Parkinson’s: Please Come Home for Christmas

“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.” Mary Anne Radmacher “Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.” Kahlil Gibran Introduction: By the end of December, another year is ending, it's winter, and I'm tired and worn out. It always happens to/for me. I …

Parkinson’s and Axial Rotation (Part 2, Thoracic Spine)

"It’s not what you do some of the time that counts, it’s what you do all of the time that counts." Jack LaLanne "The essence of decay is inactivity." Jack LaLanne Background: The function of our spine and all the bones and muscles, and associated tissues connected to this region are crucial for our everyday life. …

Parkinson’s: Simple Man

"I'm a simple man, and I use simple materials." L. S. Lowry "I'm a simple, simple man." Jeremy Renner Introduction: There is a start and end to every blog post. The beginning of my post here takes one back to October 20, 1977. We were in a car, getting ready for the concert by Lynyrd …

The Measure of a Day With Parkinson’s

"Stop measuring days by degree of productivity and start experiencing them by degree of presence." Alan Watts "It's so much easier to measure life in experience points." Felicia Day Introduction: How do we value ourselves to society, work colleagues, neighbors, and our loved ones and family? We each have some sort of 'value' that others …

Parkinson’s: Fight Song

"Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way." Satchel Paige "Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." Harriet Beecher Stowe Introduction: Living with Parkinson's is a daily fight (in my mind) because Parkinson's is always trying to …

Parkinson’s: Right Now

"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." Will Rogers "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength." Corrie Ten Boom Today: A constant theme here is to embrace today, try not to live in the past, and importantly, try not to fear what has yet happened in …

Parkinson’s: Running on Empty

"I think everyone has the same question on their mind: Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" Oliver Stone "Something has to matter. Otherwise, a person's life will be miserable and empty." Tim Sandlin Introduction: When you think about Parkinson's, it is a disorder where you balance your daily life with enough dopamine or run on …

Reflection on Friday- Dopamine

“Because you are alive, everything is possible.” Thích Nhất Hạnh “Keep swinging.” Hank Aaron Dopamine is Important: Dopamine has the chemical structure of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine and is a member of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means it delivers a message in the central nervous system. The enzyme L-DOPA decarboxylase removes carbon dioxide …

Reflection on Friday- Exercise is Medicine

“Neurons that fire together wire together. Mental states become neural traits. Day after day, your mind is building your brain. This is what scientists call experience-dependent neuroplasticity,” Rick Hanson “Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain.” Santiago Ramón y Cajal The Brain and the Central Nervous System …

Parkinson’s and Axial Mobility (Part 1, Cervical Spine)

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being" Plato "If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health." Hippocrates Introduction: The function of our spine and all the bones and muscles, and associated …