New hope for Parkinson Disease. Part One: Finding the cause.

Those of us who struggle with Parkinson Disease (PD) or have seen a loved one going through the journey, know first hand that this condition can rob a person of his or her quality of life like few other diseases can. Parkinson Disease is a neurological disorder that manifests as tremors, increasing muscle rigidity,  slowing of muscular movements and difficulty with balance. The cause of Parkinson disease has often thought of as a mystery even in the medical community but there has been remarkable recent progress in our understanding of what causes Parkinson’s. Using this information we have tools available to prevent it from happening much before it starts. As importantly, there are good Integrative Modalities available now for treatment of PD.

The primary contributors appear to be a combination of exposure to environmental toxins, particular personality traits and a genetic predisposition – all causing oxidative damage to an area of the brain called the basal ganglia. At the cellular level, this causes a  breakdown in the first step of a chemical pathway that manufactures energy for our cells to live on. This happens in the mitochondria – the power houses of our cells where energy is produced. The function of the basal ganglia is to manufacture a neurological transmitter molecule called dopamine. This destruction of mitochondrial function appears to be due to the result of oxidative stress from repeated chemical and physical insults to the cells. (1)  

A substance called MPTP is historically the first chemical that showed us how Parkinson’s develops. MPTP is a byproduct occurring when opioids are manufactured illicitly. Cases of Parkinsons in people who were exposed to MPTP in the 1970’s first brought attention to the role of toxins in PD. Now the challenge is identifying all the molecules that can trigger this condition. Exposure to toxins- either heavy metals or organic toxins like pesticides and herbicides have been shown in multiple studies to be causative factors in the development of PD. People with higher exposures to pesticides and herbicides like home gardeners, the rural population and industrial workers have a higher incidence of PD.  ( 2) Other studies show that those who drink well water for more than ten years have a higher incidence of PD.

Repeated physical traumas to the head  can also lead to Parkinson’s.  These head injuries trigger inflammatory pathways in the brain that lead to destruction of nerve cells in the basal ganglia. The most famous example of this is Muhammad Ali.

What is even more fascinating is the published studies that show people who develop Parkinson’s disease have developed an inflexibility in attitude and emotion, tend to depression, are often introverted and over-controlled. (3, 4, 5, 6) By over-controlled I mean they can sometimes be industrious and correct to the point of rigidity. The number of studies that consistently show this association amazes me. So a lack of mental adaptability and inflexibility manifests in the physical stiffness and inflexibility of the body. It appears that the body becomes a metaphor for the mind. Fascinating!

Lastly there seems to be a degree of inheritance in susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease. But we have enough factors in our control to prevent this problem much before it starts. Stay tuned to  find out how to prevent it in Part 2 of this article next week.

Wishing all of you a healthy and joyous week.

Tagged as: basal ganglia, causes of Parkinson Disease, health, heavy metals, hope, mitochondria, muscle rigidity, natural treatment of Parkinson, neurological disorder, parkinson disease, parkinsons, pd, personality and Parkinson's, personality traits, pesticides and herbicides, preventing Parkinsons Disease, toxins and Parkinson, treating Parkinson Disease naturally

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