May 16, 2025 • 46 mins
In this follow-up to their previous Parkinson’s Disease (PD) episode, Dr. McMinn and Coach Lindsay explore how functional and integrative medicine can complement traditional treatments for PD. They emphasize that their goal is not to replace conventional medicine, but to “fill in the gaps” with evidence-based holistic therapies that address the root causes and improve patient quality of life.
They define functional medicine as a root-cause approach that asks "why" a disease occurs, and integrative medicine as the use of non-conventional tools—like acupuncture or diet—to enhance care beyond drugs and surgery.
For PD, traditional medicine plays a vital role, especially in treating motor symptoms (e.g., tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia). However, functional and integrative approaches can address underlying contributors and may be especially useful for non-motor symptoms.
*Root Causes & Risk Factors of PD Discussed:
-Genetics & Epigenetics: Genetics increases risk, but lifestyle and environmental factors play a significant role in gene expression, via epigenetics.
-Toxins: Pesticides, solvents like TCE, heavy metals, mold, air pollution, and microplastics have all been linked to increased PD risk.
-Head trauma, especially from sports like football and soccer, increases PD risk.
-Gut-brain axis: Emerging evidence shows PD often starts in the gut, years before classic Parkinson's motor symptoms appear.
*Functional Prevention & Lifestyle Strategies:
-Diet: Mediterranean and MIND diets lower PD risk and delay symptom onset.
-Coffee: Regular consumption may lower PD risk by ~40%.
-Exercise: Reduces risk and helps with motor/non-motor symptoms. Boxing (e.g., Rock Steady Boxing), tai chi, yoga, walking, and especially dance (ParkinDance) improve motor control, cognition, and mood.
-Connection with Nature lowers PD risk.
-Avoid toxins and head injuries.
*Integrative Treatments for Non-Motor Symptoms:
-Constipation: Addressed via diet, hydration, and handouts available at www.McMinnMD.com.
-Fatigue: Covered in a previous 2018 fatigue-focused episode.
-Sarcopenia: Counteracted with resistance training, diet, TRT, and vitamin D.
-Urinary issues: Pelvic floor therapy and fluid strategies help.
-Sleep disorders: Melatonin, sleep hygiene, CBT-I, light therapy, acupuncture.
-Mood issues (anxiety, depression): Yoga, tai chi, CBT, group support, soci
Please CLICK ON THIS LINK to support the show.
-Check out our website at https://mcminnmd.com for other IMPORTANT LINKS, including social media links. You can find these at the bottom of the main page under the heading "Helpful Links."
-Click on the following link for our FULLSCRIPT dispensary for a 10% discount on physician-grade supplements: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/jmcminn/signup
FullScript Dispensary is an affiliate from which I receive a commission.
Check out Dr. McMinn's Wellness MD Blog at
https://mcminnmd.com/wellness-md-blog-1
Go to https://mcminnmd.com/reviews to see How to rate and review this podcast on an iPhone
You can contact Dr. McMinn at DoctorMcMinn@yahoo.com to leave comments or to make suggestions for future shows.
Follow Dr. McMinn at:
https://twitter.com/mcminnmd
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcminnmd/
https://www.instagram.com/mcminnmd
https://www.facebook.com/mcminnmd
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Wellness Connection MD.
Today we have for you part twoon a series on Parkinson's
disease.
In our last episode, we had twovery special guests on the show
who shared with us a greatsummary of traditional medical
approaches to Parkinson's, andtoday we're picking up where we
left off to bring you thescientific evidence on some
proven holistic, integrative andfunctional therapeutic
(00:20):
modalities in order to empowereach patient to achieve his or
her best possible quality oflife.
This is not about replacingtraditional treatments, but
instead we focus on some of thefundamental principles of
functional medicine, such as theroot cause of the disease, as
well as preventive andintegrated strategies in order
to complement traditionalmedicine and to optimize
outcomes.
We hope that you learnsomething, that we can help some
(00:43):
people and that you enjoy theshow.
And now on to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Welcome to the Wellness Connection MD Podcast
with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsey, where we bring you the latest
up-to-date, evidence-basedinformation on a wide variety of
health and wellness topics,along with practical take-home
solutions.
Dr McMinn is an integrated andfunctional MD and Lindsey
Matthews is a registered nurseand IIN-certified health coach.
(01:07):
Together, our goal is to helpyou optimize your health and
wellness in mind, body andspirit.
To see a list of all of ourpodcasts, visit McMinnMDcom and
to stay up to date on the latesttopics, be sure to subscribe to
our podcast on your favoritepodcast player so that you'll be
notified when future episodescome out.
The discussions contained inthis podcast are for educational
(01:29):
purposes only and are notintended to diagnose or treat
any disease.
Please do not apply any of thisinformation without approval
from your personal doctor.
And now on to the show with DrMcMinn and Coach Lindsey.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD
podcast with Dr McMinn and CoachLindsey, the evidence-based
podcast on all things wellness,where we bring you honest,
commercial-free, unbiased,up-to-date and evidence-based
information, along withpractical solutions to empower
you to overcome your healthcarechallenges, to optimize your
wellness in mind, body andspirit and to become a great
(02:03):
captain of your ship when itcomes to your health and
wellness.
We thank you so much forjoining us today.
I'm Dr Jim McMinn.
I'm here with our co-host,registered nurse and IIN
certified coach, ms LindsayMatthews.
Good morning, coach.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Good morning, Dr Mack .
I'm glad to be back and I'm sadI missed the last episode.
It was just packed with goodstuff with NP Laura and Sister
Cindy.
I really enjoyed tuning intothat one.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
In our last show, we did an expansive discussion
about Parkinson's with Cindy andLaura, really more from a
traditional medicine point ofview, and while I feel that is
very important to discuss fromthat perspective, I also think
it may be helpful to discussmore of a complementary,
functional and integrativeapproach in order to give the
patient a full spectrum oftherapeutic options, and so that
(02:50):
will be the topic of our showtoday.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But before we get into Parkinson's disease, we
need to take care of somebusiness, and by that we always
like to just let our listenersknow that our podcast remains
commercial-free, which, ofcourse, is rare in podcast
circles these days.
However, it does cost us moneyto produce the podcast, so we
greatly appreciate anycontributions that you can make
to our show here.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And making a contribution may actually save
you money.
Go figure, here's how.
My hunch is that most of youlisteners take some nutritional
supplements now and then, and so, if you do, then consider
purchasing supplements from ourFullscript dispensary at a 10%
discount.
You can see the link toFullscript in the show notes, or
go to mcmimdcom, and the linkwill also be there for you at
(03:34):
the bottom of the homepage underhelpful links.
It's quite simple Just click onthe link and they'll guide you
through the process and they'llship the supplements right to
your front door.
It's a win-win you get highquality supplements at a
discount, and so you save moneyand we get your support for the
show, for which we are verygrateful.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yes, another way is that you can safely help support
our show is to make acontribution directly to it via
credit card or by PayPal at thesupport the show link, which is
also there in the show notes.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And please don't forget to subscribe to the show
and please tell your friends andfamily about the show so we can
keep it growing and we thankyou so much.
So now, with all that businessout of the way, on to the show.
And we certainly thank Lauraand Cindy so much for their
excellent review of Parkinson'slast month.
They certainly brought us a tonof useful information.
However, our podcast generallyfocuses on functional and
(04:23):
integrative approach to health,so we want to share some
thoughts with you on functionalroot causes and integrative
approaches to Parkinson'sdisease today.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
For those who might be new to the show, let's be
sure to briefly set the stage asfar as what we mean by
functional and integrativemedicine.
We did an entire podcast onthis back in 2018, called An
Introduction to FunctionalMedicine, so check back that out
to hear a more in-depthdiscussion on the topic.
But briefly, let's just talkabout functional and integrative
(04:55):
medicine and define it.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Well, I look at functional medicine as a
symptoms biology-based approachto healthcare that focuses on
identifying and addressing theroot causes of disease.
In my mind, the essence offunctional medicine revolves
around the question why?
Why does the patient have thedisease?
And we have found that if youcan identify and treat the why
of the disease, that you canoften make fundamental progress
(05:18):
towards cure, even whentraditional methods have failed.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And integrative medicine is what, dr Mack, you
call the expanded toolbox,really, of therapies.
So another way of saying thatwould be what else can we do for
a particular disease above andbeyond traditional medicine,
which mainly focuses on drugsand surgery in the toolbox?
So, for example, acupuncturemight be something additionally
(05:44):
added to the toolbox that's beenproven to be effective for many
disease states.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
And let me just say there's a time and a place for
traditional Western medicine,with an emphasis on drugs and
surgery, and there's also a timeand a place for what we might
call alternative, integrativeand functional therapies.
Clearly, if you have a rupturedaorta, then you should not be
messing around with acupuncturesupplements or medication.
You need stat life-savingsurgery, right this.
Second.
However, I have also found overthe years that certain
(06:12):
conditions like, for instance,chronic fatigue syndrome or
certain gut problems, oftenrespond better to a functional,
integrative approach.
But to me, parkinson's is oneof those things that can benefit
from really from both is one ofthose things that can benefit
from really from both.
It's a complementary approachutilizing drugs and sometimes
surgery, for instance, with deepbrain stimulation, as well as
(06:33):
evidence-based functional andintegrative therapies, and it's
our goal today to lay out theevidence in this podcast for a
complementary approach toParkinson's.
So clearly, our goal is neverto bash traditional medicine.
Quite frankly, it has saved mylife and I'm very grateful for
it.
Instead, we're just trying tofill in the gaps with credible,
evidence-based complementarytherapy in order to maximize
outcomes for our patients.
So let's start by looking at theroot causes of Parkinson's.
(06:55):
The vast majority ofParkinson's cases are likely
caused by a complex interplay ofgenetic and environmental
factors rather than one singlecause.
We know that having a parent orsibling with Parkinson's
increases one's odds of gettingParkinson's.
So there's certainly a geneticrole.
And we also know that you can'tchange your genes.
You've just got to pick yourparents better next time.
However, the science is veryclear that you can change
(07:18):
epigenetic expression.
For instance, two identicaltwins may have the same genetic
risk for Parkinson's and yet onegets it and one doesn't, and
that is usually due to theepigenetic changes brought about
by things like lifestylefactors, which we will discuss
in great detail in just a moment.
Age and sex also play a role,since advanced age is a major
risk factor and since men getParkinson's disease much more
(07:40):
than women.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
That's right and known environmental factors are
linked to Parkinson's disease,so those include exposure to
toxins like pesticides,herbicides, heavy metals,
solvents and mycotoxins frommold.
So, for example, agriculturalworkers exposed to these
pesticides and herbicides show asubstantially higher likelihood
(08:03):
of developing Parkinson'scompared to the general
population.
In fact, epidemiologicalstudies estimate that up to 23
percent of Parkinson's diseasecases are associated with
pesticide exposure, and thatjust really highlights the
potential for prevention, if wecan even just start from the
get-go of limiting contact withthese chemicals.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Some of the industrial solvents, like
trichoral ethylene, seem to beparticularly bad actors.
A study found that individualsexposed to TCE had a 500% higher
risk of developing Parkinson'slater in life.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Five zero zero percent.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
That's so huge and I think that I would certainly try
to avoid these chemicals if Icould, but unfortunately some
people go to work and that'sjust part of their work
assignment and they just have nooptions.
But certainly it does hugelyincrease the risk of getting
Parkinson's later in life.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
You know, microplastics are one of the
hottest topics in discussionabout toxins these days, and
these microplastics areliterally everywhere.
Unless you live in a bubble,it's almost impossible to avoid
them.
Plastics are literallyeverywhere.
Unless you live in a bubble,it's almost impossible to avoid
them.
But bad news is, the studieshave found a definite link
between microplastics and thedevelopment of Parkinson's
disease.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
We even see air pollution playing a role as a
causative factor for Parkinson's, with people in high-exposure
areas at much greater risk ascompared to people in
low-exposure areas, and thisultimately creates some
environmental racism andclassism, since you're much less
likely to find high levels ofair pollution in affluent white
neighborhoods.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
So if exposure to toxins is a cause for
Parkinson's disease, then canreducing toxin exposure reduce
the incident of Parkinson'sdisease?
The answer is a solid yes,thank goodness.
So reducing exposure toenvironmental toxins is strongly
associated with a lower risk ofdeveloping Parkinson's disease
later in life, with studies thatsuggest up to 30% of the cases
(09:54):
in men and up to 25% in womencould be prevented by just
mitigating this toxin exposurerisk.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
And before we leave the topic of toxins, let me just
mention that we did a completepodcast on toxins back in 2021.
You might want to go back andlisten to that.
I think it was one of ourbetter ones.
Quite frankly, it was quitethorough.
I do think that toxins arevastly underappreciated as a
cause of disease, especiallyneurodegenerative diseases like
Parkinson's.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
So, dr Mack?
The next obvious question thenis if toxins cause Parkinson's
disease, then can any detoxprotocol help to treat
Parkinson's disease?
Unfortunately, after searchingthe literature, we are not able
to find any high-quality studiesthat point to significantly
improved outcomes forParkinson's disease with a detox
protocol.
However, we feel that there maybe a research bias here.
(10:45):
The mainstream medical andresearch communities seem to
have their head in the sand whenit comes to toxins.
Unfortunately, the science issolid that toxins are a huge
cause of disease, but it justseems to be largely ignored.
Think about it when was thelast time your doctor asked you
about your toxin exposure?
(11:06):
I would even go so far as tosay that we tend to sweep the
issue under the rug andconveniently ignore the obvious
truth about the profoundnegative effects of toxins on
our health.
Maybe if there was a moreexpensive blockbuster drug for
toxins, there would be a largeramount of money to make.
Then we might have moreinterest in studies on the
(11:26):
issues.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
You know, as we'll talk about later, my dad had
Parkinson's and he had quite abit of toxin exposure.
He was a farmer and so hesprayed the cattle with
pesticides and he also was inVietnam and exposed to Asian
orange, and yet I think in hisjourney through Parkinson's I
don't think they ever asked himabout toxins, toxin exposure.
So I'm just saying that, evenwhen it's obviously connected,
(11:51):
they don't ask about it.
So I think, again, we kind ofhave our head in the sand on
that issue.
As we mentioned earlier, headinjuries are also a causative
factor for Parkinson's.
Studies have shown thatindividuals who experience mild
traumatic brain injury have a56% increased risk of
Parkinson's, while moderate tosevere traumatic brain injury
raises the risk by about 83%.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Both of those numbers are significant.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
They are, aren't they ?
And?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
one.
You just think about mildtrauma and what that could all
constitute.
So some common sense measureswould be advisable then if we
see these percentages being sohigh.
So like wearing a seatbelt anda helmet when appropriate and
avoiding high risk situations.
I think as a mom out here, onecould even make a case for not
(12:39):
engaging in contact sports likefootball, as I tell my kids how
many heads do you have?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Do you?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
ever get another one.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
No this is the only one you have, I know, I know,
and yet we do some pretty stupidthings, don't we?
Lindsay Historically.
But maybe we'll learn, I don'tknow.
A study published in JAMA backin 2023 found that men who had
played organized Americanfootball had a 61% higher odds
of having a reported diagnosisof Parkinson's than those who
(13:07):
played other organized sports.
Wow, coach, that's really kindof scary for the footballers.
I'm a former footballer myself,and so, yeah, had I known, maybe
I would have changed my mind.
But at the end of the day,everybody's got to look at risk
benefit.
I mean, as a former ER doc, Ilook at the world through a
different set of glasses.
You know, I see people comingin having the results of making
(13:29):
choices.
You know, somebody makes achoice of riding, for instance,
a motorcycle without a helmet,and okay, they love the wind in
their hair.
And and okay, they love thewind in their hair, and if
that's worth taking the risk,fine.
But at the end of the day, yeah, it's pretty bad for traumatic
brain injury.
And so, likewise with thingslike football and soccer and
stuff like that, then we justhave to make the best choice we
(13:51):
can.
I personally have always feltthat using the head as a
battering ram by purposelyhitting a soccer ball is not a
smart idea.
Did you play soccer, lindsay?
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I only for like one year.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I was not very good at soccer.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I was more interested in picking flowers, I think.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Yeah, you know, I didn't really play soccer on an
organized team, but you know, ingym class and stuff.
But that ball is not soft.
No, it is not.
I mean you hit it with yourhead, no, and indeed guess what?
Studies have shown thatrepeated heading of a soccer
ball may contribute to a higherrisk of developing Parkinson's.
So again, y'all might want toconsider tennis or something
(14:28):
like that, or rather thanfootball or soccer.
It seems to me like there couldbe some kind of a protective
headband or something like that.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
There actually is.
I know that there is Soccerplayers.
I never see it Lindsay, Iremember.
No, I don't think it'sadvertised big, but I remember
having this conversation innursing school because my
nursing instructor was very avidabout soccer players wearing
these little headbands with.
Now, that's only one.
It's a headband, so it's notthe entire head, so but I think
it exists, but I never seeanybody wear it.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I don't either, and you remember years ago, lindsay,
professional hockey playersnever wore helmets.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
And then now all of them wear helmets.
Yes, but they never worehelmets and there were a lot of
head injuries and it was reallytragic.
But nowadays I think you know,we're seeing, we're on to
realize it's just not worthhaving this brain trauma,
repeated brain trauma from notwearing any kind of protective
device, and so I would hope thatsome wise people along the way
(15:28):
would get people to startwearing them.
The pros wear them, or?
the college players wear themand they can set that example.
Then the kids will startwearing them.
But the kids have these reallyprecious little reins and
they're still forming and Ithink we just need to take
better care of them.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
But anyway, agreed, agreed.
Another emerging theory of thecause of Parkinson's disease is
that Parkinson's starts in thegut and there does seem to be
ample evidence to support thegut Parkinson's disease is that
Parkinson's starts in the gutand there does seem to be ample
evidence to support thegut-Parkinson's connection.
It's interesting that in mostcases the classic constipation
associated with Parkinson'sdisease usually comes on many
(16:11):
years before the neurologicsymptoms.
There are actually multiplestudies that indicate the
alpha-synuclein proteins thatare deposited in the
gastrointestinal nerves up to 20years before the onset of
Parkinson's disease symptoms,and that really suggests that
the gut may play a significantrole in the development.
And then there's another studythat was published in Nature
(16:33):
Abuse Neurology that reportedthat phosphorylated
alpha-synuclein, which is thepathological form of the protein
associated with Parkinson's,can be detected in the
gastrointestinal tract up to twodecades before that definitive
diagnosis is made.
So interesting to see that thedevelopment prior to actual
(16:54):
diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Yeah, that whole gut-brain connection is really
one of the hottest topics ofmedicine these days.
It's really fascinating andit's about 80% gut to brain
rather than brain to gut.
So that makes sense.
And I remember I went to thiswonderful lecture by a UAB world
famous neurologist who talkedabout this.
The title of the lecture wasParkinson's Disease Starts in
your Gut, and it had a lot to dowith many things, but including
(17:16):
the gut microbiome, which we'vetalked about many times on the
show.
We've done some dedicatedpodcasts to that.
But anyway, she said one of thefirst things you want to do is
to improve your diet.
And when she was asked aboutwhat kind of diet, she said the
key is a wide variety of fiber.
That's kind of interesting,isn't it, Coach?
So you know once again, doessupporting gut health then help
(17:37):
prevent Parkinson's disease?
And guess what, Coach?
It appears that it does.
The first thing you want to do,again, is to optimize your diet
.
A study found that participantswith the highest adherence to a
Mediterranean diet had a 25%lower risk of developing
Parkinson's compared to thosewith the lowest adherence, and a
2024 systematic review notedthat for folks who do get
(17:58):
Parkinson's disease, thesehealthy diets may delay symptom
onset by several years.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
And, on the contrary, poor diets marked by low fiber
and high sugar are linked to promay be particularly helpful for
neurodegenerative diseases likeParkinson's.
A great book on the subject isthe MIND Diet Plan and Cookbook
by Julie Andrews and we havethat listed for you at
mcminnmdcom under the Referencesand Resources tab.
Under the References andResources tab.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
You know, years ago, lindsay, I actually purchased
every book I could find on thatdiet the MIND diet and I went
through them all and I landed onthis one because it's pretty
simple, it's well-written andthey actually have a cookbook
with it, whereas a lot of theothers didn't.
So I think this would be agreat resource, at least to
start with Excellent, yeah, andalso in the realm of nutrient
(18:56):
intake.
Coach, this is kind ofinteresting.
A multiple large-scalelong-term studies have found
that individuals who regularlyconsume coffee have a
significantly lower risk ofParkinson's.
One such study followed over184,000 individuals and found
that those with the highestcoffee intake had nearly a 40%
lower risk of Parkinson'scompared to non-consumers.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
So here's to a cup of morning joe, there you go.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Seems like the coffee shop should advertise that.
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Continuing with gut health, a 2023 randomized trial
showed 12 weeks of probiotictherapy significantly improved
motor symptoms and constipationin Parkinson's disease patients.
Other trials have alsodemonstrated improvements in
associated non-motor symptomslike anxiety depression, with
(19:47):
probiotic therapy.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Also, early-stage trials have demonstrated that
fecal microbiota transplantsfrom healthy donors improved
motor symptoms in Parkinson'spatients at 12 months
post-treatment, also withsustained benefit in
constipation symptoms.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
However, we can't seem to find any robust clinical
evidence that probiotic orprebiotic supplementation plays
a preventative role as far asreducing the risk of developing
Parkinson's.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
So continuing with our functional root cause
approach.
Multiple studies have shownthat individuals who are
physically inactive or have asedentary lifestyle have a
higher risk of developingParkinson's disease compared to
those who are physically active.
In fact, exercise does play apreventive role here.
Large prospective studies andmeta-analyses have found that
individuals who engage inregular, moderate to vigorous
(20:34):
physical activity during midlifehave a significantly reduced
risk of developing Parkinson'syears later.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Regular exercise is not only preventative, but can
also be an important part of anintegrative treatment program,
especially boxing drills, likewe find with a program like Rock
Steady Boxing.
Multiple studies have foundthat boxing leads to significant
improvements in motor symptoms,balance, mobility, gait and
lower extremity strength forpeople with Parkinson's.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
You know, Coach, one of my good friends I won't name
names, but she had a boxing bagleft over and was going to throw
it away, so she gave it to meand I've used it every day.
I love it.
It's become my favoriteexercise.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I didn't know that about you.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do it every day and it's really
fun.
I do it either to music orlisten to a podcast or whatever,
and it's good for everythingGood for balance, good for
strength, good for cardiocoordination, lots of stuff.
So, yeah, I really enjoy it.
So y'all might want to checkthat out.
You know you can get a bag anduse that at home.
(21:41):
I'll list the name of my bagonline for y'all on the
resources they're cheap, you canget them online.
They'll send them right to you.
Or you could go to a class likeRock Steady Boxing, and let me
just talk about that just for amoment.
There are some people who don'twant to go to any kind of a
class, and here's why.
Let's say, if you're earlystage Parkinson's and then you
go to a class and you see allthese people who are much
further advanced than you are,it's kind of a bummer because
(22:02):
you say that's my future and soI can understand that.
But you can still do this stuffat home and you know what I
figure?
I don't know this.
This is not factual, but what Ifigure is okay.
My dad had Parkinson's.
I'm at risk genetically, and soif boxing can help treat it,
could it help prevent it?
And so I do it and I enjoy it.
(22:24):
It's my favorite form ofexercise these days, so
interesting.
But yeah, boxing and similarexercises can also improve
non-motor aspects of Parkinson's, such as reducing depression,
improvement in overall qualityof life.
The social and motivationalaspects of group boxing may also
contribute to some improvedpsychosocial well-being and some
studies have also foundimprovements in attention,
(22:45):
executive function and overallcognitive health following
boxing-based exercise programs.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Other forms of exercise, like yoga, dance, tai
chi and power walking also playan important role in improving
the quality of life, reducingfalls, improving mood and
slowing disease progression.
By the way, there are manyexcellent free videos available
on YouTube.
The internet is just a plethoraof exercise and information, so
(23:11):
you can find them specifically,too, about exercise and
Parkinson's disease though.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Youtube's such a valuableresource for me.
Anytime I want to learnsomething, just go to YouTube.
Yes, marvelous Coach.
Years ago this is just a littlebit of an aside I ran across
this really interesting study.
They had a big nursing home andthey offered Tai Chi classes
and the women who did Tai Chiversus women who didn't, there
was a 75% reduction in fractures.
Wow, yeah, yeah, because it'sso great for balance, right,
(23:38):
yeah, so interesting, yeah.
So I think those things, and ofcourse, fractures and falls,
are a huge problem withParkinson's, right, so those
things can really help.
But now that we've discussedsome functional causes, let's
segue into a discussion aboutother integrative approaches to
prevention and therapy.
In other words, what can we dobeyond traditional drugs and
surgery?
Let's start with prevention.
(23:59):
There is solid science thatdiet, exercise, restorative
sleep, avoiding toxins andavoiding head injuries all play
a role in reducing the risk ofParkinson's.
Also, it may help to drink somecoffee on a regular basis and
to avoid excessive alcohol.
While mild to moderate drinkingdoes not seem to increase the
risk of Parkinson's, heavydrinking does increase the risk.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Interestingly, a large prospective study
involving over 329,000participants found that those
who spent more time outdoors innature had a significantly lower
risk of developing Parkinson's.
In this study, individuals whospent more than three and a half
hours per day outdoors had a15% lower risk compared to those
(24:42):
spending one and a half hoursor less.
The power of nature neverceases to amaze me, Dr Mack.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yeah, it's pretty incredible, isn't it, lindsay?
I think we reallyunderappreciate just time
outdoors in sunshine connectingwith nature.
My wife Cheryl Dr Cheryl, Ishould say she's reading a book
right now about forest bathing.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yes, I love that term .
I've heard this.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Yeah, which I think comes from a guy over in Japan,
but it sounds like it's prettypowerful stuff.
So yeah, that's interesting.
We'll have to do a podcast onit sometime about forest bathing
.
So now that we've discussedintegrative modalities for
prevention, let's move on tointegrative approaches to
treatment.
As you may have heard on ourprevious Parkinson's podcast, my
dad had Parkinson's so I wasparticularly interested in this.
(25:27):
In studying the issue I ranacross some interesting videos
by neurologist Dr DavidPerlmutter showing remarkable
improvements in motor functionwith Parkinson's patients using
IV glutathione.
So I tried this treatment onsome of our patients and
unfortunately I was never reallyable to fully replicate his
results.
I'm just being honest with youNow.
Since he's a neurologist, I'msure he saw many more patients
(25:49):
than I did and therefore hadmany more of these IVs.
So statistically he was morelikely to have some success
stories to show off and I'm surehe didn't show the videos of
the treatment failure patients.
He only showed off his successstories, which indeed were quite
impressive.
I'll put a link to a couple ofthose videos which you can find
at mcminnmdcom on the homepageunder helpful links, so you can
(26:09):
see them for yourself.
But again, I really didn't seemuch improvement with these
patients with IV glutathione.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Another important factor is that any positive
effect of the IV glutathione isshort-lived.
A patient would probably haveto come in at least two to three
times a week to sustain muchbenefit, so over time that would
become both time-consuming andexpensive and really not
practical for most patients.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And so that's why I feel that what Laura and Cindy
brought to us on our lastpodcast, which is the
traditional approach with medsand things like carbidopa,
levodopa, is really the mainfocus of therapy for patients
struggling with the motorsymptoms of Parkinson's.
The other modalities that wediscuss here today are
complementary and may contributeto overall improvement, but in
my view the mainstream medicaltherapy would be the appropriate
(26:56):
cornerstone for therapy formotor symptoms of Parkinson's.
And let me take just a momentto explain what those motor
symptoms look like.
The symptoms can vary fromperson to person and they
typically include things likeslowness of movement, difficulty
initiating movement, like, forinstance, starting to walk or
rising from a chair, restingtremor of the hands, which is
often that kind of pill rollingmovement.
(27:17):
And, to be clear, not everybodywith a hand tremor has
Parkinson's.
I want to be clear about that,because some people get a tremor
and they think, oh my gosh,I've got Parkinson's.
But no, it's usually a benigntremor.
Facial expression often becomesmasked like what I call the
flat affect Muscle stiffness,impaired balance and
coordination, tendency to swayor fall, especially when turning
or standing, and a stoopedposture, a stiff gait, small,
(27:40):
cramped handwriting.
Sometimes this is one of thefirst signs, people notice that
their handwriting is very tiny,and then soft, monotone speech
and lastly, drooling ordifficulty swallowing, and so
that's what Parkinson's lookslike to the observer.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Right.
But there's also so much moreto Parkinson's than those
external motor symptoms that onecan see, and these non-motor
symptoms are where some of ourintegrative tools can offer some
significant relief.
The main non-motor symptoms ofParkinson's are constipation,
fatigue, depression, anxiety,apathy, nausea, urinary
(28:14):
incontinence, cognitive changes,sleep disorders, weight loss
with the loss of muscle mass,fall risk, drooling, speech and
swallowing difficulties, loss ofa sense of smell, low blood
pressure when standing andsexual dysfunction as well.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
So let's take a look at some of the integrated
modalities that may help withmany of these
Parkinson's-related symptoms.
We'll start with exercise,which may be the most important
of the bunch.
There are many ways that youcan do this and we've already
mentioned some of the ways, butone that and we've already
mentioned some of the ways, likethe boxing.
But one thing we've not reallytalked about much is the dance
programs.
There's one called Parkin Danceand there are others out there.
(28:53):
Studies have shown that dancecan help with balance, enhance
motor function, body control,increase gait speed, reduce gait
variability, reduce rigidity,decrease tremors and gait
freezing, and social benefits toreduce depression and anxiety,
improved overall sense ofwell-being, enhanced quality of
(29:21):
life and increases that socialconnection and a sense of
belonging and it can alsoprovide greater motivation to
engage in physical activity.
And there are many physicaltherapists who specialize in
folks with Parkinson's and itmay be worth a visit to go to a
good therapist to get acustomized exercise program for
you.
What works for one person doesnot work for another.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Other integrated modalities that can help include
acupuncture, which may help byreducing tremors and rigidity in
some patients.
Meditation, of course, canlower stress and improve sleep
quality, which is a problemagain with many with Parkinson's
.
Art therapy enhances the visual, spatial skills and emotional
(30:01):
expression, particularly inlate-stage Parkinson's patients,
and then also cognitivebehavioral therapy, CBT, which
addresses depression, anxiety,and can also help with sleep
disturbances too.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Socialization via group activities like choirs and
exercise classes may help tobuild friendships and combat
loneliness and improve mood,which tends to worsen with
Parkinson's, and support groupslike the one that we talked
about on our last show may alsobe helpful.
If you go to McMinnMDcom andlook under the References and
Resources tab, you'll find asection on Parkinson's that may
(30:36):
guide you to such a group, andalso our guests from our last
show, cindy and Laura, were kindenough to leave their contact
information for us under theGuest Biographies menu and you
can reach out to them to getsome help finding such a support
group menu and you can reachout to them to get some help
finding such a support group.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Hormone replacement therapy is certainly not a
standard treatment forParkinson's, but in our opinion
there seems to be a strong placefor it.
Emerging evidence suggeststestosterone replacement therapy
may improve certain non-motorsymptoms for Parkinson's disease
, particularly in men withtestosterone deficiency.
It can help with apathy, mood,energy levels, sexual function
and overall quality of life.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
It can also help with loss of muscle mass, which we
call sarcopenia.
This is quite common inParkinson's patients, and
testosterone replacement therapycan help maintain muscle mass
and strength.
And since loss of strength andmuscle mass is strongly
associated with fall risk, thentestosterone replacement therapy
can indirectly reduce risk offalls.
This is not to be taken lightly.
As I mentioned previously, mydad had Parkinson's, but at the
(31:35):
end of the day it was a fallthat really took him out.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
When it comes to hormone replacement therapy for
women.
Estrogen seems to play aneuroprotective role in the
brain, and as women go throughmenopause, they lose that
protection.
One survey found thattwo-thirds of women diagnosed
with Parkinson's reported anincrease in the severity of
their Parkinson's symptoms aftermenopause, and the symptoms
(32:00):
that worsened most frequentlywere fatigue and urinary tract
issues.
Other Parkinson's symptoms thatworsened with the onset of
menopause included slowness ofmovement and tremor.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
So a properly administered hormone replacement
therapy program may help toalleviate menopause-related
symptoms such as hot flashes andsleep disturbances that can
exacerbate Parkinson's-relatedfatigue and mood disorders.
This may result in an overallimproved quality of life and may
indirectly benefit non-motorsymptoms like apathy and
depression.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
A retrospective study of women with early Parkinson's
disease found positiveassociation between estrogen use
and lower symptom severity inthose not taking levodopa, and
another small-scale study foundthat low doses of estrogen
produced a statisticallysignificant improvement in motor
function.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Estrogen replacement therapy has also been associated
with improved cognitivefunction.
One of the most dreaded aspectsof Parkinson's is the
associated Lewy body dementia.
Estrogen-only therapy, that is,estrogen without a progestin,
was linked to a 32% lowerdementia risk in women with
Parkinson's when initiatedduring midlife around menopause
and used for at least five years.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Multiple observational studies and
clinical trials havedemonstrated that estrogen use
can also attenuate bone loss.
So if these women do fall, thenthere is a reduced risk of a
fracture for the women onhormone replacement.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Another cornerstone of integrative medicine is the
use of nutritional supplementswhen appropriate and, to be
honest with you from the get-go,I don't look at the use of
supplements as a majorgame-changer with Parkinson's
patients for the motor symptoms.
However, let's look at some ofthe supplements that have some
scientific backing that may beconsidered for Parkinson's, and
let me preface these comments bysaying that I think there's a
(33:44):
research and publication biasagainst supplements.
As they say, follow the money,and the money is really in drugs
and surgery.
We'll start with curcumin.
A randomized, double-blindplacebo-controlled trial
published in 2012 investigatedthe effects of curcumin on
patients with Parkinson'sdisease.
The study found that curcuminshowed potential benefits in
improving motor function.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
One small pilot study in 2019 evaluated the effects
of a standardized ashwagandharoot extract in patients with
Parkinson's, and that studyfound that ashwagandha
supplementation for 12 weeksshowed potential benefits in
improving motor function,cognitive function and the
overall quality of life forParkinson's disease patients,
compared to the placebo.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Bacopa minori.
Another small study publishedin 2012, evaluated the effects
of bacopa extract in patientswith Parkinson's disease, and
the study found thatsupplementation for six months
showed potential health benefitsimproving cognitive function,
attention and memory inParkinson's disease patients,
compared with the placebo group.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Anecdotal reports from patients suggest that
magnesium supplements can helprelieve muscle stiffness, cramps
, anxiety and constipationassociated with Parkinson's.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
B12 deficiency is common with Parkinson's Patients
with low B12 who improve theirB12 status through
supplementation or diet hadslower progression of disability
and less worsening of walking,balance and cognitive symptoms,
compared to those who remain B12deficient.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analysis of
randomized controlled trialsshowed that melatonin treatment
leads to both subjective andobjective improvements in sleep
quality compared to the placeboin patients with Parkinson's,
and this may improve sleep onsetinsomnia and it reduces REM
sleep behavior disorder.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
And recent large-scale cohort studies found
that omega-3 supplementation,like with fish oils,
particularly when combined withregular physical activity,
further reduced the risk ofdeveloping Parkinson's disease
and enhanced symptom management.
Some herbal supplements thatmight be considered would be
valerian root and chamomile,which might help with anxiety,
and ginger and peppermint oilfor digestive issues like
(35:53):
constipation.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
A quick word of caution.
Before you start taking asupplement, be sure to look up
potential drug supplementinteractions.
You can ask your doctor orpharmacist or you can look on
sites like WebMD InteractionChecker or MedlinePlus or
Drugscom for interaction checks.
And always check in with yourhealth care provider.
(36:15):
Advise them of any supplementsthat you are on or have changed.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Another integrative therapy that's getting some
attention is red light therapy,with emerging evidence
supporting its benefits for bothmotor and non-motor symptoms.
And let's see, do you recallthat Tyler uses that?
Speaker 3 (36:35):
right, we do, we do.
We as a family do, and we kindof you know, use it for a lot of
whatever ails you, and I'veactually seen a lot of really
interesting improvements.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Yeah, yeah, and I think there's some pretty good
science behind this, but here'sa synthesis of some of the
current scientific findings ofimprovement in upper and lower
limb function, reduced tremorseverity, improved facial
expressions, enhanced balanceand gait speed.
The non-motor benefits includeimproved sleep quality and
circadian rhythm regulation,reduced depression and anxiety
(37:05):
and restored sense of smell insome patients.
While red light therapy isgenerally well tolerated,
patients should consult amovement disorder specialist
before starting the program.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Finally, let's look at the issue from the
perspective of each of the majornon-motor symptoms.
So let's start with fatigue.
This is obviously verycomplicated and an important
subject, and when you have noenergy, it affects every aspect
of your life.
For instance, it's hard to getup out of the Lazy Boy and go to
your boxing class if you havezero energy.
We did a whole podcast onfatigue back in 2018, and a lot
(37:34):
of the things we mentioned therewould apply to Parkinson's
disease patients.
So, in the interest of time,we'll just refer you back to
that podcast on fatigue.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Yeah, constipation is often ignored, but it's really
very important for thesepatients and, as we mentioned
earlier, it sometimes comes onfor years and years before the
motor symptoms come on.
We just think it's just gardenvariety constipation, but no,
it's early Parkinson's and thesepatients can be miserable.
So we really have to get afterthis.
But I'm not going to go intodetail on this too much because
I have for you an excellent freehandout on constipation at
(38:07):
wwwmcmdcom under the documentssection.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass, can be
helped with regular exercise,proper diet and testosterone
replacement therapy.
There is also some evidencethat vitamin D supplementation
can help prevent muscle loss.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
And fall prevention is another big deal.
As I said, it was the fall thatreally took my dad down and for
many people, a fall can be thebeginning of the end.
I did an entire podcast on fallprevention back in 2024 that
I'll refer you to for this, andI also have many excellent
handouts on the issue of fallsfor you at mcminnmdcom under the
documents menu.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Maintaining healthy sexuality during this time may
be important and helpful forsome Parkinson's disease
patients and their partners.
However, they may have somechallenges here.
We have a podcast for you to beable to listen to on both men's
sexual health and women'ssexual health from back in 2023.
Again, this is an area wheretestosterone replacement therapy
(39:07):
may be really helpful for bothmen and for women.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Also with women.
It's important to attend tovaginal health, both from the
sexual health point of view andalso from the urinary health
point of view.
Pain with intercourse or UTIsafter intercourse can be a real
deal breaker.
We did an entire podcast onvaginal dryness and one on
vaginal microbiome.
That might be helpful for you.
And finally, it may also behelpful to see a sex health
therapist who can give you somegreat info as to how to overcome
(39:32):
challenges in order to maintainan intimate relationship that
you desire 2021.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Study found that 68% of women with Parkinson's
disease self-reported unwantedurinary symptoms.
These symptoms includedfrequency, urgency, nocturia,
incontinence, retention andhesitancy.
Pelvic floor muscle trainingcombined with bladder training
and strategies for managing yourfluid intake have been shown in
(39:59):
randomized controlled trials toreduce symptoms and also
improve quality of life.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Disorder.
Sleep is another hallmark ofParkinson's.
This is a huge problem.
I remember my dad he used to beup all night andomatherapy,
massage and TCM, which istraditional Chinese medicine.
(40:37):
We have an excellent handoutfor you at mcmdcom in the
document section on sleephygiene.
We also did an entire podcastyears ago on CBTI, which is
cognitive behavioral therapy forinsomnia.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
For the depression which is often accompanies
Parkinson's.
The following integrativemodalities are supported by the
evidence.
So exercise, yoga, tai chi,qigong, dance therapy,
mindfulness, meditation,acupuncture, transcranial
magnetic stimulation, socialsupport and lifestyle
(41:07):
optimization, like healthy dietand restorative sleep, are all
very helpful here ForParkinson's-associated anxiety.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
The following integrative modalities are
supported by the evidenceCognitive behavioral therapy,
massage, aromatherapy,traditional Chinese medicine
with herbs and acupuncture,exercise, dance, tai chi, yoga,
qigong, meditation andsocialization.
Okay, as we wrap this up, let'sget practical.
I know that we have thrown alot of material at you and, for
better or for worse, we tend toerr on the side of being
(41:36):
thorough, so let me summarizeand break it down for you.
With this question, what wouldI do?
First, especially if I had anincreased genetic risk of
Parkinson's, I would practicesome common-s sense preventive
measures, such as the things wetalked about, like maybe
avoiding head injuries andavoiding toxins, et cetera, all
the things we've already talkedabout, which I won't repeat.
(42:00):
Then, if I got Parkinson's andthere but for the grace of God,
go any of us the first thing Iwould do is to assemble my team.
The team members would be myneurologist, my primary care
doctor and, if I could get one,a movement disorder specialist.
Depending on my symptoms, Iwould consider inviting other
folks to the team as well,including maybe a physical
therapist, a nutritionist, ahealth coach, psychologist
counselor, a psychiatrist, if Ineeded any kind of meds for mood
(42:21):
disorder, If your nursesymptoms were predominant, then
a urologist or a pelvic floorspecialist might be in order.
Previously we mentioned asexual health therapist, if that
is something you are interestedin, If drooling and speech and
swallowing become problematic,then a good speech therapist
might also be helpful.
And finally, you may considerfinding a good functional
medicine doctor to help you withthings like hormone
(42:41):
optimization, fatigue and otherintegrated modalities.
Having this team on your sidewill allow you to get the ideal
traditional medical protocol andalso take advantage of the
evidence-based complementarytherapies that we have discussed
in this podcast.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
As Laura also pointed out on our last show, in group
activities like support groups,Parkinson's patients can learn
from each other about what worksand what doesn't, as well as
what questions to ask and how tothink proactively.
So your support group alsobecomes part of your team, and
perhaps the most importantmembers of your team are your
family, friends, neighbors andespecially your primary care
(43:17):
partner.
As the old saying goes, ittakes a village and blessed are
the caregivers.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
You know, having any chronic progressive disease can
be a lonely journey, oftenassociated with significant
psychological and emotionalimpact.
These folks need a supportiveteam of providers to work with
them, along with their carepartner, to help them cope with
their disease and to become thebest version of themselves.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
Let us close this discussion by saying that
Parkinson's disease is thefastest-growing neurological
disease worldwide and, as yousaid, dr Whitman but there, by
the grace of God, go any of usto have Parkinson's and I hope
that we've been able to help youby outlining some
evidence-based strategies foryou to reduce your risk of
getting Parkinson's, and thatwe've been able to shed some
(44:01):
light on some of the integrativetherapies that may complement a
traditional approach, so thatyou can be the best version of
yourself as you navigate lifewith chronic disease.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
And before we close, I'd like to give a shout out to
the care partners of thesepatients.
Being a care partner is often along, difficult and sometimes
lonely labor of love.
As best we can, we as friends,family, neighbors and a society
need to care for the caregivers.
Speaker 3 (44:25):
In summary, the mainstream medical and surgical
treatments outlined in ourpodcast should be the foundation
of a Parkinson's treatmentprogram.
However, there are manyevidence-based functional and
integrative therapies that cancomplement traditional medical
therapy in order to optimizeprevention and treatment
outcomes.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
Well, that will about do it for this discussion of a
functional and integrativeapproach to Parkinson's.
Thank you so much for listening.
We hope that we were able toshare something with you that
was interesting and helpful foryou.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Do take a moment to rate us on iTunes.
The reviews really do make adifference.
And also, if you like thepodcast, then take a moment
today to let a friend know aboutit.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
If you'd like to reach out to me to comment on
the show or to make arecommendation for future topics
, then you may do so at drmcmintat yahoocom.
And Coach Lindsay, can youleave us with a?
Coach Lindsay, pearl of wisdom.
Speaker 3 (45:16):
You know, Parkinson's may be a disease of the brain,
but healing happens in the wholeperson, From the gut to the
heart, from your movement toyour mindset.
Every small choice matters, andwhat we've learned today is
that you're not powerless.
Whether it's red light therapy,hormone support, a boxing class
or simple change in yourmorning routine, Each step is a
(45:37):
vote for vitality.
So keep showing up, build yourteam and, most of all, just
believe in the possibility ofprogress.
Neuroplasticity isn't just ascientific term.
I think it's really a reasonfor all of us to have hope.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Well, this is Dr McMinn signing out, and this is
Coach Lindsay.
Take care and be well.
Welcome to Wellness Connection MD.
Today we have for you part twoon a series on Parkinson's
disease.
In our last episode, we had twovery special guests on the show
who shared with us a greatsummary of traditional medical
approaches to Parkinson's, andtoday we're picking up where we
left off to bring you thescientific evidence on some
proven holistic, integrative andfunctional therapeutic
(00:20):
modalities in order to empowereach patient to achieve his or
her best possible quality oflife.
This is not about replacingtraditional treatments, but
instead we focus on some of thefundamental principles of
functional medicine, such as theroot cause of the disease, as
well as preventive andintegrated strategies in order
to complement traditionalmedicine and to optimize
outcomes.
We hope that you learnsomething, that we can help some
(00:43):
people and that you enjoy theshow.
And now on to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Welcome to the Wellness Connection MD Podcast
with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsey, where we bring you the latest
up-to-date, evidence-basedinformation on a wide variety of
health and wellness topics,along with practical take-home
solutions.
Dr McMinn is an integrated andfunctional MD and Lindsey
Matthews is a registered nurseand IIN-certified health coach.
(01:07):
Together, our goal is to helpyou optimize your health and
wellness in mind, body andspirit.
To see a list of all of ourpodcasts, visit McMinnMDcom and
to stay up to date on the latesttopics, be sure to subscribe to
our podcast on your favoritepodcast player so that you'll be
notified when future episodescome out.
The discussions contained inthis podcast are for educational
(01:29):
purposes only and are notintended to diagnose or treat
any disease.
Please do not apply any of thisinformation without approval
from your personal doctor.
And now on to the show with DrMcMinn and Coach Lindsey.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD
podcast with Dr McMinn and CoachLindsey, the evidence-based
podcast on all things wellness,where we bring you honest,
commercial-free, unbiased,up-to-date and evidence-based
information, along withpractical solutions to empower
you to overcome your healthcarechallenges, to optimize your
wellness in mind, body andspirit and to become a great
(02:03):
captain of your ship when itcomes to your health and
wellness.
We thank you so much forjoining us today.
I'm Dr Jim McMinn.
I'm here with our co-host,registered nurse and IIN
certified coach, ms LindsayMatthews.
Good morning, coach.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Good morning, Dr Mack .
I'm glad to be back and I'm sadI missed the last episode.
It was just packed with goodstuff with NP Laura and Sister
Cindy.
I really enjoyed tuning intothat one.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
In our last show, we did an expansive discussion
about Parkinson's with Cindy andLaura, really more from a
traditional medicine point ofview, and while I feel that is
very important to discuss fromthat perspective, I also think
it may be helpful to discussmore of a complementary,
functional and integrativeapproach in order to give the
patient a full spectrum oftherapeutic options, and so that
(02:50):
will be the topic of our showtoday.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But before we get into Parkinson's disease, we
need to take care of somebusiness, and by that we always
like to just let our listenersknow that our podcast remains
commercial-free, which, ofcourse, is rare in podcast
circles these days.
However, it does cost us moneyto produce the podcast, so we
greatly appreciate anycontributions that you can make
to our show here.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And making a contribution may actually save
you money.
Go figure, here's how.
My hunch is that most of youlisteners take some nutritional
supplements now and then, and so, if you do, then consider
purchasing supplements from ourFullscript dispensary at a 10%
discount.
You can see the link toFullscript in the show notes, or
go to mcmimdcom, and the linkwill also be there for you at
(03:34):
the bottom of the homepage underhelpful links.
It's quite simple Just click onthe link and they'll guide you
through the process and they'llship the supplements right to
your front door.
It's a win-win you get highquality supplements at a
discount, and so you save moneyand we get your support for the
show, for which we are verygrateful.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yes, another way is that you can safely help support
our show is to make acontribution directly to it via
credit card or by PayPal at thesupport the show link, which is
also there in the show notes.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And please don't forget to subscribe to the show
and please tell your friends andfamily about the show so we can
keep it growing and we thankyou so much.
So now, with all that businessout of the way, on to the show.
And we certainly thank Lauraand Cindy so much for their
excellent review of Parkinson'slast month.
They certainly brought us a tonof useful information.
However, our podcast generallyfocuses on functional and
(04:23):
integrative approach to health,so we want to share some
thoughts with you on functionalroot causes and integrative
approaches to Parkinson'sdisease today.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
For those who might be new to the show, let's be
sure to briefly set the stage asfar as what we mean by
functional and integrativemedicine.
We did an entire podcast onthis back in 2018, called An
Introduction to FunctionalMedicine, so check back that out
to hear a more in-depthdiscussion on the topic.
But briefly, let's just talkabout functional and integrative
(04:55):
medicine and define it.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Well, I look at functional medicine as a
symptoms biology-based approachto healthcare that focuses on
identifying and addressing theroot causes of disease.
In my mind, the essence offunctional medicine revolves
around the question why?
Why does the patient have thedisease?
And we have found that if youcan identify and treat the why
of the disease, that you canoften make fundamental progress
(05:18):
towards cure, even whentraditional methods have failed.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
And integrative medicine is what, dr Mack, you
call the expanded toolbox,really, of therapies.
So another way of saying thatwould be what else can we do for
a particular disease above andbeyond traditional medicine,
which mainly focuses on drugsand surgery in the toolbox?
So, for example, acupuncturemight be something additionally
(05:44):
added to the toolbox that's beenproven to be effective for many
disease states.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
And let me just say there's a time and a place for
traditional Western medicine,with an emphasis on drugs and
surgery, and there's also a timeand a place for what we might
call alternative, integrativeand functional therapies.
Clearly, if you have a rupturedaorta, then you should not be
messing around with acupuncturesupplements or medication.
You need stat life-savingsurgery, right this.
Second.
However, I have also found overthe years that certain
(06:12):
conditions like, for instance,chronic fatigue syndrome or
certain gut problems, oftenrespond better to a functional,
integrative approach.
But to me, parkinson's is oneof those things that can benefit
from really from both is one ofthose things that can benefit
from really from both.
It's a complementary approachutilizing drugs and sometimes
surgery, for instance, with deepbrain stimulation, as well as
(06:33):
evidence-based functional andintegrative therapies, and it's
our goal today to lay out theevidence in this podcast for a
complementary approach toParkinson's.
So clearly, our goal is neverto bash traditional medicine.
Quite frankly, it has saved mylife and I'm very grateful for
it.
Instead, we're just trying tofill in the gaps with credible,
evidence-based complementarytherapy in order to maximize
outcomes for our patients.
So let's start by looking at theroot causes of Parkinson's.
(06:55):
The vast majority ofParkinson's cases are likely
caused by a complex interplay ofgenetic and environmental
factors rather than one singlecause.
We know that having a parent orsibling with Parkinson's
increases one's odds of gettingParkinson's.
So there's certainly a geneticrole.
And we also know that you can'tchange your genes.
You've just got to pick yourparents better next time.
However, the science is veryclear that you can change
(07:18):
epigenetic expression.
For instance, two identicaltwins may have the same genetic
risk for Parkinson's and yet onegets it and one doesn't, and
that is usually due to theepigenetic changes brought about
by things like lifestylefactors, which we will discuss
in great detail in just a moment.
Age and sex also play a role,since advanced age is a major
risk factor and since men getParkinson's disease much more
(07:40):
than women.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
That's right and known environmental factors are
linked to Parkinson's disease,so those include exposure to
toxins like pesticides,herbicides, heavy metals,
solvents and mycotoxins frommold.
So, for example, agriculturalworkers exposed to these
pesticides and herbicides show asubstantially higher likelihood
(08:03):
of developing Parkinson'scompared to the general
population.
In fact, epidemiologicalstudies estimate that up to 23
percent of Parkinson's diseasecases are associated with
pesticide exposure, and thatjust really highlights the
potential for prevention, if wecan even just start from the
get-go of limiting contact withthese chemicals.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Some of the industrial solvents, like
trichoral ethylene, seem to beparticularly bad actors.
A study found that individualsexposed to TCE had a 500% higher
risk of developing Parkinson'slater in life.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Five zero zero percent.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
That's so huge and I think that I would certainly try
to avoid these chemicals if Icould, but unfortunately some
people go to work and that'sjust part of their work
assignment and they just have nooptions.
But certainly it does hugelyincrease the risk of getting
Parkinson's later in life.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
You know, microplastics are one of the
hottest topics in discussionabout toxins these days, and
these microplastics areliterally everywhere.
Unless you live in a bubble,it's almost impossible to avoid
them.
Plastics are literallyeverywhere.
Unless you live in a bubble,it's almost impossible to avoid
them.
But bad news is, the studieshave found a definite link
between microplastics and thedevelopment of Parkinson's
disease.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
We even see air pollution playing a role as a
causative factor for Parkinson's, with people in high-exposure
areas at much greater risk ascompared to people in
low-exposure areas, and thisultimately creates some
environmental racism andclassism, since you're much less
likely to find high levels ofair pollution in affluent white
neighborhoods.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
So if exposure to toxins is a cause for
Parkinson's disease, then canreducing toxin exposure reduce
the incident of Parkinson'sdisease?
The answer is a solid yes,thank goodness.
So reducing exposure toenvironmental toxins is strongly
associated with a lower risk ofdeveloping Parkinson's disease
later in life, with studies thatsuggest up to 30% of the cases
(09:54):
in men and up to 25% in womencould be prevented by just
mitigating this toxin exposurerisk.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
And before we leave the topic of toxins, let me just
mention that we did a completepodcast on toxins back in 2021.
You might want to go back andlisten to that.
I think it was one of ourbetter ones.
Quite frankly, it was quitethorough.
I do think that toxins arevastly underappreciated as a
cause of disease, especiallyneurodegenerative diseases like
Parkinson's.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
So, dr Mack?
The next obvious question thenis if toxins cause Parkinson's
disease, then can any detoxprotocol help to treat
Parkinson's disease?
Unfortunately, after searchingthe literature, we are not able
to find any high-quality studiesthat point to significantly
improved outcomes forParkinson's disease with a detox
protocol.
However, we feel that there maybe a research bias here.
(10:45):
The mainstream medical andresearch communities seem to
have their head in the sand whenit comes to toxins.
Unfortunately, the science issolid that toxins are a huge
cause of disease, but it justseems to be largely ignored.
Think about it when was thelast time your doctor asked you
about your toxin exposure?
(11:06):
I would even go so far as tosay that we tend to sweep the
issue under the rug andconveniently ignore the obvious
truth about the profoundnegative effects of toxins on
our health.
Maybe if there was a moreexpensive blockbuster drug for
toxins, there would be a largeramount of money to make.
Then we might have moreinterest in studies on the
(11:26):
issues.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
You know, as we'll talk about later, my dad had
Parkinson's and he had quite abit of toxin exposure.
He was a farmer and so hesprayed the cattle with
pesticides and he also was inVietnam and exposed to Asian
orange, and yet I think in hisjourney through Parkinson's I
don't think they ever asked himabout toxins, toxin exposure.
So I'm just saying that, evenwhen it's obviously connected,
(11:51):
they don't ask about it.
So I think, again, we kind ofhave our head in the sand on
that issue.
As we mentioned earlier, headinjuries are also a causative
factor for Parkinson's.
Studies have shown thatindividuals who experience mild
traumatic brain injury have a56% increased risk of
Parkinson's, while moderate tosevere traumatic brain injury
raises the risk by about 83%.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Both of those numbers are significant.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
They are, aren't they ?
And?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
one.
You just think about mildtrauma and what that could all
constitute.
So some common sense measureswould be advisable then if we
see these percentages being sohigh.
So like wearing a seatbelt anda helmet when appropriate and
avoiding high risk situations.
I think as a mom out here, onecould even make a case for not
(12:39):
engaging in contact sports likefootball, as I tell my kids how
many heads do you have?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Do you?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
ever get another one.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
No this is the only one you have, I know, I know,
and yet we do some pretty stupidthings, don't we?
Lindsay Historically.
But maybe we'll learn, I don'tknow.
A study published in JAMA backin 2023 found that men who had
played organized Americanfootball had a 61% higher odds
of having a reported diagnosisof Parkinson's than those who
(13:07):
played other organized sports.
Wow, coach, that's really kindof scary for the footballers.
I'm a former footballer myself,and so, yeah, had I known, maybe
I would have changed my mind.
But at the end of the day,everybody's got to look at risk
benefit.
I mean, as a former ER doc, Ilook at the world through a
different set of glasses.
You know, I see people comingin having the results of making
(13:29):
choices.
You know, somebody makes achoice of riding, for instance,
a motorcycle without a helmet,and okay, they love the wind in
their hair.
And and okay, they love thewind in their hair, and if
that's worth taking the risk,fine.
But at the end of the day, yeah, it's pretty bad for traumatic
brain injury.
And so, likewise with thingslike football and soccer and
stuff like that, then we justhave to make the best choice we
(13:51):
can.
I personally have always feltthat using the head as a
battering ram by purposelyhitting a soccer ball is not a
smart idea.
Did you play soccer, lindsay?
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I only for like one year.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I was not very good at soccer.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I was more interested in picking flowers, I think.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Yeah, you know, I didn't really play soccer on an
organized team, but you know, ingym class and stuff.
But that ball is not soft.
No, it is not.
I mean you hit it with yourhead, no, and indeed guess what?
Studies have shown thatrepeated heading of a soccer
ball may contribute to a higherrisk of developing Parkinson's.
So again, y'all might want toconsider tennis or something
(14:28):
like that, or rather thanfootball or soccer.
It seems to me like there couldbe some kind of a protective
headband or something like that.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
There actually is.
I know that there is Soccerplayers.
I never see it Lindsay, Iremember.
No, I don't think it'sadvertised big, but I remember
having this conversation innursing school because my
nursing instructor was very avidabout soccer players wearing
these little headbands with.
Now, that's only one.
It's a headband, so it's notthe entire head, so but I think
it exists, but I never seeanybody wear it.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I don't either, and you remember years ago, lindsay,
professional hockey playersnever wore helmets.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
And then now all of them wear helmets.
Yes, but they never worehelmets and there were a lot of
head injuries and it was reallytragic.
But nowadays I think you know,we're seeing, we're on to
realize it's just not worthhaving this brain trauma,
repeated brain trauma from notwearing any kind of protective
device, and so I would hope thatsome wise people along the way
(15:28):
would get people to startwearing them.
The pros wear them, or?
the college players wear themand they can set that example.
Then the kids will startwearing them.
But the kids have these reallyprecious little reins and
they're still forming and Ithink we just need to take
better care of them.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
But anyway, agreed, agreed.
Another emerging theory of thecause of Parkinson's disease is
that Parkinson's starts in thegut and there does seem to be
ample evidence to support thegut Parkinson's disease is that
Parkinson's starts in the gutand there does seem to be ample
evidence to support thegut-Parkinson's connection.
It's interesting that in mostcases the classic constipation
associated with Parkinson'sdisease usually comes on many
(16:11):
years before the neurologicsymptoms.
There are actually multiplestudies that indicate the
alpha-synuclein proteins thatare deposited in the
gastrointestinal nerves up to 20years before the onset of
Parkinson's disease symptoms,and that really suggests that
the gut may play a significantrole in the development.
And then there's another studythat was published in Nature
(16:33):
Abuse Neurology that reportedthat phosphorylated
alpha-synuclein, which is thepathological form of the protein
associated with Parkinson's,can be detected in the
gastrointestinal tract up to twodecades before that definitive
diagnosis is made.
So interesting to see that thedevelopment prior to actual
(16:54):
diagnosis.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Yeah, that whole gut-brain connection is really
one of the hottest topics ofmedicine these days.
It's really fascinating andit's about 80% gut to brain
rather than brain to gut.
So that makes sense.
And I remember I went to thiswonderful lecture by a UAB world
famous neurologist who talkedabout this.
The title of the lecture wasParkinson's Disease Starts in
your Gut, and it had a lot to dowith many things, but including
(17:16):
the gut microbiome, which we'vetalked about many times on the
show.
We've done some dedicatedpodcasts to that.
But anyway, she said one of thefirst things you want to do is
to improve your diet.
And when she was asked aboutwhat kind of diet, she said the
key is a wide variety of fiber.
That's kind of interesting,isn't it, Coach?
So you know once again, doessupporting gut health then help
(17:37):
prevent Parkinson's disease?
And guess what, Coach?
It appears that it does.
The first thing you want to do,again, is to optimize your diet
.
A study found that participantswith the highest adherence to a
Mediterranean diet had a 25%lower risk of developing
Parkinson's compared to thosewith the lowest adherence, and a
2024 systematic review notedthat for folks who do get
(17:58):
Parkinson's disease, thesehealthy diets may delay symptom
onset by several years.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
And, on the contrary, poor diets marked by low fiber
and high sugar are linked to promay be particularly helpful for
neurodegenerative diseases likeParkinson's.
A great book on the subject isthe MIND Diet Plan and Cookbook
by Julie Andrews and we havethat listed for you at
mcminnmdcom under the Referencesand Resources tab.
Under the References andResources tab.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
You know, years ago, lindsay, I actually purchased
every book I could find on thatdiet the MIND diet and I went
through them all and I landed onthis one because it's pretty
simple, it's well-written andthey actually have a cookbook
with it, whereas a lot of theothers didn't.
So I think this would be agreat resource, at least to
start with Excellent, yeah, andalso in the realm of nutrient
(18:56):
intake.
Coach, this is kind ofinteresting.
A multiple large-scalelong-term studies have found
that individuals who regularlyconsume coffee have a
significantly lower risk ofParkinson's.
One such study followed over184,000 individuals and found
that those with the highestcoffee intake had nearly a 40%
lower risk of Parkinson'scompared to non-consumers.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
So here's to a cup of morning joe, there you go.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Seems like the coffee shop should advertise that.
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Continuing with gut health, a 2023 randomized trial
showed 12 weeks of probiotictherapy significantly improved
motor symptoms and constipationin Parkinson's disease patients.
Other trials have alsodemonstrated improvements in
associated non-motor symptomslike anxiety depression, with
(19:47):
probiotic therapy.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Also, early-stage trials have demonstrated that
fecal microbiota transplantsfrom healthy donors improved
motor symptoms in Parkinson'spatients at 12 months
post-treatment, also withsustained benefit in
constipation symptoms.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
However, we can't seem to find any robust clinical
evidence that probiotic orprebiotic supplementation plays
a preventative role as far asreducing the risk of developing
Parkinson's.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
So continuing with our functional root cause
approach.
Multiple studies have shownthat individuals who are
physically inactive or have asedentary lifestyle have a
higher risk of developingParkinson's disease compared to
those who are physically active.
In fact, exercise does play apreventive role here.
Large prospective studies andmeta-analyses have found that
individuals who engage inregular, moderate to vigorous
(20:34):
physical activity during midlifehave a significantly reduced
risk of developing Parkinson'syears later.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Regular exercise is not only preventative, but can
also be an important part of anintegrative treatment program,
especially boxing drills, likewe find with a program like Rock
Steady Boxing.
Multiple studies have foundthat boxing leads to significant
improvements in motor symptoms,balance, mobility, gait and
lower extremity strength forpeople with Parkinson's.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
You know, Coach, one of my good friends I won't name
names, but she had a boxing bagleft over and was going to throw
it away, so she gave it to meand I've used it every day.
I love it.
It's become my favoriteexercise.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I didn't know that about you.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do it every day and it's really
fun.
I do it either to music orlisten to a podcast or whatever,
and it's good for everythingGood for balance, good for
strength, good for cardiocoordination, lots of stuff.
So, yeah, I really enjoy it.
So y'all might want to checkthat out.
You know you can get a bag anduse that at home.
(21:41):
I'll list the name of my bagonline for y'all on the
resources they're cheap, you canget them online.
They'll send them right to you.
Or you could go to a class likeRock Steady Boxing, and let me
just talk about that just for amoment.
There are some people who don'twant to go to any kind of a
class, and here's why.
Let's say, if you're earlystage Parkinson's and then you
go to a class and you see allthese people who are much
further advanced than you are,it's kind of a bummer because
(22:02):
you say that's my future and soI can understand that.
But you can still do this stuffat home and you know what I
figure?
I don't know this.
This is not factual, but what Ifigure is okay.
My dad had Parkinson's.
I'm at risk genetically, and soif boxing can help treat it,
could it help prevent it?
And so I do it and I enjoy it.
(22:24):
It's my favorite form ofexercise these days, so
interesting.
But yeah, boxing and similarexercises can also improve
non-motor aspects of Parkinson's, such as reducing depression,
improvement in overall qualityof life.
The social and motivationalaspects of group boxing may also
contribute to some improvedpsychosocial well-being and some
studies have also foundimprovements in attention,
(22:45):
executive function and overallcognitive health following
boxing-based exercise programs.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Other forms of exercise, like yoga, dance, tai
chi and power walking also playan important role in improving
the quality of life, reducingfalls, improving mood and
slowing disease progression.
By the way, there are manyexcellent free videos available
on YouTube.
The internet is just a plethoraof exercise and information, so
(23:11):
you can find them specifically,too, about exercise and
Parkinson's disease though.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Youtube's such a valuableresource for me.
Anytime I want to learnsomething, just go to YouTube.
Yes, marvelous Coach.
Years ago this is just a littlebit of an aside I ran across
this really interesting study.
They had a big nursing home andthey offered Tai Chi classes
and the women who did Tai Chiversus women who didn't, there
was a 75% reduction in fractures.
Wow, yeah, yeah, because it'sso great for balance, right,
(23:38):
yeah, so interesting, yeah.
So I think those things, and ofcourse, fractures and falls,
are a huge problem withParkinson's, right, so those
things can really help.
But now that we've discussedsome functional causes, let's
segue into a discussion aboutother integrative approaches to
prevention and therapy.
In other words, what can we dobeyond traditional drugs and
surgery?
Let's start with prevention.
(23:59):
There is solid science thatdiet, exercise, restorative
sleep, avoiding toxins andavoiding head injuries all play
a role in reducing the risk ofParkinson's.
Also, it may help to drink somecoffee on a regular basis and
to avoid excessive alcohol.
While mild to moderate drinkingdoes not seem to increase the
risk of Parkinson's, heavydrinking does increase the risk.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Interestingly, a large prospective study
involving over 329,000participants found that those
who spent more time outdoors innature had a significantly lower
risk of developing Parkinson's.
In this study, individuals whospent more than three and a half
hours per day outdoors had a15% lower risk compared to those
(24:42):
spending one and a half hoursor less.
The power of nature neverceases to amaze me, Dr Mack.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yeah, it's pretty incredible, isn't it, lindsay?
I think we reallyunderappreciate just time
outdoors in sunshine connectingwith nature.
My wife Cheryl Dr Cheryl, Ishould say she's reading a book
right now about forest bathing.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yes, I love that term .
I've heard this.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Yeah, which I think comes from a guy over in Japan,
but it sounds like it's prettypowerful stuff.
So yeah, that's interesting.
We'll have to do a podcast onit sometime about forest bathing
.
So now that we've discussedintegrative modalities for
prevention, let's move on tointegrative approaches to
treatment.
As you may have heard on ourprevious Parkinson's podcast, my
dad had Parkinson's so I wasparticularly interested in this.
(25:27):
In studying the issue I ranacross some interesting videos
by neurologist Dr DavidPerlmutter showing remarkable
improvements in motor functionwith Parkinson's patients using
IV glutathione.
So I tried this treatment onsome of our patients and
unfortunately I was never reallyable to fully replicate his
results.
I'm just being honest with youNow.
Since he's a neurologist, I'msure he saw many more patients
(25:49):
than I did and therefore hadmany more of these IVs.
So statistically he was morelikely to have some success
stories to show off and I'm surehe didn't show the videos of
the treatment failure patients.
He only showed off his successstories, which indeed were quite
impressive.
I'll put a link to a couple ofthose videos which you can find
at mcminnmdcom on the homepageunder helpful links, so you can
(26:09):
see them for yourself.
But again, I really didn't seemuch improvement with these
patients with IV glutathione.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Another important factor is that any positive
effect of the IV glutathione isshort-lived.
A patient would probably haveto come in at least two to three
times a week to sustain muchbenefit, so over time that would
become both time-consuming andexpensive and really not
practical for most patients.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And so that's why I feel that what Laura and Cindy
brought to us on our lastpodcast, which is the
traditional approach with medsand things like carbidopa,
levodopa, is really the mainfocus of therapy for patients
struggling with the motorsymptoms of Parkinson's.
The other modalities that wediscuss here today are
complementary and may contributeto overall improvement, but in
my view the mainstream medicaltherapy would be the appropriate
(26:56):
cornerstone for therapy formotor symptoms of Parkinson's.
And let me take just a momentto explain what those motor
symptoms look like.
The symptoms can vary fromperson to person and they
typically include things likeslowness of movement, difficulty
initiating movement, like, forinstance, starting to walk or
rising from a chair, restingtremor of the hands, which is
often that kind of pill rollingmovement.
(27:17):
And, to be clear, not everybodywith a hand tremor has
Parkinson's.
I want to be clear about that,because some people get a tremor
and they think, oh my gosh,I've got Parkinson's.
But no, it's usually a benigntremor.
Facial expression often becomesmasked like what I call the
flat affect Muscle stiffness,impaired balance and
coordination, tendency to swayor fall, especially when turning
or standing, and a stoopedposture, a stiff gait, small,
(27:40):
cramped handwriting.
Sometimes this is one of thefirst signs, people notice that
their handwriting is very tiny,and then soft, monotone speech
and lastly, drooling ordifficulty swallowing, and so
that's what Parkinson's lookslike to the observer.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Right.
But there's also so much moreto Parkinson's than those
external motor symptoms that onecan see, and these non-motor
symptoms are where some of ourintegrative tools can offer some
significant relief.
The main non-motor symptoms ofParkinson's are constipation,
fatigue, depression, anxiety,apathy, nausea, urinary
(28:14):
incontinence, cognitive changes,sleep disorders, weight loss
with the loss of muscle mass,fall risk, drooling, speech and
swallowing difficulties, loss ofa sense of smell, low blood
pressure when standing andsexual dysfunction as well.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
So let's take a look at some of the integrated
modalities that may help withmany of these
Parkinson's-related symptoms.
We'll start with exercise,which may be the most important
of the bunch.
There are many ways that youcan do this and we've already
mentioned some of the ways, butone that and we've already
mentioned some of the ways, likethe boxing.
But one thing we've not reallytalked about much is the dance
programs.
There's one called Parkin Danceand there are others out there.
(28:53):
Studies have shown that dancecan help with balance, enhance
motor function, body control,increase gait speed, reduce gait
variability, reduce rigidity,decrease tremors and gait
freezing, and social benefits toreduce depression and anxiety,
improved overall sense ofwell-being, enhanced quality of
(29:21):
life and increases that socialconnection and a sense of
belonging and it can alsoprovide greater motivation to
engage in physical activity.
And there are many physicaltherapists who specialize in
folks with Parkinson's and itmay be worth a visit to go to a
good therapist to get acustomized exercise program for
you.
What works for one person doesnot work for another.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Other integrated modalities that can help include
acupuncture, which may help byreducing tremors and rigidity in
some patients.
Meditation, of course, canlower stress and improve sleep
quality, which is a problemagain with many with Parkinson's
.
Art therapy enhances the visual, spatial skills and emotional
(30:01):
expression, particularly inlate-stage Parkinson's patients,
and then also cognitivebehavioral therapy, CBT, which
addresses depression, anxiety,and can also help with sleep
disturbances too.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Socialization via group activities like choirs and
exercise classes may help tobuild friendships and combat
loneliness and improve mood,which tends to worsen with
Parkinson's, and support groupslike the one that we talked
about on our last show may alsobe helpful.
If you go to McMinnMDcom andlook under the References and
Resources tab, you'll find asection on Parkinson's that may
(30:36):
guide you to such a group, andalso our guests from our last
show, cindy and Laura, were kindenough to leave their contact
information for us under theGuest Biographies menu and you
can reach out to them to getsome help finding such a support
group menu and you can reachout to them to get some help
finding such a support group.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Hormone replacement therapy is certainly not a
standard treatment forParkinson's, but in our opinion
there seems to be a strong placefor it.
Emerging evidence suggeststestosterone replacement therapy
may improve certain non-motorsymptoms for Parkinson's disease
, particularly in men withtestosterone deficiency.
It can help with apathy, mood,energy levels, sexual function
and overall quality of life.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
It can also help with loss of muscle mass, which we
call sarcopenia.
This is quite common inParkinson's patients, and
testosterone replacement therapycan help maintain muscle mass
and strength.
And since loss of strength andmuscle mass is strongly
associated with fall risk, thentestosterone replacement therapy
can indirectly reduce risk offalls.
This is not to be taken lightly.
As I mentioned previously, mydad had Parkinson's, but at the
(31:35):
end of the day it was a fallthat really took him out.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
When it comes to hormone replacement therapy for
women.
Estrogen seems to play aneuroprotective role in the
brain, and as women go throughmenopause, they lose that
protection.
One survey found thattwo-thirds of women diagnosed
with Parkinson's reported anincrease in the severity of
their Parkinson's symptoms aftermenopause, and the symptoms
(32:00):
that worsened most frequentlywere fatigue and urinary tract
issues.
Other Parkinson's symptoms thatworsened with the onset of
menopause included slowness ofmovement and tremor.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
So a properly administered hormone replacement
therapy program may help toalleviate menopause-related
symptoms such as hot flashes andsleep disturbances that can
exacerbate Parkinson's-relatedfatigue and mood disorders.
This may result in an overallimproved quality of life and may
indirectly benefit non-motorsymptoms like apathy and
depression.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
A retrospective study of women with early Parkinson's
disease found positiveassociation between estrogen use
and lower symptom severity inthose not taking levodopa, and
another small-scale study foundthat low doses of estrogen
produced a statisticallysignificant improvement in motor
function.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
Estrogen replacement therapy has also been associated
with improved cognitivefunction.
One of the most dreaded aspectsof Parkinson's is the
associated Lewy body dementia.
Estrogen-only therapy, that is,estrogen without a progestin,
was linked to a 32% lowerdementia risk in women with
Parkinson's when initiatedduring midlife around menopause
and used for at least five years.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Multiple observational studies and
clinical trials havedemonstrated that estrogen use
can also attenuate bone loss.
So if these women do fall, thenthere is a reduced risk of a
fracture for the women onhormone replacement.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Another cornerstone of integrative medicine is the
use of nutritional supplementswhen appropriate and, to be
honest with you from the get-go,I don't look at the use of
supplements as a majorgame-changer with Parkinson's
patients for the motor symptoms.
However, let's look at some ofthe supplements that have some
scientific backing that may beconsidered for Parkinson's, and
let me preface these comments bysaying that I think there's a
(33:44):
research and publication biasagainst supplements.
As they say, follow the money,and the money is really in drugs
and surgery.
We'll start with curcumin.
A randomized, double-blindplacebo-controlled trial
published in 2012 investigatedthe effects of curcumin on
patients with Parkinson'sdisease.
The study found that curcuminshowed potential benefits in
improving motor function.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
One small pilot study in 2019 evaluated the effects
of a standardized ashwagandharoot extract in patients with
Parkinson's, and that studyfound that ashwagandha
supplementation for 12 weeksshowed potential benefits in
improving motor function,cognitive function and the
overall quality of life forParkinson's disease patients,
compared to the placebo.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Bacopa minori.
Another small study publishedin 2012, evaluated the effects
of bacopa extract in patientswith Parkinson's disease, and
the study found thatsupplementation for six months
showed potential health benefitsimproving cognitive function,
attention and memory inParkinson's disease patients,
compared with the placebo group.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Anecdotal reports from patients suggest that
magnesium supplements can helprelieve muscle stiffness, cramps
, anxiety and constipationassociated with Parkinson's.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
B12 deficiency is common with Parkinson's Patients
with low B12 who improve theirB12 status through
supplementation or diet hadslower progression of disability
and less worsening of walking,balance and cognitive symptoms,
compared to those who remain B12deficient.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analysis of
randomized controlled trialsshowed that melatonin treatment
leads to both subjective andobjective improvements in sleep
quality compared to the placeboin patients with Parkinson's,
and this may improve sleep onsetinsomnia and it reduces REM
sleep behavior disorder.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
And recent large-scale cohort studies found
that omega-3 supplementation,like with fish oils,
particularly when combined withregular physical activity,
further reduced the risk ofdeveloping Parkinson's disease
and enhanced symptom management.
Some herbal supplements thatmight be considered would be
valerian root and chamomile,which might help with anxiety,
and ginger and peppermint oilfor digestive issues like
(35:53):
constipation.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
A quick word of caution.
Before you start taking asupplement, be sure to look up
potential drug supplementinteractions.
You can ask your doctor orpharmacist or you can look on
sites like WebMD InteractionChecker or MedlinePlus or
Drugscom for interaction checks.
And always check in with yourhealth care provider.
(36:15):
Advise them of any supplementsthat you are on or have changed.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Another integrative therapy that's getting some
attention is red light therapy,with emerging evidence
supporting its benefits for bothmotor and non-motor symptoms.
And let's see, do you recallthat Tyler uses that?
Speaker 3 (36:35):
right, we do, we do.
We as a family do, and we kindof you know, use it for a lot of
whatever ails you, and I'veactually seen a lot of really
interesting improvements.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
Yeah, yeah, and I think there's some pretty good
science behind this, but here'sa synthesis of some of the
current scientific findings ofimprovement in upper and lower
limb function, reduced tremorseverity, improved facial
expressions, enhanced balanceand gait speed.
The non-motor benefits includeimproved sleep quality and
circadian rhythm regulation,reduced depression and anxiety
(37:05):
and restored sense of smell insome patients.
While red light therapy isgenerally well tolerated,
patients should consult amovement disorder specialist
before starting the program.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Finally, let's look at the issue from the
perspective of each of the majornon-motor symptoms.
So let's start with fatigue.
This is obviously verycomplicated and an important
subject, and when you have noenergy, it affects every aspect
of your life.
For instance, it's hard to getup out of the Lazy Boy and go to
your boxing class if you havezero energy.
We did a whole podcast onfatigue back in 2018, and a lot
(37:34):
of the things we mentioned therewould apply to Parkinson's
disease patients.
So, in the interest of time,we'll just refer you back to
that podcast on fatigue.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Yeah, constipation is often ignored, but it's really
very important for thesepatients and, as we mentioned
earlier, it sometimes comes onfor years and years before the
motor symptoms come on.
We just think it's just gardenvariety constipation, but no,
it's early Parkinson's and thesepatients can be miserable.
So we really have to get afterthis.
But I'm not going to go intodetail on this too much because
I have for you an excellent freehandout on constipation at
(38:07):
wwwmcmdcom under the documentssection.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass, can be
helped with regular exercise,proper diet and testosterone
replacement therapy.
There is also some evidencethat vitamin D supplementation
can help prevent muscle loss.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
And fall prevention is another big deal.
As I said, it was the fall thatreally took my dad down and for
many people, a fall can be thebeginning of the end.
I did an entire podcast on fallprevention back in 2024 that
I'll refer you to for this, andI also have many excellent
handouts on the issue of fallsfor you at mcminnmdcom under the
documents menu.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Maintaining healthy sexuality during this time may
be important and helpful forsome Parkinson's disease
patients and their partners.
However, they may have somechallenges here.
We have a podcast for you to beable to listen to on both men's
sexual health and women'ssexual health from back in 2023.
Again, this is an area wheretestosterone replacement therapy
(39:07):
may be really helpful for bothmen and for women.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Also with women.
It's important to attend tovaginal health, both from the
sexual health point of view andalso from the urinary health
point of view.
Pain with intercourse or UTIsafter intercourse can be a real
deal breaker.
We did an entire podcast onvaginal dryness and one on
vaginal microbiome.
That might be helpful for you.
And finally, it may also behelpful to see a sex health
therapist who can give you somegreat info as to how to overcome
(39:32):
challenges in order to maintainan intimate relationship that
you desire 2021.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Study found that 68% of women with Parkinson's
disease self-reported unwantedurinary symptoms.
These symptoms includedfrequency, urgency, nocturia,
incontinence, retention andhesitancy.
Pelvic floor muscle trainingcombined with bladder training
and strategies for managing yourfluid intake have been shown in
(39:59):
randomized controlled trials toreduce symptoms and also
improve quality of life.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Disorder.
Sleep is another hallmark ofParkinson's.
This is a huge problem.
I remember my dad he used to beup all night andomatherapy,
massage and TCM, which istraditional Chinese medicine.
(40:37):
We have an excellent handoutfor you at mcmdcom in the
document section on sleephygiene.
We also did an entire podcastyears ago on CBTI, which is
cognitive behavioral therapy forinsomnia.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
For the depression which is often accompanies
Parkinson's.
The following integrativemodalities are supported by the
evidence.
So exercise, yoga, tai chi,qigong, dance therapy,
mindfulness, meditation,acupuncture, transcranial
magnetic stimulation, socialsupport and lifestyle
(41:07):
optimization, like healthy dietand restorative sleep, are all
very helpful here ForParkinson's-associated anxiety.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
The following integrative modalities are
supported by the evidenceCognitive behavioral therapy,
massage, aromatherapy,traditional Chinese medicine
with herbs and acupuncture,exercise, dance, tai chi, yoga,
qigong, meditation andsocialization.
Okay, as we wrap this up, let'sget practical.
I know that we have thrown alot of material at you and, for
better or for worse, we tend toerr on the side of being
(41:36):
thorough, so let me summarizeand break it down for you.
With this question, what wouldI do?
First, especially if I had anincreased genetic risk of
Parkinson's, I would practicesome common-s sense preventive
measures, such as the things wetalked about, like maybe
avoiding head injuries andavoiding toxins, et cetera, all
the things we've already talkedabout, which I won't repeat.
(42:00):
Then, if I got Parkinson's andthere but for the grace of God,
go any of us the first thing Iwould do is to assemble my team.
The team members would be myneurologist, my primary care
doctor and, if I could get one,a movement disorder specialist.
Depending on my symptoms, Iwould consider inviting other
folks to the team as well,including maybe a physical
therapist, a nutritionist, ahealth coach, psychologist
counselor, a psychiatrist, if Ineeded any kind of meds for mood
(42:21):
disorder, If your nursesymptoms were predominant, then
a urologist or a pelvic floorspecialist might be in order.
Previously we mentioned asexual health therapist, if that
is something you are interestedin, If drooling and speech and
swallowing become problematic,then a good speech therapist
might also be helpful.
And finally, you may considerfinding a good functional
medicine doctor to help you withthings like hormone
(42:41):
optimization, fatigue and otherintegrated modalities.
Having this team on your sidewill allow you to get the ideal
traditional medical protocol andalso take advantage of the
evidence-based complementarytherapies that we have discussed
in this podcast.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
As Laura also pointed out on our last show, in group
activities like support groups,Parkinson's patients can learn
from each other about what worksand what doesn't, as well as
what questions to ask and how tothink proactively.
So your support group alsobecomes part of your team, and
perhaps the most importantmembers of your team are your
family, friends, neighbors andespecially your primary care
(43:17):
partner.
As the old saying goes, ittakes a village and blessed are
the caregivers.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
You know, having any chronic progressive disease can
be a lonely journey, oftenassociated with significant
psychological and emotionalimpact.
These folks need a supportiveteam of providers to work with
them, along with their carepartner, to help them cope with
their disease and to become thebest version of themselves.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
Let us close this discussion by saying that
Parkinson's disease is thefastest-growing neurological
disease worldwide and, as yousaid, dr Whitman but there, by
the grace of God, go any of usto have Parkinson's and I hope
that we've been able to help youby outlining some
evidence-based strategies foryou to reduce your risk of
getting Parkinson's, and thatwe've been able to shed some
(44:01):
light on some of the integrativetherapies that may complement a
traditional approach, so thatyou can be the best version of
yourself as you navigate lifewith chronic disease.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
And before we close, I'd like to give a shout out to
the care partners of thesepatients.
Being a care partner is often along, difficult and sometimes
lonely labor of love.
As best we can, we as friends,family, neighbors and a society
need to care for the caregivers.
Speaker 3 (44:25):
In summary, the mainstream medical and surgical
treatments outlined in ourpodcast should be the foundation
of a Parkinson's treatmentprogram.
However, there are manyevidence-based functional and
integrative therapies that cancomplement traditional medical
therapy in order to optimizeprevention and treatment
outcomes.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
Well, that will about do it for this discussion of a
functional and integrativeapproach to Parkinson's.
Thank you so much for listening.
We hope that we were able toshare something with you that
was interesting and helpful foryou.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
Do take a moment to rate us on iTunes.
The reviews really do make adifference.
And also, if you like thepodcast, then take a moment
today to let a friend know aboutit.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
If you'd like to reach out to me to comment on
the show or to make arecommendation for future topics
, then you may do so at drmcmintat yahoocom.
And Coach Lindsay, can youleave us with a?
Coach Lindsay, pearl of wisdom.
Speaker 3 (45:16):
You know, Parkinson's may be a disease of the brain,
but healing happens in the wholeperson, From the gut to the
heart, from your movement toyour mindset.
Every small choice matters, andwhat we've learned today is
that you're not powerless.
Whether it's red light therapy,hormone support, a boxing class
or simple change in yourmorning routine, Each step is a
(45:37):
vote for vitality.
So keep showing up, build yourteam and, most of all, just
believe in the possibility ofprogress.
Neuroplasticity isn't just ascientific term.
I think it's really a reasonfor all of us to have hope.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Well, this is Dr McMinn signing out, and this is
Coach Lindsay.
Take care and be well.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.