This makes sense to me: Ice Your Head

[Bolt_Upright]

But, surprisingly, I can't find anybody else icing heads for PD or AD. No research, no nothing.

iceyourhead.com/

[Bolt_Upright]

You know, and this is still my HS degree talking, if the red light helmet heats your head up, maybe it would be a good idea to throw this cryohelmet on after treatment.

[MBAnderson]

wonder why??

[Bolt_Upright in reply to MBAnderson]

Yes, we ice other inflammation areas. Why not the head? I will ask some scientists why they are not all over this.

[chartist]

Whole body icing improves oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators and many other health indices throughout the body including the brain.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/336...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/a...

Art

[Bolt_Upright]

There are a few articles on using a cooling cap to treat insomnia:

health.usnews.com/health-ne...

clinicaladvisor.com/home/th...

I realize that the studies used water cooled caps and the website has what seem to be icepack caps. Still, it would be interesting if pulling a ice pack cap out of the freezer and putting it on every night would help the brain.

promotes sleep

[chartist in reply to Bolt_Upright]

Not likely to be cold enough, but definitely anti inflammatory.

Mostly animal studies in this area of medicine.

Bolt, I must admit, it looks like you are not going to leave any stone unturned!

Happy new year!

Art

[Rhyothemis in reply to chartist]

They did a clinical study on the Ebb, so I guess it is cold enough to be effective for insomnia. In a podcast interview a company representative said they had some data suggesting it could help with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes - though they really should not be talking about it before they have completed a study. I have not looked into the study though and so I don't know how they did the control, etc. youtu.be/_E9aEMfBuWk(Not working as expected?)

I have used an ice pack on my forehead and eye area before bed and I think it helps with sleep, but cooling at higher temp. for a longer duration seems like it would be gentler on the skin. However, the device is a bit pricy and it also looks uncomfortable. Icing my eye area really reduced my eye inflammation, but then my nose became inflamed (rosacea) - it really does seem like I'm playing whack-a-mole with my health issues.

Anyway, as to mechanisms I'm going to speculate that it has to do with histamine and spermidine & regulation of body temp in the hypothalamus. Heat really does increase aggressiveness and (in lab animals) histamine and spermidine are involved in aggression, and they are both involved in the regulation of body temperature.

Rhonda Patrick is now working on a project for a body heating device - sort of like a sauna where the head sticks out; she mentioned something about cooling the head while the body is heated. It may be something like what Ray Cronise talked about in regard to contrast showers (alternate between hot and cold water) - it's not so much the absolute temp that matters but the contrast.

[chartist in reply to Rhyothemis]

It seems that going too cold can have a negative effect and too often becomes less beneficial as the body possibly adapts. The idea of whole body cryotherapy seems like a very uncomfortable idea, but its rapid anti inflammatory effects are undeniable.

I would be more attracted to infrared therapy from the sun and its benefits and skip the torturous cold. A bit more comfortable imo.

Art

[Curious_Fred]

I agree. If I am blocked running cold water over my head helps alot.. I wonder why

[Bolt_Upright in reply to Curious_Fred]

I like that. A cold head shower instead of a full cold shower or, scarier, an ice bath! Brrr!

[eschneid]

Along the Wim Hof line of thinking?⚡I like it when very few are talking about an idea , you might be on to something....you go first😁

[kaypeeoh]

In long races during summer I'd fill my hat with ice cubes and jam it onto my head.. I did it to lessen the chance of heat stroke but found all it did was give me a headache.

[SuuSuu]

Interesting this shows up now! I've been pouring a bucket of icy water over the back of my head for a week now. It's exhilarating! Increased exercise at the same time so....? I'm feeling better either way. My understanding it the cold stimulates the vagus nerve which is part of the autonomic nervous system (where many of my symptoms manifest.)

[Bolt_Upright in reply to SuuSuu]

Thanks for sharing SuuSuu! I love this idea. Please let us know your results over time. Also, maybe you would like to name your bucket of icy water protocol so we can all refer to it by name once it becomes popular

This is a stretch, but it reminds me also of the success they had here: Caloric vestibular stimulation for the management of motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

[bassofspades]

Brain freeze!

[SuuSuu in reply to bassofspades]

Is that a "name" suggestion? It would scare me away! How about: "PD Chill"? 😜

[eschneid in reply to SuuSuu]

I like it Suu......it's relaxing😎

[SuuSuu in reply to eschneid]

you tried it??

[eschneid in reply to SuuSuu]

Suu,

Was talking about the Chill name. All I have done so far is one cold shower and an ice pack on my head. Read your bio, 7 years no prescription meds....Keep doing what you are doing!

[SuuSuu in reply to eschneid]

I'm one of those without tremor... that makes it easier to avoid med I think. I've been vegan for 40 years and I always wonder how thats impacted my slow progression...?

[Bolt_Upright]

As a first step, based on SuuSuu , I have implemented this simple protocol: After I finish my normal (hot) shower, I get out of the shower and stick just my head back into the shower and hand shower cold water on my head.

It's a step.

[SuuSuu]

an update... still doing the "PD Chill" for 7-8 weeks now, still exercising too (5000 steps/day.) I think that my executive functioning has improved (the first week or so) manifested by my strong and continuing commitment to exercise and also the initiative to tackle complex tasks like sprouted mung bean chapatis and other new recipes. Previously such daunting tasks would have intimidated me, now it was after they were completed before I thought, "Hmm, that should have been hard..."

A pretty subjective observation... Could be placebo effect, but hope increases dopamine levels and improves my symptoms... so I benefit by trying something "new" even if it "just a placebo!!"