Parkinson’s Disease

Alternative Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

We know that dealing with Parkinson’s disease can be a heavy burden, and that it can affect every aspect of your life. We have supported many patients who were scared that they would lose control of their bodies, lose their independence and, finally, lose their dignity. At Sanoviv, we understand if you feel this way. We also know that a lot of the traditional treatments generally offered can be too limited and not integrated enough to treat the whole human being.

At Sanoviv, you will be cared for by a team health professionals who strive to find the root cause of your disease, not just treat the symptoms. We do this in partnership with you, in an environment of compassion, caring and love, to support your healing.

Here is an overview of some of the most effective treatments we have found for Parkinson’s disease. Our objective is to lower oxidative stress, support your nervous system through oxygenation, detoxification, and nutrition.

Medical Therapies: Your doctor can select from various medical therapies to treat your disease, with the objective of getting to the root of your condition rather than just treating symptoms. 

Repair the gut: Parkinson’s patients can have intestinal mobility issues that can translate into digestive problems like constipation. Inadequate function of the digestive system can lead us to have greater intestinal permeability (molecules from food that are not completely broken down that go through the intestinal wall. These cannot be used or recognized by your body) which, in turn, can be related to systemic inflammation and increased production of free radicals. Using our protocol, we focus on improving the digestive process by removing any possible pathogens and allergens, restoring the flora and healing the mucosa of the intestine which will favor an optimal absorption of nutrients, as well as lower inflammatory conditions in the digestive tract.

Food as nutrition: During and after the repair of your digestive system, nutrition will play an essential role on your path to healing. At Sanoviv, you will have organic, high anti-oxidant, pesticide-free meals that will be low in inflammatory elements. This therapeutic use of food will promote detoxification and revitalization of the cells of the body.

Supplements: Administering the right supplements in the treatment for Parkinson’s is extremely important. These allow the patient to optimize the detoxification response, fight off free radicals, diminish oxidative stress, and provide healthy fatty acids, among other benefits. IV’s of high dose vitamin C and glutathione are also included, as these help to fight free radicals. In cases where we deem it necessary, we will use chelation as well, to help the body get rid of heavy metal toxicity.

Vitamin B12 Therapy: If there is a vitamin B12 deficiency, susceptibility to degeneration of the nervous system is a common occurrence. B12 helps maintain a good and balanced function of the nervous system.

Fitness: During your stay you will learn balance training to improve your gait, reduce falls and decrease pain of lower extremities. We will work on your coordination and flexibility, and if possible, strength and endurance, to promote detoxification.

Structural therapy: Chiropractic is also a part of the treatment protocol and will aim at restoring range of motion and diminish pain.

Spa Therapy: Sanoviv has several soothing and relaxing treatments available at our Spa. Among other benefits, these treatments help to decrease your stress levels, to favor detoxification processes and to help to alleviate oxidative stress at the same time as lymphatic congestion, while some others can assist the patient in pain management.

We know that your stay at Sanoviv is only the beginning of your healing process. To support you on your way to recovery, you will receive an individualized home program at the end or your stay that you will incorporate as part of your daily lifestyle. We will continue to support your progress with our After Care program that will effortlessly coordinate any questions or comments you might have for your health team.

Sanoviv recommended program “NeuroTherapy”.

Assessment

Like most degenerative diseases, there is no single known cause for Parkinson’s. It has been recognized that Parkinson’s disease is associated with the accumulation of environmental toxins, often linked to an inability to detoxify these from our body. This can be related with genetic predispositions. It’s not uncommon to find single nucleotide polymorphisms or genetic mutations in the detoxification pathways. This can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction (damage to the cells’ energy center) from oxidative damage which will cause an accelerated aging process and premature death of the dopaminergic neurons.

Some of the conventional diagnostic tools that you might have received are:

  • An MRI in order to show lesions in the central nervous system.
  • A spinal tap in order to look for evidence of chronic inflammation and other indicators in the spinal fluid.

The Functional Medicine trained health staff at Sanoviv have developed a more integrated approach toward the diagnosis and treatment of people with Parkinson’s disease.

Starting with a clinical history, we center our attention on discovering any exposure to risk factors such as chemicals, pesticides or intoxication by heavy metals. Other aspects of the medical history, such as family background and allergies are also very important aspects that we consider.

We run conventional and functional lab tests and use bioenergetic devices to get more information on your overall function status. Some of the tests you might receive are:

  • Complete blood work
  • Blood chemistry
  • Urinalysis
  • Stool test
  • Thyroid panel
  • Anti peroxidase antbodies
  • Fasting insulin levels
  • Vitamin D levels
  • Glycosylated Hemoglobin
  • DHEAs
  • Sedimentation rate
  • FIA test
  • Biological terrain analysis
  • Bio-resonance studies

Integration

Not only do we have state of the art diagnostic and assessment tools, we have a fully integrated team of health professionals who will study all of this information and connect the dots in order to determine not only why your biochemical, physiological, structural and psychospiritual individuality has developed Parkinson’s disease, but also how you can regain your health. Like Parkinson’s, disease usually comes from multiple imbalances in a person’s life. You will work in partnership with your team of health professionals that in turn will work with the whole staff of health professionals to create a program specifically designed for you from all the information obtained.

 

In your Health team:

Your Doctor will lead your medical treatment and coordinate all other treatments into your program.

Your Psychologist will help to determine any emotional factors that might have contributed to the development of Parkinson’s and teach you ways to aid detoxification through relaxation techniques.

Your Dentist will assess and treat any issues that could exacerbate the inflammatory process like gingivitis, cavitations, abscesses and heavy metal toxicity.

Your Nutritionist will assess your diet and give you information on the role that food will play in your healing, especially with regard to healing your gut.

Your Chiropractor will assess and treat any structural imbalances that might be contributing to your health issues.

Your Fitness Expert will help you strengthen and exercise your body to support detoxification and healing.

We can also offer extra, more specific laboratory testing to evaluate if you have a genetic predisposition toward imbalances in the detoxification pathways. Plus, testing can be done to assess mitochondrial function and measure the level of oxidative stress of the DNA.
Sanoviv recommended diagnostics “Integrative Physical”.

At Sanoviv each patient is treated as individual. Depending on the severity of your disease and your unique makeup other programs of diagnostics may be recommended. Please contact our Admissions Department for personal assistance.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and feels scared, confused and needs support, please take a moment and read on to learn what we have to offer. If you need to talk to one of our doctors now

FAQ

What are the underlying causes of Parkinson’s?

There is often a genetic predisposition which will create impaired detoxification ability. So when people get exposed to toxicity, like heavy metals and to pesticides (eating a non-organic diet, living close to orchards and crops, playing golf, etc), it accumulates in the body. This will tend to diminish the function of mitochondria by blocking some specific enzymes and will create a lot of free radicals that will damage the cells and the DNA. There is a high concentration of mitochondria in the central nervous system and they will tend to go into apoptosis and calcify. In the case of Parkinson, it will impair the function of the mitochondria in the substantia nigra.

What can I expect from my visit to Sanoviv?

You will certainly get an improved quality of life. Depending on how advanced the degenerative process is your healing can take a longer time. On a long term treatment plan you can reverse the degenerative damage and revive mitochondria function. A research protocol was done to measure how effective was the use of high dose CoQ10 to heal the brain lesions and measured by symptoms, the patients were starting to have a noticeable improvement of function after 8 months of taking 1200mg a day. So it takes a commitment from your part to follow the guidance of our medical team on a long term basis.

Why is there more incidence of Neurodegenerative disease now than before?

Since the era of industrialization, we have seen an increase of neurodegenerative disorders for various reasons. We started using a lot of pesticides on crops to be able to mass produce vegetables and fruits increasing our level of toxicity. Because of this high demand from the industry, we don’t let the soil rest and regenerate so we have lost the quality of the nutritive content, therefore diminishing our levels of anti-oxidative protection. Plus, there are a lot of additives in processed foods. The level of stress has increased in our daily lives. We have less exposure to natural sunlight from working indoor most of the time. Our population is more sedentary than ever. Our world is becoming more synthetic and less natural; therefore we are exposed to a lot of chemicals and heavy metals. All of the above are contributing factors to neurodegenerative disease in today’s life.

What do you mean when you say you practice “Functional Medicine”?

Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.Sanoviv is the only hospital in the world to be certified in the Functional Medicine approach.

What is the importance of the integrative team approach?

The importance of this approach is that you are assessed and treated as a whole human being. Many of the health issues that we faced today are multi-faceted. When a whole team of health professionals come together and make sense of the information, it is easier to see what are the underlying factors that weave together to create your unique symptoms. Once we have this clarity, dealing with it effectively is much easier.

I just saw the dentist recently, why do I have to see one again at Sanoviv?

In our integrated approach the assessment by all the health professionals is very important. Even though all our professionals are certified and licensed by their specific profession’s Board, we go above and beyond what allopathic care practices. In regards to dental care, here we practice Biological Dentistry. This form of dentistry takes into consideration many things that traditional dentistry would not. These different paradigms and assessment tool are what sets apart from traditional care.

I have a wide range of issues apart from Parkinson’s and feel overwhelmed, what can you offer me?

We will help you organize your health priorities in the order of what will have the most profound impact on getting you healthy again. We will properly assess and treat the underlying causes through the use of specialized tools and prioritize those areas where we can have the most impact. You will leave Sanoviv with a detailed plan on how to approach healing in a functional way. Think of it as your personal owner’s manual.

How soon will I feel better?

It all depends on the duration and severity of your health issues. What is possible is to determine the right path to wellness through an integrative assessment and treatment plan that will combine the best of allopathic and alternative medicine. We will work together to facilitate you being an active participant in your health and healing. With our support, you can be the hero of your healing journey.

Will I ever stop using medication if I follow your program?

The mechanism of action of medication is mostly to block chemical reactions in the body and most of the time won’t have an impact on treating the root factor that is causing the imbalance in the body but rather to artificially maintain balance. As an example, a lot of people will take a Tylenol when they get a headache but the headache is not caused by a deficiency of Tylenol. In Sanoviv we will work together at finding what is the cause for the headache and treat it. When you come to Sanoviv, we start treating the causes of the disease and over time, the body will find its balance again. For this reason, you might start seeing changes in laboratory values and the doctor might have to start reducing the medication and reduce dosage until you reach homeostasis.

Can I bring someone to help me out at Sanoviv?

Yes, you can bring a companion to support your stay. Especially since our program is based on applying lifestyle changes to support your ongoing health, bringing your spouse or significant other can be helpful as both of you can learn firsthand about these recommended changes. We require you bring a companion for support if you are very compromised and cannot get from appointment to appointment without assistance.

What type of IVs do you use?

We use different types of IV therapy protocols depending on the type of health issues and the biochemical individuality of each guest. For a more detailed explanation of this please refer to our IV Therapy page. Our main goal with IV therapies is to provide vital nutrients to the guest, bypassing the digestive system to allow a greater absorption by the body.

What does a typical day at Sanoviv look like?

Even though we have a set of daily activities, each schedule is different from guest to guest. We really hand tailor your treatment to best accommodate what you need to be well. Usually our days start with an hour of relaxation practices, like meditation and energy medicine class. Then a light stretching class after which you have breakfast. Afterwards, most of the therapies and consultations take place. Usually there is some time for a snack break before lunch. After lunch we have some of our afternoon classes or more therapies and sessions until dinner. After dinner we have the main class in our auditorium to end the day.

Do I need to comeback after the end of my treatments?

Usually it takes years of detrimental lifestyle choices and habits to start showing symptoms of imbalances in the body. Regaining your health is a process and we can not expect to reverse all imbalances within a couple of weeks. What we can do is help you get on the road to recovery. For this reason, it’s ideal to come back after having applied all recommendations suggested by our team so we can reevaluate your current state of health and help you continue on the path to optimal health. Of course, this is not mandatory but strongly suggested.

Do you do surgeries at Sanoviv?

Yes. Even though our approach is based on finding the most natural and least invasive course of treatment, we know that sometimes surgery is unavoidable and is a necessary step in your recovery. We offer a wide range of surgeries that can be combined with our innovative therapies and treatments to speed your recovery. Please check our Surgeries at Sanoviv page for more information.

I have special dietary needs. Can Sanoviv accommodate these?

Yes. We are experts at accommodating special dietary needs as we know the importance of having the right food for your specific needs can be to get well again. Our nutritionists and kitchen staff are highly proficient in adapting our meals to serve you in the best way. Nutrition and eating properly for your biochemical individuality is one of the cornerstones of our treatments.

Am I going to be eating twigs and leaves all of my life?

The diet at Sanoviv is a whole-food, cleansing diet that eliminates many of the common food allergens along with processed foods, sugar and damaged oils.  Although you eat many vegetables (both cooked and raw) here, your nutritionist will provide you with a diet to follow at home based on your health condition, your access to certain foods, your ancestral heritage, and your desire to make positive health changes.  Our goal is to provide you with a diet that will nourish you and improve your health, but also one that is realistic and works with your lifestyle.  You may not be eating “leaves and twigs” all your life, but you will have been introduced to many new and different foods during your stay here as well as how certain foods are used as medicine

Programs

Each program focuses our assessment and treatment tools towards a specific health issue and your individual experience of these health issues, you can find more about our programs here.

Contact a Health Advisor

If you feel that your specific health issue or area of interest does not fit into any of these areas, please contact us to speak with a friendly admissions person.  They will be happy to answer your questions and provide information.

Therapies & Classes

At Sanoviv, we are pleased to offer an extensive array of proven therapies from around the world, from therapies, detoxification treatments, nutrition lectures, fitness classes and more.