Parkinsons and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy – Roseville Today

Sacramento, Calif.- Being diagnosed with Parkinsons and living with this neurological condition can be devastating, however, a safe and extremely effective treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), can potentially provide a renewed sense of hope.

Parkinsons is caused by the degeneration of neurons in the brain area that makes dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects movement. As dopamine declines, the characteristic tremors, balance, speech, and motor problems develop. The common Parkinsons treatment are drugs that mimic dopamine, and while these drugs can improve symptoms, disease progression is not halted, and side effects mount with longterm use.

Julian Whitaker, MD, of Whitaker Wellness primary approach to treating Parkinsons was twofold: using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and the antioxidant glutathione, synergistically. Whitaker found that Parkinsons patients have dangerously low levels of the antioxidant glutathione in the affected area of the brain, and boosting glutathione not only guards against further damage, but it also enhances the function of surviving neurons.

Patients at Whitaker Wellness were also treated with HBOT which is highly beneficial for stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain injuries and Parkinsons, and a wide variety of other medical conditions. HBOT floods the brain with oxygen, slowing neuronal degeneration, mobilizes rejuvenating stem cells, and enhances angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels that nurture damaged areas). He says glutathione and HBOT are a powerful 1-2 punch.

The symptoms of Parkinsons can vary in type and severity. Often HBOT has been discovered effective by accident as in the case where a patient with diabetes used HBOT for a foot ulcer but found that the treatment also greatly improved his Parkinsons symptoms. After 50 years of HBOT treatment, one thing is certain, hyperbaric oxygen will not worsen Parkinsons. HBOT has been shown to be antiinflammatory in many conditions. For example, a patient with advanced Parkinsons who is confined to a wheelchair may be able to get up and walk across the room after a series of HBOT.

In an Italian study, 55 of 63 patients showed significant improvement after HBOT, a therapy which is beginning to be widely used in neurodegenerative conditions, especially movement disorders. More and more research is being published on the benefits of HBOT and Parkinsons.

Approximately 40-60% of Parkinsons patients also experience mood disorders. HBOT has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety.

Taking a very different approach in the treatment of Parkinsons, Borromei et al. in 1996 demonstrated that HBOT appeared to be effective in improving many of the behavioral and motor deficits observed in Parkinsons patients.

During the treatment period, a patient voluntarily reduced his Sinemet Parkinsons drug doses until he was completely off the drug after 34 weeks of HBOT therapy, which was an unexpected result. He has continued to remain off of Sinemet therapy and avoid complications or adverse side effects such as myopia.

According to A review on the neuroprotective effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, PMID 33818447, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, intermittent breathing of 100% oxygen at a pressure upper than sea level, has been shown to be neuroprotective in a wide range of neurological disorders, including Parkinsons Disease.

HBOT is safe, effective, and might be a potential therapeutic modality in treating patients suffering from Parkinsons without causing drug side effects such as dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements).

Explore additional topics from Dr. Godby, ND, MA at Natural Wellness.

As a naturopathic doctor for the last 18 years, I have witnessed the power of a preventative lifestyle and naturopathic medicine to transform the health and lives of thousands of patients.

Sacramento Naturopathic 2530 J Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95816 Phone: (916) 446-2591 sac-nd.com/dr-dennis-godby-nd-ma

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Parkinsons and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - Roseville Today