1. 16/11/2012
PARKINSONS’ &
Neuromuscular disorders
A Talk for the Scarborough chapter of the Parkinson’s Society of
Canada.
Morwenna Given
BA MA (Oxon) BSC m.OHA BHG RH
www.medicusherbis.com
1 ©

2. 2 16/11/2012
WHO AM I?
 I am a medical herbalist, trained in University,
Hospital and clinics in the UK & USA
 With a practise in downtown Toronto
focussing on:
 Chronic auto immune diseases including MS,
Cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and women's’
issues
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3. 3 16/11/2012
What Do I Do?
A person who treats medical disease
‘wholistically’ on an evidence based
basis with whole plant extracts
 A person who treats the cause of the
problem not just the symptom
 We are specialists in the use of medicinal
plants and their ability to resolve disease
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4. 4 16/11/2012
What is Parkinson's
 Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of
disorders which affect the brain
 Other group disorders include ALS, MS,
Alzheimer's and dementia
 Most serious movement disorder in the world
 characterised by
 A loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain (
substantia nigra )resulting in signs and
symptoms negatively impacting on life
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5. 5 16/11/2012
Common Pathologies for
neurodegenerative disorders
 All
these disorders have much in
common. Aetiology is surprising uniform
Brain Nerve. 2012 Jun;64(6):675-9.
Are neurodegenerative diseases "protein cancers"?.
Hasegawa M.
Department of Neuropathology and Cell Biology, Tokyo
Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan.
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6. 6 16/11/2012
MICROBIOME
 Auto immunity diseases arise from the gut
 Kirsten Berer Max Planck Institute Freiburg
 Gut bacterias trigger the reaction that causes
the body’s immune system to misbehave –
which is why amyloid deposits in the brain are
a late stage feature…….Parkinson's develops
years before signs and symptoms lead to a
diagnosis
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7. 7 16/11/2012
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
 The microbiome is the most exciting
development in science in the last 50 yrs.
 What you eat is totally under your control
and preventable medicine
 There will never be a drug for bacteria as
they mutate like viruses
 Most plants have anti bacterial and anti
viral properties!
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8. 8 16/11/2012
Diseases of Excess
 Longer life spans – 25 more years
 Diet
– heavily processed with grains &
sugar
 Lack of exercise – the motor car
 Alcohol smoking and stress
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9. 9 16/11/2012
Symptoms
 Gait and motor symptoms – petit pas
 Depression and fatigue
 Hearing, taste, smell abnormalities
 Bowell dysfunction
 Urinary dysfunction
 Respiratory difficulties
 Restless legs
 Dementia
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10. 10 16/11/2012
Exercise
 "It is clear from this study and others that physical
performance in late life plays an incredibly
important role in our cognitive health," said Dr.
Erickson. "Although more research is needed into
the causal mechanisms and pathways by which
this works, it is clear that physical performance in
late life is critical for retaining a healthy brain."
 Arch Neurol. Published online October 22, 2012.
Exercise May Beat Mental Activity in Preserving
Cognition. Medscape. Oct 24, 2012.
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11. 11 16/11/2012
Arch Neurol. Published online
November 5, 2012
 research has shown that exercise programs
among patients with neurologic disorders
"increase the patients' sense of self-efficacy,
their sense of involvement in their care and
overall belief in their abilities to perform
certain activities."
 “… patient involvement leads to higher
satisfaction with care, and greater likelihood
of following provider recommendations,". "In
essence, exercise puts the patient — not a pill
— at the center of care, which is exactly
where patients want and ought to be."
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12. 12 16/11/2012
Diet
 Gluten intolerance may be a factor
 Hybridised grains and overconsumption
 Poor nutrition – lack of key vitamins, minerals in
immunocompromised patients directly relates to
poor function
 Inflammation mediated memory dysfunction and
effects of a ketogenic diet
 Kim do et al Plos One 2012 7(5) 35476
 High glucose levels affect the HPA
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13. 13 16/11/2012
Sugar
 Like all diseases of excess sugar plays a key role in
destabilising the body’s normal mechanisms
including brain function
 Excess sugar is derived from an inappropriate diet
i.e. one high in grains
 Insulin resistance a hall mark of co morbidities e.g.
PCOS
 High circulating levels of glucose affect the brain
 J.Physiol 2012 590:2485-2499 Gomez-Pinella
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14. 14 16/11/2012
CAN I HELP?
Yes!
 How do I treat ?
 I review all aspects of the health of the person
 Diet, exercise
 Drugs, supplements
 Co-existing conditions – obesity, diabetes,
women’s issues, impotence, constipation etc.
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15. 15 16/11/2012
Review
 Medications & their side effects
 Diet / exercise/ vit d
 Symptoms and impact on life
 thyroid
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16. 16 16/11/2012
Vitamin D
 Ontario is well known for its lack of vitamin D in
the population – it is recognised to be
endemic
 Reduced vitamin D is associated with the
geographic incidence of neuromuscular
disorders
 Loss/Lack of vitamin D affects bones, muscles,
thyroid, liver etc.
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17. 17 16/11/2012
Plant Medicine
 Thereare a number of plants which have
been shown to inhibit the development of
Parkinson's and other neurological
disorders
 Plants are the basis for most medicine
today
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18. 18 16/11/2012
Selection of Plants
 Turmeric – Curcuma longa
 Centella asiactica
 Macuna Puriens
 Brahmi – Bacopa monnieri
 Panax ginseng
 Kudzu Pueria Lobata
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19. 19 16/11/2012
THEY WORK!
Reversible worsening of symptoms after taking
Cat’s claw ( Clin.Neuropharmacol 2008)
A diversity of compounds isolated from herbal materials
were reported to be effective on neurotoxic models of PD
by modulating multiple key events or signaling pathways
implicated in the pathogenesis of PD j.Ethnopharmacol
2012 feb 15
 We use a combination of plants in a
tincture to synergise and maximise
effectiveness which is not possible in a
conventional drug ©

20. 20 16/11/2012
Key Missing Nutrients
 Our locally grown vegetables do not have
sufficient zinc, selenium
 Most people do not eat enough fish- iodine
 Most people eat too much processed flour
based food – inhibiting bromine.
 All of which is interesting considering that is
now recognised neurological diseases starts in
the gut.
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21. 21 16/11/2012
Carers
 Therole of carers is vital to minimising the
progression of Parkinson’s
 It
is very important the carer must not
neglect their own health
 The basic advice for Parkinson's’ in
respect of diet/exercise is the same for
carer’s!
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22. 22 16/11/2012
Drugs not OTC
 PLEASE NOTE: IT IS ADVISED, THAT ANY PLANTS MENTIONED
IN THIS TALK, ARE ONLY USED UNDER PROFESSIONAL
GUIDANCE.
 BOTANICAL MEDICINE AS COMPOUNDED BY A
PROFESSIONAL IS NOT AVAILABLE OVER THE RETAIL
COUNTER.
 It is not advisable to self treat
 A professional: will recognise all the issues within the body ;
 Select herbs that will impact positively on these issues
without causing problems in order to co exist with other
medications
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23. 23 16/11/2012
References
 www. Pubmed, Science direct
Ihave a full list of references for those who
are interested – if you would like either to
email me or put your name down tonight I
will send them to you. It is several pages!
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24. 24 16/11/2012
THANK YOU!
©
MORWENNA GIVEN
WWW.MEDICUS HERBIS.COM ©