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04-24-2009, 10:00 PM | #1 | |||
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In Remembrance
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A few weeks ago there was news of rats with PD getting relief by means of electrically stimulating their spines, similar to the effects of DBS.
The details were scanty, but enough to get me wondering, so I tried it today. I have an electrical muscle stimulator that I bought on Ebay a year or so ago. PTs often use them for rehab. I got mine for $50. This morning I had meds at 8 AM and 10 AM and expected to continue the two hour repeat the rest of the day. I felt myself going off about 11 AM and muttered under my breath because I knew it was going to be one of THOSE days and that I'd be spending the afternoon froze up in a chair when I'd rather be doing something else. So, I thought "what the heck!" and with great effort drug the stimulator out and hooked up to it for fifteen minutes. I had tried it a couple of times already. In the absence of any guidelines I had kept my experimental levels down to "barely detectable" but this time I upped it to "just becoming uncomfortable." One pad went on my occiput and the other on my tail bone. The stim shut down after the 15 minutes were up and I sat quietly for another 15. At 11:30 I stood up and, after limbering up a little, I found that I could walk when I should have been freezing. Not only that, but I skipped meds at noon and 2 PM and finally took them at about 3 PM. Not only had I been functional, but I was engaged in moving some heavy furniture around or two of those hours. I took meds again at 6 PM but found myself beginning to go off and freeze as 8 PM approached. I decided to extend my experiment and 8 PM I again drug the little zapper out and put in 15 minutes. After a ten minute wait, I again stod up and found myself back to functioning without any meds since 6 PM! It is now 11 PM and I am going to bed fully fiunctional! This is cool!!!
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Born in 1953, 1st symptoms and misdiagnosed as essential tremor in 1992. Dx with PD in 2000. Currently (2011) taking 200/50 Sinemet CR 8 times a day + 10/100 Sinemet 3 times a day. Functional 90% of waking day but fragile. Failure at exercise but still trying. Constantly experimenting. Beta blocker and ACE inhibitor at present. Currently (01/2013) taking ldopa/carbadopa 200/50 CR six times a day + 10/100 form 3 times daily. Functional 90% of day. Update 04/2013: L/C 200/50 8x; Beta Blocker; ACE Inhib; Ginger; Turmeric; Creatine; Magnesium; Potassium. Doing well. |
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04-25-2009, 03:26 AM | #2 | ||
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Thid sounds like serious stuff !!?
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04-25-2009, 06:02 AM | #3 | |||
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In Remembrance
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Slept very well. Awoke 6 AM with much less brain fog than usual. Functionally improved by 25% over normal. Now 7 AM and just finished 15 min session. No meds yet (usually the first order of business). Typing better than I would expect but one handed. Will take some sinemet now and report later.Cheers!
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Born in 1953, 1st symptoms and misdiagnosed as essential tremor in 1992. Dx with PD in 2000. Currently (2011) taking 200/50 Sinemet CR 8 times a day + 10/100 Sinemet 3 times a day. Functional 90% of waking day but fragile. Failure at exercise but still trying. Constantly experimenting. Beta blocker and ACE inhibitor at present. Currently (01/2013) taking ldopa/carbadopa 200/50 CR six times a day + 10/100 form 3 times daily. Functional 90% of day. Update 04/2013: L/C 200/50 8x; Beta Blocker; ACE Inhib; Ginger; Turmeric; Creatine; Magnesium; Potassium. Doing well. |
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"Thanks for this!" says: | gardengrl (04-30-2009) |
04-25-2009, 07:54 AM | #4 | ||
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Senior Member
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I saw this too and wondered why they didn't give more details...but it's a blessing, actually, because they used our friend the rodent and ultimately would have had to try it on people, but you beat them to it! Thanks very much for trying it, and for sharing with others. I am very happy for you that you are feeling better, and it seems, significantly so.
Perhaps OT, perhaps not....I read last night of a little boy whose autism has mysteriously improved, significantly, after riding horses in Mongolia. His family watched in amazement as an encounter with a horse here in the USA (the family is from Texas, where we are), which could have left him dead or badly hurt, seemed to calm him and improve his condition. The astute parents followed their son's cue, and traveled to Mongolia and immersed their son amongst the locals and their horses. They returned, with three cardinal autism symptoms gone (one being incontinence, so this was a huge improvement). Turns out, the motion of the horse is recognized as beneficial to those with autism...as little as 18-25 minutes once a week, for 8 weeks, has been found to improve those with autism! It's called hippotherapy, who knew? The father has written a book, his name is Isaacson, I believe, about their experience. You can google it if you want to read more, but I see a connection between the physical stimulation of riding a horse for those with autism and the spinal stimulation for PD. |
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"Thanks for this!" says: |
04-25-2009, 08:12 AM | #5 | ||
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Member
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I agree that this sounds like a Big Thing. I don't have one of those machines.
I plan to investigate further. Whenever I have dystonia, I can feel it entering through my tailbone and proceeding up my spine. Lurking, I think that's a very cool story about the horses. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if it's not just movement of the spine, but something about the relationship with the animal that is healing. Horses have been used as healers in a number of ways, I think. I believe there are animals who can sense things about us intuitively that we can't, and have enuf... well, love..to try to guide us somehow, or somehow reach into our energetic systems. No big news I guess, studies have shown for a while that having pets can prolong the life of the elderly. Rick, I will look into getting one of them spine machine things. Can you be specific about what kind of thing to get? |
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"Thanks for this!" says: | gardengrl (04-30-2009) |
04-25-2009, 10:54 AM | #6 | ||
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Junior Member
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Quote:
Calling you from the United Kingdom. I have a unit from a company called Physio-Med which describes the unit as follows. Is yours similar? Digi-stim Multi Stimulation Product Code: EMS 9000D The Digi-stim is a new 2 Channel Muscle Stimulation Unit using digital technology to ensure a much more accurate and efficient output. Large LCD screen makes selection of treatment parameters much easier. The Digi-stim is ideal for • The re-education and strengthening of weak muscles • Reducing muscle spasm • Increasing range of motion • Stimulating circulation Features Include: • Adjustable frequency range 1-150Hz • Adjustable pulse width 30 - 260µs • Adjustable ramp up/ramp down times 1 - 6 seconds • Adjustable interval (relaxation) time 1 - 30 seconds • Treatment time up to 60 minutes You improvements seem nothing short of a miracle |
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"Thanks for this!" says: | gardengrl (04-30-2009) |
04-26-2009, 07:31 AM | #7 | |||
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In Remembrance
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Yesterday afternoon I messed up my experiment with an MSG hit thanks to a local restaurant. Was off for a couple of hours although even that was less than usual. Never really got it back solid and so went to bed.
Slept very well, though, and was up about 6:30 and was on within about thirty minutes, which is fast for me. It has been two hours now and doing well. Except for my lower back which is objecting to my juggling large televisions around yesterday. I am cautious of the effect of doing a session this morning and so will be a good boy as long as I can stand it. Still very encouraged. Will post as appropriate.
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Born in 1953, 1st symptoms and misdiagnosed as essential tremor in 1992. Dx with PD in 2000. Currently (2011) taking 200/50 Sinemet CR 8 times a day + 10/100 Sinemet 3 times a day. Functional 90% of waking day but fragile. Failure at exercise but still trying. Constantly experimenting. Beta blocker and ACE inhibitor at present. Currently (01/2013) taking ldopa/carbadopa 200/50 CR six times a day + 10/100 form 3 times daily. Functional 90% of day. Update 04/2013: L/C 200/50 8x; Beta Blocker; ACE Inhib; Ginger; Turmeric; Creatine; Magnesium; Potassium. Doing well. |
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04-26-2009, 08:11 AM | #8 | |||
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Senior Member
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Rick, I"m just now seeing your post. This is great - I've had a lot of PT with elec stim on shoulder - arm etc. Your experiences on the spine are most note-worthy!!
thanks!
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Jean B This isn't the life I wished for, but it is the life I have. So I'm doing my best. |
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"Thanks for this!" says: | gardengrl (04-30-2009) |
04-26-2009, 05:29 PM | #9 | |||
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In Remembrance
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Today started a little weird but straightened out by noon. I haven't done any stim today and probably won't until tomorrow to let my back quit complaining.
It is early but I may have a clue from this morning. I was off most of it and quite deeply at that. But about noon I began to function normally and now at 6 PM remain so. Today I have stuck to my usual meds every two hours schedule but yesterday was hitting about half that. From all that I suspect that Estim releases dopamine but does not increase its production to the same extent. Last night I was beginning to experience a deficit which blossomed this morning but was corrected by my renewed med intake. This is not bad news, it just means that a balance is called for. It may also be that some things are being brought out of dormancy. If this is true, then once I resume the first day should be noticeably improved.
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Born in 1953, 1st symptoms and misdiagnosed as essential tremor in 1992. Dx with PD in 2000. Currently (2011) taking 200/50 Sinemet CR 8 times a day + 10/100 Sinemet 3 times a day. Functional 90% of waking day but fragile. Failure at exercise but still trying. Constantly experimenting. Beta blocker and ACE inhibitor at present. Currently (01/2013) taking ldopa/carbadopa 200/50 CR six times a day + 10/100 form 3 times daily. Functional 90% of day. Update 04/2013: L/C 200/50 8x; Beta Blocker; ACE Inhib; Ginger; Turmeric; Creatine; Magnesium; Potassium. Doing well. |
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04-28-2009, 10:21 AM | #10 | ||
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Junior Member
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Hi Rick,
Lots of us out here are hanging in here waiting for further news of progress of your experiment with Electric Muscle Stimulator. The thread has not hand any news since the 26th of April. Please Update! Thank you KenKi |
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"Thanks for this!" says: | gardengrl (04-30-2009) |
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