Stanford School of Medicine
APDA American Parkinson Disease Association
Information & Referral Center

Beyond Pills....

Alternative Approaches to Coping with Parkinson's Disease

Here are the summaries of the presentations. Click on each topic to view the details.

The Power of Thinking Loud: The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment
Tai Chi, The Art for Living with Parkinson's
How about Chiropractic
Ortho-Bionomy® and the John Argue Method™

To listen to the actual presentations delivered on April 12th click on these links:
Part 1: (Includes Introduction, The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, Tai Chi)

To listen to these presentations you will need RealPlayer. To install this software go to here.

The Power of Thinking Loud: The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment
Nidhi Mahendra presented on the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment. Parkinson's can lower one's speaking volume, clarity, and cause monotonous speech without intonation. This causes problems communicating in daily situations and can cause hardships. Using this treatment, patients can improve their ability to communicate and speak by training their ear and changing their breathing patterns. Back to top

Tai Chi, The Art for Living with Parkinson's
Mwezo & Jane of Kujiweza Healing Arts presented the advantages of Tai Chi for Parkinson's patients. Tai Chi is a Chinese exercise system which uses slow and smooth body movements to achieve a state of relaxation. Through an interactive demonstration, audience members were able to learn basic Tai Chi postures and movements. Kujiweza Healing Arts has recently begun classes at Stanford Medical Center. Back to top

How About Chiropractic
Dr. Carr discussed the ability of a chiropractor to help an individual maximize the performance of his/her body. With over 40,000 chiropactors today, this form of alternative healing has become the second largest healing profession in the world. During his presentation, Dr. Carr identified spinal subluxations, or misaligned vertebrae (the bones that make up the spine), as one of the reasons for poor health and our constant striving to feel better. Although little clinical research exists to support these claims, Dr. Carr's patient spoke about how going to a chiropractor 3-4 times per week has helped him cope with Parkinson's Disease. Back to top

Ortho-Bionomy® and the John Argue Method™ (The Art of Moving)
Denelle Condon spoke about both the John Argue Method™ and Ortho-Bionomy®. Through an interactive presentation with the audience, Denelle illustrated how individuals with Parkinson's Disease can increase their flexibility, balance, and gait through the John Argue Method™. Denelle also discussed her role as an Ortho-Bionomy® practitioner. In Ortho-Bionomy®, the practitioner addresses the structural problems present rather than the disease itself. By applying pressure to muscle groups, the practitioner works with, rather than against, the body's reflex system in order to bring about increased muscle relaxation. Denelle teaches The Art of Moving classes at Stanford. Back to top

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