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About 1-1/2 years ago, I experienced a fluttering tremor in
my right hand, the 3 middle fingers when I walked or got nervous or excited. I
ignored it, 1 year ago, I felt like I could not lift my right foot high enough
to walk and people started to notice, they would tell me to stop being lazy and
pick up my feet. I started to use ankle weights to strengthen my right leg
muscles, thinking it would help. It did not. Then in April, my hand tremor was
more and more predominant, especially when I was excited or nervous. It was
happening more and more when I walked and when I rested my hand on my lap. My
thumb was now also joining in on the tremor action. I also began having painful
lower arm cramping, along with weakness. I had problems brushing my teeth. I
also began to feel weird while flying the Helicopter. Therefore, I went to a
Neurologist and movement disorder specialist and both said I had Parkinson’s
disease.
At first, I was sad, I cried, then the Doctor handed me a booklet on PD. I was
in shock. That night I found a website called the Parkinson’s recovery project,
located in Santa Cruz, California. I had already decided I did not want to use
the typical drug approach because of my profession. I decided to research the
Parkinson’s recovery project site thoroughly.
With guidance from the project, the Parkinson’s Experience is just that to me
now. It will be a passing experience. I will recover, however slowly.
After the treatment at the project and improvements in my symptoms, I am
continuing my personal, mental, physical and spiritual work. I cannot say enough
about the Parkinson’s recovery project. I owe them my life, for showing me the
truth and true path to recovery. Recovery Project Website info go to
http://www.pdrecovery.org/welcome.html
October 15, 2005
Monica has had good results with the alternative therapy she
is using and has written about it. Here is an update to her story...
WHAT IS A THERA CANE?
This amazingly simple yet effective
self-massager makes it easy to apply pain-relieving deep compression directly to
hard, knotted "trigger points" anywhere they occur - breaking up tension even in
the hardest-to-reach muscles between your shoulder blades! If you have limited
strength or mobility, Thera Cane's patented design gives you all the reach and
leverage you need!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Pressure applied to the muscles by
the Thera Cane helps to maximize the flow of oxygenated blood to the muscles.
This pressure aids in restoring muscle function by breaking up adhesions in
muscle fibers and tendons. The increased circulation helps the muscle to work
more efficiently.
(COPIED FROM THERA CANE. COM)
WHAT LED ME TO THIS DEVICE?
I HAD TERRIBLE PAIN IN MY TOP THUMB JOINT.
THE PAIN WEAKENED IT. I HAD IT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS, IT GRADUALLY BECAME VERY
PAINFUL, AND RESTRICTING THE THUMB JOINT WAS LOCKING OR CATCHING AND THEN
POPPING WHEN I USED MY THUMB. I WENT TO MY DOCTOR (PHYSICIAN’S ASST.) AND RIGHT
AWAY RECOGNIZED IT AS THE COMMON TRIGGER FINGER, WHICH IN WESTERN MEDICINE IS
TREATABLE WITH CORTISONE AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, SURGERY. HE WANTED TO
SCHEDULE THE CORTISONE INJECTION FOR ME IF I WANTED...
I ALSO HAD HAD MY LEFT SHOULDER LOCKING UP
ON ME RESTRICTING RANGE OF MOVEMENT GREATLY. (50% OF IT WAS GONE) I COULDN'T
REACH FOR THINGS, SCRATCH MY BACK, BUCKLE MY SEATBELT WITHOUT FIRST WAITING
UNTIL IT UNLOCKED THEN TRYING. IT WAS HURTING, ANNOYING, AND FRUSTRATING. THE
DOC SAID IT WAS PROBABLY TENDONITIS. THE THUMB AND THE SHOULDER WERE CAUSING ME
GREAT DISCOMFORT WHILE AWAKE AND ASLEEP.. BOTH WERE BECOMING DULL ACHES
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, IT WAS GETTING SO BAD.
I WENT HOME AND RESEARCHED THE NET AND
FOUND THAT NEITHER OF THE ABOVE SOLVES THE ISSUE. BOTH ARE INVASIVE SHORT TERM
FIXES. WHAT I DID FIND WAS THE EXPLANATION FOR TRIGGER FINGER AND ITS ORIGINS. I
DECIDED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE THUMB AND MAYBE I WOULD FIND THE ANSWER TO THE
SHOULDER TOO SOMEHOW.
TRIGGER FINGER COMES FROM AN IRRITATED
TRIGGER POINT IN CERTAIN MUSCLES FURTHER UP THE ARM AND HAND...TRIGGER POINTS
DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF MUSCULAR INJURIES, STRAINS AND TRAUMA. ADDITIONALLY,
STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE, IMPROPER BODY MECHANICS, AND MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL
STRESS...SKELETAL MUSCLE, THE LARGEST SINGLE ORGAN OF THE HUMAN BODY ACCOUNTS
FOR 40% OR MORE OF BODY WEIGHT. AS REPORTED THERE ARE 200 PAIRED MUSCLES, A
TOTAL OF 400 MUSCLES, ANY ONE OF WHICH CAN DEVELOP MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINT AND
PAIN....
PARKINSON'S DYSTONIAS, AKINESIAS, RIGIDITY,
FALLS, FREEZING AND TREMORS I IMAGINE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO HUGE STRUCTURAL
IMBALANCES AND IMPROPER BODY MECHANICS NOT TO INCLUDE STRAIN WITH TRAUMA AND
GREAT MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS. IT MAKES ME WONDER IF PARKINSON'S PATIENTS
HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF MYO FASCIAL TRIGGER POINT, PAIN THAT COULD BE MANAGED
BETTER ON OUR OWN WITHOUT ADDITIONAL MEDS. THIS INFORMATION LED ME TO RESEARCH
TRIGGER POINT MYO FASCIAL RELEASE THERAPY.
JUST A NOTE: I HAD BROKE THE THUMB 5 YRS
AGO AND SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE GENESIS FOR THE TRIGGER FINGER. ALSO
REPETITIVE MOTION OF THROTTLE TWISTING IN MY JOB FOR 25 YRS WAS MAYBE A CAUSE
TOO. PARKINSON'S MAY OR MAY NOT TIE IN MY PARTICULAR CASE. BUT IT MAKES ME
WONDER HOW TRIGGER POINTS COULD FORM VERY EASILY IN PARKINSON'S DISEASED PEOPLE
BASED ON THE ABOVE DEFINITION. AND I WONDERED HOW BENEFICIAL MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
THERAPY WOULD BE TO PARKINSON'S IN GENERAL...ESPECIALLY IF WE COULD
INEXPENSIVELY DO THIS THERAPY ON OURSELVES ON A DAILY BASIS. COULD THE THERA
CANE HELP? WOULD INSURANCE PAY FOR ONE?
WHICH LED ME TO THE PURCHASE OF THE BOOK
CALLED TRIGGER POINT THERAPY WORKBOOK. THIS IS A SELF - TREATMENT GUIDE FOR
MYOFASCIAL PAIN RELIEF...
WHAT IS MYO FASCIAL MEAN? EVER WASH A
CHICKEN BEFORE COOKING IT. THERE IS THIS SLIMEY CLEAR TISSUE OVER THE MEAT THAT
IS HARD TO REMOVE. OUR BODIES HAVE THE SAME THING... MYO MEANS OF MUSCLE AND
FASCIA (L) MEANS A THIN LAYER OF PROTECTIVE TISSUE COVERING, SUPPORTING, OR
CONNECTING THE MUSCLES OR INNER ORGANS OF THE BODY.
WHAT IS TRIGGER POINT THERAPY? There are
many definitions describing myofascial trigger points (TrP). The most commonly
referred to is Travel and Simons (1983, pp.4) definition that a myofascial
trigger point is "a hyperirritable spot, usually within a taut band of skeletal
muscle or in the muscles fascia. The spot is painful on compression and can give
rise to characteristic referred pain, tenderness and autonomic phenomena".
WHAT DOES MYOFASCIAL RELEASE MEAN?
Myofascial release is a therapeutic
treatment utilizing a gentle form of stretching, producing a healing effect upon
the body tissues, eliminating pain and restoring motion. Malfunction of the
fascial system due to trauma, posture, or inflammation can create a binding down
of the fascia, resulting in abnormal pressure on nerves, muscles, bones, or
organs. By freeing up fascia that may be impeding blood vessels or nerves,
myofascial release is also said to enhance the body's innate restorative powers
by improving circulation and nervous system transmission. Some patients with
sports injuries or plantar fasciitis can benefit from such a modality.
"THE PRICE OF IGNORANCE?"
TRAVEL AND SIMMONS BELIEVED THAT TRIGGER
POINTS ARE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF PAIN AND THAT THE PUBLIC SUFFERS PAIN NEEDLESSLY
BECAUSE TOO MANY DOCTORS ARE STILL UNINFORMED ABOUT THEM... FOR THAT REASON,
THEY BELIEVE MISDIAGNOSIS OF PAIN AND INEFFECTIVE TREATMENTS OFTEN CHARACTERIZE
THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, RESULTING IN ENORMOUS UNNECESSARY COST, BOTH TO THE
POCKETBOOK AND TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE (1999, 12,14,36 ) IN THE TRIGGER POINT
MANUAL, THEY LIST TWENTY-FOUR EXAMPLES OF MISTAKEN DIAGNOSIS'S, FROM ANGINA AND
APPENDICITIS TO TENNIS ELBOW AND TENSION HEADACHE, THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE MADE
WHEN THE PHYSICIAN IS UNAWARE THAT MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS MAY BE TO BLAME
(1000, 37). TOO OFTEN, THEY BELIEVE, WHEN PAIN HAS A MYOFASCIAL ORIGIN,
DIAGNOSIS ENTIRELY ELUDES THE PHYSICIAN, WHO THEN IS APT TO WRITE THE PROBLEM
OFF AS MINOR OR IMAGINARY AND CATEGORIZE IT AS UNTREATABLE,. TOO MANY PEOPLE
GRIMLY LIVE WITH PAIN THAT IS VERY REAL AND THAT COULD BE VERY EASILY TREATED IF
THEIR DOCTOR COULD ACQUIRE THE APPROPRIATE KNOWLEDGE " ( TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
WORKBOOK, PG 17 )
DOCTORS DO KNOW ABOUT TRIGGER POINTS BUT
THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIRS I THINK THE WESTERN MEDICINE PHILOSOPHY TO FIX
SOMETHING AFTER IT IS BROKEN AND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IS THE MODALITY OF
CHOICE. AND THIS IS DICTATED TO THE DOCTORS BY THE DEMANDING PATIENTS NEED FOR
QUICK RELIEF... AND THE POWERFUL DRUG COMPANIES WHO HAVE JUST THE PILL FOR JUST
ABOUT EVERYTHING...HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW PHARMACEUTICAL COMMERCIAL ON TV FOR RSL
(RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME)? THEY ARE PUSHING REQUIP FOR RSL...THEY HAVE A NAME FOR
EVERY LITTLE THING NOW...TWENTY YEARS AGO YOU JUST GOT UP AND TOOK A WALK TO
TAKE CARE OF IT... MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE POURED INTO PHARMACEUTICAL
ADVERTISING WHICH CAUSES THE PUBLIC'S ALMOST EXCLUSIVE DEPENDENCE ON DRUGS FOR
PAIN AND OTHER CONDITIONS..
ALTHOUGH WESTERN MEDICINE COMMUNITY RESISTS
HAVING TO LEARN ABOUT NEW, UNTESTED NOTIONS ABOUT PAIN, TRIGGER POINTS AREN'T
REALLY A NEW CONCEPT...TRAVELL AND SIMMONS, IN THEIR EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF MEDICAL
LITERATURE, FOUND THAT KNOT LIKE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRIGGER POINTS HAVE BEEN
WRITTEN ABOUT FOR OVER 150 YRS. JANET TRAVELL, M..D. (1901 - 1997 ) WHO WAS THE
WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN FOR THE KENNEDY AND JOHNSON ADMINISTRATIONS IS RECOGNIZED
AS THE LEADING PIONEER IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF MYOFASCIAL PAIN....SHE KEPT
KENNEDY FUNCTIONING.
TRAVEL ALONG WITH DAVID SIMMONS, M.D.
(B.1922) CO AUTHORED THE TRIGGER POINT MANUAL. THEY FIRST MET WHEN SHE LECTURED
ABOUT TRIGGER POINTS AND MYOFASCIAL PAIN AT THE AIR FORCE'S SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE
MEDICINE... SIMMONS WAS SO IMPRESSED AND INTRIGUED WITH TRAVEL'S WORK THAT HE
EVENTUALLY RETIRED FROM T HE AIR FORCE AND BEGAN AN APPRENTICESHIP UNDER HER..
SIMMONS HAD LONG EXPERIENCE AS A RESEARCH SCIENTIST PRIOR TO MEETING TRAVELL. HE
WORKED AS AN AEROSPACE PHYSICIAN, DEVELOPING IMPROVED METHODS OF MEASURING
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO STRESS OF WEIGHTLESSNESS A SIDELINE IN HIS CAREER IS
THE FACT THAT HE AT THAT TIME SET THE WORLD ALTITUDE RECORD FOR MANNED BALLOON
FLIGHT IN 1957. HE WAS FEATURED ON THE COVER OF LIFE MAGAZINE THAT YEAR AND
SUBSEQUENTLY WROTE A BOOK, MAN HIGH (1960), ABOUT THAT ADVENTURE.
SORRY TO HAVE GOTTEN OFF THE BEATEN
TRACK...BUT NOW I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MUSCLE TENSION.......I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
PARKINSON'S IN MAY 2005. I AM NOT TAKING DRUGS BY CHOICE AND FOLLOWING ANOTHER
PATH FOR RECOVERY. I EXPERIENCE MILD DYSTONIA IN MY RIGHT LOWER ARM... I ALSO
HAVE RIGHT HAND TREMOR... IT OCCURS WHILE WALKING MOSTLY OR DRIVING WHEN
TENSE... I ALSO HAVE THE TYPICAL HEAD LEANING FORWARD AND MY BODY TOO...MY KNEES
TEND TO NOT WANT TO STRAIGHTEN. I HAVE TO CONSCIOUSLY REMEMBER TO KEEP A GOOD
POSTURE THROUGHOUT THE DAY...I'VE NOTICED MY PARKINSON'S FRIENDS HAVE SIMILAR
POSTURE PROBLEMS AS WELL..
I WOULD GUESS HABITUAL PARKINSON'S POSTURAL
MUSCLE TENSION CAUSES ANXIETY, WHICH AFFECTS EMOTIONS AND THEN MOOD ETC. IF MY
MUSCLES ARE HABITUALLY TENSE THEY ARE IN A CONTINUOUS STATE OF NERVOUS
PREPAREDNESS, BRACED FOR ACTION. THAT MEANS THEY NEVER GET A BREAK, NEVER GET A
CHANCE TO REST. (TREMOR). SO SOME MUSCLE TENSION IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO
FUNCTION. BUT WITH PARKINSON'S THIS CAUSES STRESS AND STRAIN BEYOND THE NORM.
AND T HIS LEAVES RESIDUAL MUSCLE TENSION IN ITS WAKE. IF THIS TENSION BECOMES
EXCESSIVE AND HABITUAL, IT CAN CONTRIBUTE A DEADLY CYCLE OF MOUNTING NERVOUS
TENSION AND ANXIETY BUT ALSO CAN SERIOUSLY UNDERMINE PHYSICAL HEALTH. AMONG
OTHER THINGS, HABITUAL EXCESS TENSION IN SKELETAL (EXTERNAL) MUSCLES KEEPS BLOOD
PRESSURE HIGH, FOSTERS DISEASE-PRODUCING TENSION IN INTERNAL ORGANS, AND WEAKENS
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ( JACOBSON 1967, 70)
ENOUGH SAID....AND I COULD GO ON
FOREVER.........I CAME ACROSS THE EXACT PHYSICAL CAUSE OF MY LEFT TRIGGER FINGER
PAIN IN THE TRIGGER POINT THERAPY WORKBOOK AND HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ITS
SUGGESTIONS......I STARTED MASSAGING THE MUSCLES THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS REFERRED
PAIN ( PAIN THAT IS FELT IN MY THUMB DOESN'T ORIGINATE THERE. IT COMES FROM
TRIGGER POINTS IN MUSCLES FURTHER UP THE ARM AND INTO MY NECK )....BEING MY
RIGHT ARM IS THE TREMOR ARM AND WEAKER IT IS NOT ALL THAT GREAT FOR MESSAGING
THE TRIGGER FINGER LEFT HAND FOR THAT LONG. THE MANUAL MENTIONED THE THERA CANE
DEVICE TO HELP MASSAGE THESE POINTS EASIER... ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 I BOUGHT
ONE FROM THE BACK STORE FOR AROUND 50 BUCKS... COME TO FIND OUT YOU CAN PURCHASE
ONE FOR HALF THAT ONLINE...DOH! IT IS SO EFFECTIVE. WITH HARDLY ANY PRESSURE, I
CAN MASSAGE THE MUSCLES ANYWHERE ON MY BODY. NOT ONLY DO I DO THE LEFT AFFECTED
ARM BUT I'VE BEEN DOING MY ENTIRE BODY...IT FEELS GREAT! MY THUMB IS IMPROVING.
I HAVE LESS PAIN NOW.....THIS MORNING ( OCT. 17 MONDAY ) THE SHOULDER RELEASED
AND I HAVE 95 % OF MY RANGE OF MOVEMENT BACK WITH NO PAIN....AND THE OVERALL
MASSAGE BEFORE BEDTIME HAS ME SLEEPING LIKE A BABY.......THE BENEFITS OF SELF
MASSAGE I CANNOT SPEAK ENOUGH FOR.....ITS COSTLY TO HIRE A MASSEUSE. AND I DON'T
HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO SPEND AS OFTEN AS I WOULD LOVE...I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
THE THERA CANE FOR ANYONE WHO IS SELF DISCIPLINED ENOUGH TO USE IT REGULARLY
WHETHER YOU ARE IN PAIN OR NOT...IT IS A GREAT PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TOOL.
AND A GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE WHEN COMPANY CALLS. LOOKING AT IT AS A WEAPON HAS
CROSSED MY MIND TOO...OR USING IT AS A REACHING TOOL...
A SIDE NOTE; THERA CANE WAS DEVELOPED BY A
CHRONIC PAIN PATIENT TO HELP RELIEVE HIS OWN DISCOMFORT RESULTING FROM NECK
SURGERY AND A HERNIATED DISC IN HIS BACK.
THE AUTHOR OF THE TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
WORKBOOK, CLAIR DAVIES NCTMB (NATIONALLY CERTIFIED IN THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE AND
BODYWORK) SPECIALIZES IN TRIGGER POINT MASSAGE FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN.. HIS
INTEREST BEGAN WHEN HE SUCCESSFULLY SELF-TREATED A FROZEN SHOULDER WITH TRIGGER
POINT MASSAGE. (HE WAS A PIANO TUNER BEFORE FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS ) HIS COAUTHOR,
DAUGHTER, AMBER DAVIES, NCTMB SUFFERED A DEBILITATING BACK INJURY AS A TEEN. THE
INJURY WASN'T COMPLETELY RESOLVED UNTIL MANY YEARS LATER WHEN HER DAD BEGAN
TREATING HER AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS METHOD OF TRIGGER POINT
THERAPY....THE SUCCESS OF THE TREATMENT INSPIRED HER TO FOLLOW HER DAD INTO A
CAREER AS A THERAPIST TOO.........
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