In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to PARKINSON’S RESOURCE ORGANIZATION
 

When making your donation please include your message to Bill’s family. A personal card, on your behalf, will be sent by Parkinson’s Resource Organization. We thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers to Bill’s family and your contribution to the work of PRO.

Last month’s article, entitled PARKINSON’S DISEASE: A COLLABORATIVE, focused on identifying the key issues, which have been in the way of developing curative treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.

The main issues were:

•      Limited understanding of the disease etiology;
•      The inability of most drugs to go across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the central nervous system (CNS). Continued efforts to understand etiology have lead to the identification and characterization of the key pathogenic proteins involved in causing PD. Although more research is needed to fully understand the PD etiology, most neuroscientists believe that therapeutic intervention to regulate the function of some of the already identified pathogenic proteins will alleviate, halt, and/or reverse the disease process.

This article focuses on the types of therapeutic molecules that can be used for treating PD, keeping in mind the key requisite that such therapeutic drug has to be able to cross the BBB.

Pharmaceuticals can be classified into two types of molecules: small molecules and macromolecules. Most small molecules such as Aspirin, Motrin, and Levodopa are BBB permeable. For decades the process of drug discovery has been centered on designing, developing and selecting small molecules with activity at a particular site or receptor in the brain with scant regard for non-specific targeting and organ distribution, which lead to undesirable side effects. In addition, small molecule drugs have low therapeutic indices and develop drug resistance shortly after initial treatment. A handful of FDA approved small molecule drugs that slow down the disease symptoms in some patients stop working after some period, leaving the patient helpless. Daily we see our friends and relatives inflicted by PD frequently changing medications, trying to adjust dose and consulting different physicians in search of a better drug, which so far, sadly, does not exist. Thus, in spite of remarkable BBB permeability, the small molecule based drugs have been plagued with lack of specificity, development of drug resistance, low therapeutic indices and frequent administration, in addition, being inept to cure the disease.

Macromolecules are large molecule modern drugs such as engineered proteins (eg: nerve growth factors), antibodies, genes, vectors, micro-RNA, Si-RNA, and ribozymes, which are otherwise effective in ex-vivo studies, have been discarded during their development for clinical use due to a failure to deliver them in sufficient quantity to the CNS. Antibodies are molecules of unsurpassed specificity but conventional antibodies do not cross the BBB. Similarly, micro-RNA, Si-RNA, and ribozymes are highly specific molecules but cannot cross the BBB. Although neurodegenerative diseases have been known for many decades and despite enormous research efforts both by private sectors and government institutes, there are no diagnostics and curative treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. With more than 50 million people afflicted worldwide by neurodegenerative diseases, this epidemic summons an immediate response from local, national and international communities to develop early diagnosis and treatment. With aging population living longer, the number of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases will continue to escalate unless highly specific curative drugs (minimally toxic) are developed today. Disease curative drug is the one that, in addition to treating the symptoms, modifies the disease by halting its progression.

Realizing the urgent medical need, a small La Jolla based Biotech Company, has taken upon it the challenge of developing diagnostics and therapeutics for the world’s most debilitating neurodegenerative Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Funded by a grant from the US Government, this company first focused upon tackling one of the biggest challenges of medicine, which was to overcome the hurdles of BBB impermeability. After two years extensive research efforts, the company’s scientists developed a proprietary technology which breached the hitherto impermeable BBB in a mouse model. The validation of its technology was done by a world renowned UCSD neuroscientist. To demonstrate BBB permeability, the scientists developed an Alzheimer’s disease specific pharmaceutical macromolecule, which when injected in the tail vein of a mouse traveled across the BBB into the CNS where it specifically bound with the amyloid-plaque found in the brain of Alzheimer’s transgenic mouse. Having demonstrated BBB permeability, the company is now trying to scale up the production of its drug to establish therapeutic efficacy against Alzheimer’s disease.

Having been encouraged by the BBB study of its Alzheimer’s drug, the company has launched a program to develop BBB permeable therapeutic molecules for Parkinson’s disease. It has developed a drug to neutralize and/or modulate the function of one of the pathogenic proteins, alpha- synuclein, implicated in the pathogenesis of  PD. The company is now in the process of gathering resources to advance this potential pharmaceutical to preclinical and clinical trials.

As the founder and moving force behind PRO, Jo Rosen has, for the past 22 years, fostered and promoted a better quality of life for Parkinsonians and their care givers through emotional support and education. While continuing in her role as president of PRO, and continuing the emotional and educational support mission of PRO to make sure that no one is isolated because of Parkinson’s disease, Jo has taken on a personal mission to raise funds for this exciting new research, in hopes of achieving human clinical trials for a possible cure within 12 to 18 months.

If you are, or know someone, who is an experienced, sophisticated, investor with the ability to underwrite ($100,000 or more) this expensive research, I invite you to contact Jo Rosen personally at 760-895-5161 to further discuss the details of this project, answer your questions and, hopefully inspire you to join her in funding this scientific research. The company doing the research is a for-profit company founded and run by scientific entrepreneurs.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, you can help keep yourself in safe and healthy ways by taking certain precautions.

Physical therapy is almost always beneficial.

Group wellness programs, group exercise, yoga, tai-chi, and support groups which include the involvement with others can help with the isolation and depression some people with Parkinson’s feel. Exercise can ease symptoms.

Research shows that patients with Parkinson’s disease who exercise regularly do better than those who don’t. Any degree of exercise helps!

EXERCISE TIPS

Check with your doctor before starting an exercise regime.

• Practice physical and occupational therapies from certified therapists.
• Exercise your face, jaw and eyes whenever possible.
• Perform bending, stretching, and breathing exercises often and regularly.
• Exercising in bed may be easier than on the floor.
• Even if it means having to hold onto something, build your walking skills.
• Exercising in the water is easier on the joints. Many fitness centers, hospitals, colleges, and YMCAs or YWCAs have water exercise programs.

SAFETY TIPS

Ask your doctor for a prescription/referral for a home safety evaluation by an occupational therapist.

• Install grab bars in the tub and shower.
• Use a bath chair or stool in the shower.
• Keep floors smooth but not slippery.
• Stockpile supplies in easy to reach cabinets.
• Make sure stairwells are lit.
• Get nightlights for bathrooms and hallways.
• Keep walking areas free of clutter.
• Wear low heeled, comfortable shoes. Avoid walking in slippery socks and slippers.
• Make sure carpets are fully tacked to the ground, and avoid throw rugs.

DIET AND EATING TIPS

• To avoid choking and encourage digestion cut foods into smaller portions.
• Remain upright for 30 minutes after eating.
• For upset stomachs linked to medication, try eating a small amount of non-protein based food before taking medication.
• If protein blocks your body’s ability to absorb levodopa (Sinemet), you may need to avoid taking this medication within 30 minutes before to 1 hour after eating meat or other high-protein foods.

PARKINSON’S AND DEMENTIA

Dementia is a less common feature of Parkinson’s disease. Approximately 20% of people with Parkinson’s disease will develop Parkinson’s disease Dementia (PDD). A person with Parkinson’s who experiences hallucinations and more severe motor control problems are at risk for dementia. For those people with Parkinson’s who go on to develop dementia, there is usually at least a 10 to 15 year lag time between their diagnosis and the onset of dementia.

Signs of dementia would include:

• Memory problems
• Distractibility
• Slowed thinking
• Disorientation
• Confusion
• Moodiness
• Lack of motivation
• Hallucinations

Parkinson’s disease Dementia (PDD) is different from a similar disorder, known as Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). DLB is characterized by fluctuations in alertness and attention, recurrent visual hallucinations, and Parkinsonian motor symptoms like rigidity and the loss of spontaneous movement. In this disorder, the cognitive problems, such as hallucinations, tend to occur much earlier in the course of the disease and often precede the difficulties with walking and motor control.

Is the dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease or something else? Indications that dementia may be caused by something other than Parkinson’s include agitation, delusions (strongly held false beliefs), language difficulties, and early onset of memory symptoms. If these factors are present, your physician can test for other possible causes of dementia, such as a Vitamin B-12 deficiency or an underactive thyroid gland. Depression is also common in people with Parkinson’s and can mimic dementia by causing similar symptoms.

Additionally, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are both common in the elderly, especially in those over 85. Therefore, people with Parkinson’s who develop dementia may develop Alzheimer’s dementia as well. If a person with established Parkinson’s develops signs of Alzheimer’s dementia, he or she will probably benefit from medications for Alzheimer’s dementia as well. The similarities in symptoms between Parkinson’s, Diffuse Lewy Body, and Alzheimer’s disease, can make it difficult to determine the cause of the symptoms. Therefore, obtaining a thorough consultation with a neurologist is recommended to make a definitive diagnosis and establish an appropriate plan of care.

There are other, much less common disorders with features similar to Parkinson’s with dementia such as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) to name a few. If people do not respond to treatments for Parkinson’s disease or if they have unusual features, referral to a neurologist who specializes in Movement Disorders is often helpful.

The bottom line  Parkinson’s is a disorder of muscle and movement control that should be quite manageable and controllable for a lengthy period of time. About 20% of patients develop dementia, including loss of memory and other cognitive functions. If patients with Parkinson’s develop behavioral or memory problems; a physician can help determine the cause of the problems and develop a treatment plan.

Thousands of Americans this year will be diagnosed with a common disorder of the jaw area called temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJD, formerly called TMJ).
Because of the inherent biological complexity of TMJD, their healthcare providers will have no way to determine whether their patients will get better in time or battle chronic disease.

But research help is on the way. Scientists affiliated with a large, seven-year study supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health, have published the preliminary results of the most comprehensive and systematic analysis to date of risk factors associated with chronic TMJD. The findings are found in a special issue of the Journal of Pain, which now is available online to subscribers.

These initial results from the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study provide a voluminous body of high- quality data that confirms many previous discoveries and adds several new possibilities for risk. These include:

• In women, the risk for chronic TMJD increases between the ages of 18 and 44, the age range evaluated in the study. Previous studies have suggested that the risk was greatest during a woman’s early childbearing years and decreased thereafter. In young men (ages 18-44), age was unrelated to TMJD incidence.

• Chronic TMJD incidence does not correlate with low socio-economic status. This finding is in stark contrast to trends seen in other chronic pain conditions. Socio-economic status, for instance, has been shown to have a profound effect on musculoskeletal pain, sciatica, ulcer, and neuropathic pain.

• Chronic TMJD seems to be associated with alterations in some parts of the nervous system that control pain perception. Researchers found that TMJD patients, when compared to healthy study volunteers, were much more sensitive to a variety of stimuli that evoke mildly painful sensations. They also show elevated heart rate responses at rest and during mild physical and psychological stress.

• Genetic variability contributes to chronic TMJD. Researchers found that chronic TMJD patients had alterations in several genes, including some known to influence stress response, psychological well-being, and inflammation. These findings may help to explain the origins of TMJD and provide new targets for drugs to treat chronic pain.

• Several clinical findings also were reported. TMJD patients frequently experienced many more chronic pain conditions, such as lower back pain, headaches, and fibromyalgia. Evidence of abnormal jaw function associated with teeth grinding and clenching was also observed. Future investigations will attempt to unravel whether grinding and clenching is a cause of consequence of the condition.

“These initial results from the OPPERA Study mark an important preliminary first step in providing a clearer, more definitive accounting of the risk factors associated with TMJD and related conditions,” said Martha Somerman, D.D.S, Ph.D., director of NIDCR. “The OPPERA Study has a lot more data in the pipeline. The next few years will be extremely interesting and should greatly improve the diagnosis of TMJD.”

TMJD is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that affect the area in and around the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ. These two large, ball- and-socket joints connect the jaw to the skull on both sides of the head. Common TMJD symptoms include: persistent pain in the jaw muscles, restricted jaw movement, jaw locking, and abnormal popping and clicking of the joint.

It is not known how many people have TMJD. But the main symptoms

– pain and restricted jaw movement – occur in 5-15 percent of Americans and more frequently affect women. Although some cases can be to linked physical trauma, in most cases the cause is unknown.

One reason that treatment can be so difficult is the chronic pain associated with TMJD results from a highly complex biological interplay. The interplay involves myriad factors, ranging from the intricacies of pain transmission and its possible rewiring and overamplification en route to the brain to the complicating and frequent presence of other painful conditions, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, which mask or modify the symptoms of the TMJD.

With so many variables, some researchers have suggested that the best scientific entry point to examine TMJD is during its earliest stages, before the full-blown complexity of advanced disease clouds the investigative picture. This thinking and progress in studying the basic biology of pain led to the launch of OPPERA in September 2005. It marks the first-ever, large prospective (meaning, looking forward in time) clinical study of TMJD and, more broadly, a chronic pain condition.

The OPPERA Study involves four investigative units: University of Florida in Gainesville, directed by Dr. Roger Fillingim; University of Buffalo-SUNY, directed by Dr. Richard Ohrbach; University of Maryland at Baltimore, overseen by Drs. Joel Greenspan and Ronald Dubner; and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, directed by Drs. Gary Slade, Eric Blair, Shad Smith, Luda Diatchenko, and William Maixner, who is also OPPERA’s program director. Mr. Charles Knott, with the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, served as the director of the Data Coordination Center.

Investigators at the four study sites now have completed tracking 3,200 healthy male and female volunteers, ages 18-44, from three to five years. As expected, a subset of approximately 200 volunteers developed their first bout(s) of TMJD, and researchers are currently analyzing the study data to determine the factors associated with the disease’s onset.

The publications in the Journal of Pain, however, stem from an associated but distinct baseline study at OPPERA’s launch. In this investigation, researchers enrolled 192 individuals with chronic TMJD and 3,200 volunteers enrolled in the prospective study. Both groups underwent state-of-the-art tests that evaluated comprehensively a range of biological, psychological, and genetic factors, another first for a large clinical pain study.

The results provided in-depth baseline profiles at opposite ends of the disease spectrum. These profiles provide invaluable reference points from which to better evaluate the data from the longitudinal study. But the chronic TMJD profile in particular charts fresh scientific ground.

“The profile offers the most quantitative and thus complete picture to date of who has chronic TMJD and who is at risk,” said Dr. William Maixner, the principal investigator of OPPERA and a scientist at the University of North Carolina. “While the current results are preliminary, they should be of immediate value to practitioners who treat patients with TMJD.”

In addition to the new discoveries highlighted above, Maixner said he and his colleagues confirmed many previous findings in TMJD research and have placed them into a clearer conceptual context for further study. Maixner noted that these findings have gone far to validate the broad conceptual model of TMJD causation that underlies OPPERA’s longitudinal study. The model, like a compass to a traveler, predicts the route ahead in the development of a specific disorder. In this case, Maixner and colleagues predicted that psychological distress and pain amplification are the two broad factors that contribute to the onset and persistence of TMJD.

“Within the broad headings of demographics, pain amplification, psychological distress, genetics, and life history of physical and psychological trauma lies a complex web of causation,” said Maixner.

“Our hope with the larger longitudinal study is to pull out specific factors within this web and also determine if there is interplay between them. Whatever we learn likely will have an impact on the diagnosis and, hopefully, treatment of TMJD.”  The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is the Nation’s leading funder of research on oral, dental, and craniofacial health.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For NIH information and its programs, visit www.NIH.gov online.

———–

We are very pleased to have Parkinson’s Resource Organization reprint the NIDCR press statement about chronic TMJ disorders (www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/NewsReleases/ PressStatements/ChronicTMJD.htm) in your newsletter. We appreciate that you will share the TMJ information with your readers.

However, only about 7.2 million veterans are enrolled with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), and only 5.5 million receive health care services and 3.4 million receive monetary benefits from the VA.

Many of our elderly clients who are veterans are unaware of the vast benefits available to them through the VA. Benefits through the VA can be a valuable substitute or addition to any long-term care plan that an elderly veteran should consider. Many have heard of Aid and Attendance as a possible option. However, Aid & Attendance is just a small part of the benefits that the VA can offer. The following article will provide a short overview of VA benefits and basic eligibility requirements for the Aid & Attendance program.

Veteran’s benefits are provided through the three administrations of the VA. First, the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) provides veterans and eligible family members with burial/cremation and funeral services. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest health care system in our country and provides health care services to veterans or family members under certain circumstances. Lastly, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provides benefits to veterans, their family and survivors including disability compensation, pension, education, home loans, and life insurance. Under the VBA, veterans may be eligible for “Compensation” which is a monthly income given to a veteran as a result of sustaining a service-related injury. Veterans without a service-related injury, or the surviving spouses of such veterans who have limited income and assets, may be eligible for “Pension” benefits. Pension benefits start with a basic pension, and for those who are eligible for “Housebound” or “Aid & Attendance”, an additional allowance may be granted. Aid & Attendance is a little known benefit that can provide significant income to frail veterans that require the aid and attendance of another person.

ELIGIBILITY FOR AID & ATTENDANCE

A. Must be a wartime veteran: The veteran must have served at least 90 days of continuous active duty service, one day of which must be during the following wartime periods:

• World War I: April 6, 1917, through November 11, 1918
• World War II: December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946
• Korean War: June 27, 1950, through January 31, 1955
• Vietnam War: August 5, 1964 (February 28, 1961,
• for veterans who served “in country” before August 5, 1964), through May 7, 1975
• Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990, through the present time. A Presidential Proclamation or a law will be required to set the end date for this wartime period.

B. Must have received a discharge that is other than dishonorable

C. Must be 65 years of age or older OR permanently and totally disabled:
The applicant (veteran or a surviving spouse) must be: 65 years of age or older, OR Is “permanently and totally disabled”

D. Must meet any one of the following conditions:
Aid of another: The applicant requires the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting himself/herself from the hazards of his/her daily environment, OR,
Bedridden: The applicant is bedridden, in that his/her disability or disabilities requires that he/she remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, OR,
Living in a nursing home: The applicant is a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,
Blind: The applicant is blind, or so nearly blind as to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

E. Must have low income:
Veteran with no dependents – Maximum income of $20,447 per year ($1,703 per month)
Veteran with one dependent – Maximum income of $24,239 per year ($2,019 per month)
Widow(er) with no dependents – Maximum income of $13,138 per year ($1,094 per month)
Reduction of excess income: Most veterans have incomes that exceed the above income limits. A veteran can reduce his/her excess income by “unreimbursed medical expenses.” Unreimbursed medical expenses include assisted living expenses, home attendance services, doctor’s fees, dentist’s fees, prescription glasses, Medicare premium deductions and copayments, prescription medications, health insurance premiums, transportation to physician offices, and therapy. Costs for home care and assisted living facilities are usually high enough to reduce an applicant’s income altogether.

F. Must have limited assets:
There is no exact asset level that an applicant can have in order to qualify for Aid & Attendance. The VA looks at the “net worth” of an individual and does an “age analysis” to determine whether the applicant has “sufficient means” to pay for their own care. The rule of thumb figure that is widely used by regional offices is $80,000. However, based on the “net worth” determination, a 90 year old applicant may not be eligible with $80,000 in his name, but a 75 year old applicant may be.

Aid and Attendance is a valuable benefit that is often overlooked by veterans and their surviving spouses. We also strongly encourage veterans to discover the many other benefits they have earned by serving our country.

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE IS PRESENTED FOR INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT DEEMED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE. THOSE INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGAL ISSUES ADDRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE URGED TO SECURE LEGAL COUNSEL FROM A QUALIFIED ELDER LAW ATTORNEY ACCREDITED BY THE VA.

Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq., CELA* is the principal of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law firm that concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate administration, trusts and wills. The firm has offices in Long Island, Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Fatoullah has been named a “fellow” of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a former member of its Board of Directors. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Mr. Fatoullah has been Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Mr. Fatoullah currently chairs the legal committee of the Alzheimer’s Association, LI Chapter.

The firm can be reached toll free at: 1-877-ELDER-LAW (1-877-353-3752) or 1-877-ESTATES (1-877-378-2837).

*Certified as an elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation.

Reesa Manning’s commitment to her career as a financial advisor is based on real-life understanding of the economic curveballs that life can throw, particularly to women.

Formerly founder and president of the Southern California-based, 140-store franchise Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt, Reesa joined Integrated Wealth Management in August 2009 after a twelve-year career with UBS Financial Services, Inc. where she was Vice President-Investments and Retirement Planning Consultant.

Past board member of Women Leaders Forum, Reesa also served as president of the nonprofit, 2,000-member National Council of Jewish Women in Los Angeles and is past president of the Desert Cities Chapter of NAWBO (National Organization of Women Business Owners).
As Vice President & Senior Financial Advisor at Integrated Wealth Management, Reesa helps clients navigate the financial challenges of life’s transitions by tailoring investment strategies to their individual needs.
Reesa’s expertise and interest is in helping couples manage their finances. When one partner passes the other is well prepared to make the transition into flying solo.

INTEGRATED WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Reesa Manning
Integrated Wealth Management
74245 Highway 111, Suite 201
Palm Desert, CA 92260

www.IWMgmt.com

t. (866) 888.6563 x 206
t. (760) 834.7206
f. (760) 841.4527

Dr. Shirazi graduated from Howard University College of Dentistry, in Washington D.C. and earned a Masters degree in Oriental Medicine from Samra University. He has completed over 2000 hours of continuing education in TMD and facial pain, craniomandibular orthopedics, and sleep disordered breathing.

He has also completed a hospital mini-residency in oriental medicine at the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Centre which is the only organization the World Health Organization (WHO) has authorized to teach internationally on acupuncture and herbology, and another at Kyung Hee University and Medical Center, the top medical hospital and medical school in Korea.

In 2011, Dr. Shirazi became a board licensed sleep technologist from the BRPT, the first dual degreed dentist and RPSGT. He is the founder of the Bite, Breathe and Balance study group, dedicated to the multidisciplinary approach to treating craniofacial pain and sleep disorders.

Dr. Shirazi is the director of a state of the art private practice, The TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre of Conejo Valley, that is limited to the treatment of TMD, craniofacial pain, Sleep breathing disorders, and craniomandibular orthopedics & orthodontics. His practice is part of the TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre international family, one of sixteen doctors throughout the world, and is located in the beautiful hills of Thousand Oaks, CA. Personally, Dr. Shirazi enjoys hiking and camping in the state parks, traveling, and speaking. He is married to the love of his life Kimberly Shirazi and lives in Malibou Lake, a subset of Agoura Hills where he is very close to nature.

DR. DAVID SHIRAZI
558 St. Charles Dr. #201
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360                                     

Phone (805) 496-5700
Fax (805) 496-5719

www.TMJCONEJO.COM

daveshirazi@yahoo.com

This is such an exciting time with such a tremendous amount of activity going on. In the Parkinson’s world I find it extremely exciting because after 22 years of eating, breathing, sleeping and living Parkinson’s through my mother, my husband, my friends and PRO I actually believe that the end is near. With that said, we present the sequel to last month’s front page article REVERSING PARKINSON’S? Treating Neurodegenerative Parkinson’s Disease; and I might add, this may be the “patient driven” answer we’ve been looking for.

In this months Newsletter and posted articles we discuss

TEN TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A PERSON WITH DEMENTIA on page 3.

You may find this interesting; HOMICIDE NO LONGER #1 CAUSE OF DEATH, on page 4

WELLNESS TIPS FOR PARKINSON’S is on page 5

Find a SPECIAL VALENTINE DESSERT by Diane Tompkins, one of our Glendora group members on page 6. We know this cake is good; we had it at the last meeting.

On behalf of everyone who benefits from our efforts, thank you, ALL OF YOU, who made donations during 2011 and the beginning of 2012.

We urge you to continue. You may make them on line through our secure website, ParkinsonsResource.org/ contribute.

He has been teaching to the chiropractic and dental professions for many years in the art of Craniopathy and Sacro Occipital Technique. Dr. Buddingh personally studied under Dr. M.B. DeJarnette for 22 years, he was one of the “first twelve” chiropractors to be certified in S.O.T. and Crainopathy. Dr. Buddingh was awarded the Chiropractor of the Year in 1973, and received a Diplomat in Craniopathy in 1982. Dr. Buddingh has presented beginning and advanced S.O.T. and Cranial seminars nationally and internationally

After moving to the Coachella Valley in 2001, Dr. Buddingh has used his practice to research new procedures to help the senior community have a more active and productive pain free life. He has always preferred to have his patients experience a multi disciplinary approach, as it shortens their recovery time. Over the years he has developed many innovative procedures that are taught in S.O.T. and Craniopathy today. The Sphenomaxillary Cranial Procedure, the Vagus Nerve Release, and the First Rib Release are three of the most pivotal.
The vagus nerve is one of 12 cranial nerves. It extends from the brain stem to the abdomen, via various organs including the heart, esophagus and lungs. Also known as cranial nerve X, the vagus forms part of the involuntary nervous system and commands unconscious body procedures, such as keeping the heart rate constant and controlling food digestion. The vagus is the longest of all cranial nerves.

Patients with Movement Disorders, Degenerative Nerve Disease, TMJ, Learning Difficulties , and some forms Autism often respond favorably to Cranial Manipulation. Cranial procedures promote vascularity and circulation to the Central Nervous System and other tissue.

He scientifically engineered, developed and patented The Chiropractic Belt™. The Chiropractic Belt™ promotes healing and alleviates pain while increasing the function of the pelvis. The pelvis is considered the foundation of the spine. The Chiropractic Belt™ stabilizes and normalizes the pelvis. With continued use hypertonic muscles in the back and legs relax, improving circulation while relieving pain in the back, knees, ankles, and feet. The Chiropractic Belt™ relieves pain, discomfort, and instability caused by ligament and other connective tissue sprain/strain of the lower back. It restores integrity and balance to the pelvis and sacroiliac joint. This allows the patient to experience an improvement in overall health and a greatly improved quality of life.
Education:
1968 Doctor of Chiropractic, Palmer College, Davenport Iowa
1968 Chiropractic Intern, X-Ray Pathology, Palmer College
1969 Associate Doctor with Dr. John Osborne, Maysville, Kentucky
1969-1991 Studied Sacral Occipital Technique and Craniopathy under the Founder and Developer, Dr. Major Bertrand DeJarnette
1970 – 2000 S.O.T. and Cranial Instructor
1979 Certified Craniopath
1982 Diplomat in Craniopathy
Dr. Buddingh has published many articles and manuals over his years in practice.

Dr.Curtis Buddingh D.C., DICS
73-345 Highway 111,Suite 201
Palm Desert, CA. 92260
Tel: 800 683 BELT (2358)
Fax: 760 773-5664

www.thechiroptacticbelt.com