Park Health Dictionary

Parkinson’s disease characterised by rigidity of muscles and tremor of the hands... parkinsonism

(English) The keeper of the park... parker

 1567-1650. Apothecary to two kings; first James I. When Charles I came to the throne he was named Botanicus Regis Primarius. Books: Paradise in Sole Paradisus Terristris (1629). It was a pun on his name: Park-in-suns Earthly Paradise, and referred to as a ‘speaking garden’. Theatre of Plants (1640). Describes 3,800 plants. A herbal in every sense of the word; most comprehensive in the English language. ... parkinson, john

(PD). Paralysis agitans. First described by James Parkinson, 1817. His description is as apt today as when it appeared in his book “Essay on the Shaking Palsy”. He wrote: “It is characterised by involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened muscular power in parts not in action and even when supported. There is a tendency to bend the trunk forward and to pass from a walking to a running pace. The senses and intellect are uninjured.”

Added to the above are:– muscular rigidity, loss of reflexes, drooling – escape of saliva from the mouth. Muscles of the face are stiff giving a fixed expression, the back presents a bowed posture. The skin is excessively greasy and the patient is unable to express emotional feelings. Loss of blinking. Pin- rolling movement of thumb and forefinger.

Causes: degeneration of groups of nerve cells deep within the brain which causes a lack of neurotransmitting chemical, dopamine. Chemicals such as sulphur used by agriculture, drugs and the food industry are suspected. Researchers have found an increase in the disease in patients born during influenza pandemics.

Treatment. While cure is not possible, a patient may be better able to combat the condition with the help of agents that strengthen the brain and nervous system.

Tea. Equal parts: Valerian, Passion flower, Mistletoe. 1 heaped teaspoon to each cup water; bring to boil; simmer 1 minute; dose: half-1 cup 2-3 times daily.

Gotu Kola tea. (CNS stimulant).

Tablets/capsules. Black Cohosh, Cramp bark, Ginseng, Prickly Ash, Valerian.

Formula. Ginkgo 2; Black Cohosh 1; Motherwort 2; Ginger 1. Mix. Dose. Powders: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon). Liquid extracts: 1 teaspoon. Tinctures: 1-3 teaspoons in water or honey. Fava Bean Tea.

Case report. Two patients unresponsive to Levodopa treatment reported improvement following meals of fresh broad beans. (Vicia faba) The beans contain levodopa in large amounts. (Parkinson Disease Update Vol 8, No 66, p186, Medical Publications, PO Box 24622-H, Philadelphia, USA) See also: BROAD BEANS. L-DOPA.

Nacuna Pruriens. Appropriate. Essential active constituent: L-dopa. (Medicinal plants and Traditional Medicine in Africa, by Abayomi Sofowora, Pub: John Wiley)

Practitioner. To reduce tremor: Tincture Hyoscyamus BP. To reduce spasm: Tincture Belladonna BP. To arrest drooling: Tincture Stramonium BP.

Diet. It is known that people who work in manganese factories in Chile may develop Parkinson’s disease after the age of 30. Progress of the disease is arrested on leaving the factory. Two items of diet highest in manganese are wheat and liver which should be avoided, carbohydrates in place of wheat taking the form of rice and potatoes.

Supplements. Daily: B-complex, B2, B6, niacin. C 200mg to reduce side-effects of Levodopa. Vitamin E 400iu to possibly reduce rigidity, tremors and loss of balance.

Treatment of severe nerve conditions should be supervised by neurologists and practitioners whose training prepares them to recognise serious illness and to integrate herbal and supplementary intervention safely into the treatment plan.

Antioxidants. Evidence has been advanced showing how nutritional antioxidants, high doses of Vitamin C and E, can retard onset of the disease, delaying the use of Levodopa for an average of 2 and a half years. (Fahn S., High Dose Alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate in Early Parkinson’s Disease – Annals of Neurology, 32-S pp128-132 1992)

For support and advice: The Parkinson’s Disease Society, 22 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0RA, UK. Send SAE. ... parkinson’s disease

a congenital abnormality of heart conduction caused by the presence of an *accessory pathway of conduction between the atria and ventricles. It results in premature excitation of one ventricle and is characterized by an abnormal wave (delta wave) at the start of the QRS complex on the electrocardiogram. The accessory pathway predisposes the patient to episodes of fast heart rate due to the rapid self-sustaining circulation of an electrical impulse from the atria to the ventricles and back again (*atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia). Emergency treatment is in the form of drugs that temporarily block the re-entry circuit. Permanent destruction of the accessory pathway by *radiofrequency ablation is usually curative. [L. Wolff; Sir J. Parkinson (1885–1976), British physician; P. D. White (1886–1973), US cardiologist]... wolff–parkinson–white syndrome