Adding some complementary treatments

Look, I know there is no cure for Parkinson’s and I will never believe the random schmoe who says there is. Years ago when I was at the radio station on a regular basis, there was a program called “Daniel Chapter One” on which the husband and wife team always touted how the husband cured himself from Multiple Sclerosis. He had some products… and a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you if you had cancer or other diseases as I recall. You would have done better to buy the bridge and get over it. He also called every medical practitioner “Dr. DumDum”. “Health Watch with Jim & Trish” was, to say the least, questionable. It was, frankly, downright scary! (Here’s what happened to them.)

At one time, the entire day’s programming at “The Big 620” not only included these syndicated programs, but they also had local naturopaths and chiropractors. Most of them had some sort of specialty to tout, and likely most of them could have stuck to a more traditional method for their work and been fine. But I developed a good phone relationship with some of these people. As word got around about my having PD, several of them kindly offered consult if I wanted it. I usually acknowledged it and moved on. I didn’t want things to be awkward if their suggestions didn’t work for me. Given that I was on a pretty tight budget also didn’t help.

When I was diagnosed in 2014, I often wondered if chiropractic would work for me. But then you hear stories from people for whom it didn’t work and you begin to doubt all over again. It was that same year that I was introduced to Dr. Dan Turo who has a practice here in the North Hills. It didn’t take long for a friendship to establish though and for as much as I admire his work and his advice – and at the time I inquired my insurance wasn’t accepted at his office – I was in that “awkward” circumstance again where if it didn’t work out would we remain a friendship or if I was a patient would it be weird to be together on a more social level.

A few weeks ago I was on TikTok and up popped an ad. The woman in the ad introduced herself as Dr. Dawn Spale and she was standing next to her decompression table. By this time I had been experiencing pain in my neck (honestly some days I felt like what a Picasso painting looks like) and my lower back. The pain was not only exhausting; some days it was excruciating. So I clicked on her ad. If I qualified, I would get three sessions on the table at no cost.

A few days later, I received an email with confidence that she could help me and a week or so later, Annie and I made the 20-mile trek to Brackenridge, PA. It was a Friday and we were the last appointment of the short office day. Dr. Dawn sat down with both of us and told me up front that my insurance would cover a good portion of treatment and what the co-pays were. I was ecstatic! (Thank you Episcopal Church!)

Dr. Dawn asked about my history with PD and begin to do her own joint and spine research. She asked if we could do some x-rays and although they were the old-fashioned kind (no digital here), she was able to explain to me what was going on. The key to this was when she said, “based on what you told me, these problems with your alignment have been around longer than you’ve been dealing with the PD. But we can help you alleviate these issues so that you may better live with Parkinson’s.

The cervical vertebrae in my neck were twisted. No wonder I was in pain so much! C1 and C2 were especially twisted to the point that it was no wonder I couldn’t turn my head. Not to mention the subluxation which had those cervical numbers curved convex in the front whereas they should be convex to the back. My lower back was pinched a little too closely in the wrong direction as well. She did my first adjustment and I truly could have been an ad for Rice Krispies. She let me go and asked for me to return the next week when she would have a plan in place.

When we returned the next week we went over her further discoveries. “Did you know that your hips are off balance?”

“Yes. I’ve known that ever since I was a kid,” I said.

She assured me that it was a part of the plan to fix that. In fact, she told me that we should work towards repairing the problem and not just treat the symptoms.

We discussed the plan at length and what insurance was willing to pay. It was a rather sizable percentage and with the copays and what insurance wouldn’t otherwise cover, and a pretty decent discount if I paid in full up front (with the promise of reimbursement if the plan had to stop), my total came to just about equal to what insurance covers, all of which totals about $1600.

The Allegheny Health and Physical Medicine office includes a center for therapeutic exercises and the decompression table, as well as a room for light therapy. My plan includes 12 sessions of decompression and 6 sessions of light therapy. (3 decompression table sessions at no cost and 3 light therapy sessions at no cost!) A few minutes of neck exercises in the “gym” area, and an adjustment. The trip to and from probably takes longer than the appointment, but even with the high gas prices, this has proven itself worth the effort and expense.

As I am writing this, I have had two sessions this week of everything listed above. If I can keep on track, these visits should reduce in number by early-to-mid August. But after 4 adjustments (including today’s) Dr. Dawn tells me my hips are just about even. I can tell you that my neck and lower back feel worked out, but not painful. I haven’t felt this good in ages! During the second decompression treatment today, I felt some nerves “spring to life” throughout my body.

Despite all this, I’m still living with Parkinson’s. Nobody has claimed that this a cure that nobody knows about, rather that it’s complementary to the Carbidopa/Levodopa, the Amantadine, the Selegeline, etc. But they all work a little better now. I am a little more confident in driving the car that I have barely used in the last year, but will still gladly let Lisa occupy the driver’s seat should we do a Christmas Tree shopping road trip!!! I have slept better over the last few nights – even though the intense heat was no help. And my mood? Annie says it’s the best she’s seen in some time!

I still have tremor. I still get tired. I still have Parkinson’s. It’s just a little easier to deal with now! I still produce radio shows and church bulletins. It’s just a little easier to do now!