 2 cents.
I’m glad.... the consequences are significant. I think inversion could be helpful because of something called symmetrical tonic neck reflexes in conjunction with the vestibular mechanisms. However it isn’t worth the risk of affecting the electrode placement or the loosening of the portals.
Hello boydbill, I got an inversion table about a month ago. I feel bett after each use. My stride seems better. I bought it for the simple reason that having pd makes the muscles on my left side tense which tightens up my leg muscles. I figured that if i stretch out my skeleton, it would help with walking and it did. I only use it for 5 minutes at a time. I feel that it is beneficial for people with walking problems.
Vjbaiocco, thanks for your response. Similarly, the problems I am having are with "Freezing." Freezing is triggered somewhere in the brain! When I get inverted, obviously the blood runs to my head! Thinking logically the fresh oxygenated rushing to my brain has got to be a good thing! And it seems to be helping too! I use my Inversion Table about 3 to 4 times a day and will continue with it!
I dont mean to burst y'all's bubbles, but thats not-so-fresh venous blood rushing to your heads. Actually its not rushing to your head, its just fighting gravity and not leaving your head as fast. Veins have valves that prevent back flow too. Arterial blood is the oxygenated kind, under the pressure of the pumping of the left ventricle. Raising your cardiac output increases this kind of flow. (Rate x stroke volume ) Still i believe inversion is a good thing, for reversing the pressure on the vertebral disks and weight bearing joints. Very good healing power!
I also bought the Teeter inversion table for myself and my husband with Parkinson's. For me, it has completely eliminated hip pain from an injury I ignored for years. My husband says it helps relax him and the stretch feels good after a workout. My sense tells me that having temporary blood flow to the brain couldn't hurt.
However, I have read that people with glaucoma and implanted devices like a pacemaker, should not use an inversion table. For glaucoma patients, it puts too much pressure in your eyes. For people with implanted devices or brain surgeries, I would think this is the problem as well. But, I'm no doctor... for your safety, please check with your neurologist. At the very least, I would limit the number and length of time on the machine.
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