Parkinson’s:complementary a guide for hometherapies care workers and Parkinson’s 1 This information is for It’s not possible to cover all the people interested in using many complementary therapies complementary therapies, available in this guide, but we’ve tried to bring together the most alongside their Parkinson’s popular therapies, chosen by treatment, to help manage people with Parkinson’s and their symptoms. If you’re their carers. a carer, family member or friend you may also find It’s designed to give you the basic this information useful. information you need to help you decide which complementary Although there’s little scientific therapies, if any, are right for you. evidence that complementary It also explains how people use therapies slow, stop or reverse the each therapy and where you can development of Parkinson’s, we go to find out more. have heard from many people with the condition who have had positive experiences of complementary therapies. As with all treatments for Parkinson’s, dierent therapies work for dierent people. So we encourage anyone aected by the condition who is interested in complementary medicine to explore the range of therapies available. Contents What is complementary therapy? ...................................................4 Why do people use complementary therapies? .........................6 Are complementary therapies safe? ..............................................8 Accessing complementary therapies..............................................12 I’m a carer? Would I benefit from using complementary therapies? ................................................................13 What are the main complementary therapies used by people with Parkinson’s? ....................................................13 Acupuncture ..............................................................................................17 Alexander technique ................................................................................19 Aromatherapy ............................................................................................21 Art therapy .................................................................................................23 Ayurveda .....................................................................................................25 Bowen technique ......................................................................................26 Chiropractic................................................................................................28 Conductive education .............................................................................30 Feldenkrais method ..................................................................................31 Herbal medicine ........................................................................................33 Homeopathy ..............................................................................................35 Kinesiology .................................................................................................37 Massage therapy ......................................................................................38 Meditation and relaxation techniques ................................................40 Music therapy ...........................................................................................43 Osteopathy ................................................................................................44 Reflexology .................................................................................................46 Reiki ..............................................................................................................48 Shiatsu .........................................................................................................49 More support and information .........................................................50 What is complementary therapy? For the purposes of this eect of some complementary information, complementary therapies. For other therapies, therapy refers to treatment used there is no research to prove it alongside conventional medicine. has any benefits for people with It shouldn’t be confused with: Parkinson’s. But we hear from many people aected who feel it y alternative medicine, which helps them. replaces evidence-based, conventional medicine with It will also depend on what you medicine based on historical or expect from complementary cultural traditions therapies. For example, you may y integrated medicine, a term feel a particular therapy is not which describes the combined having a positive eect on your use of conventional and Parkinson’s symptoms, but you complementary therapies may enjoy the experience. For you, this might be enough of a reason While conventional medicine to continue. focuses on the treatment of symptoms, complementary We’ve included comments from therapies adopt a more holistic people aected by Parkinson’s who approach. This means considering have tried some of the therapies. all aspects of how a condition may We hope this will give you a better aect someone, rather than just idea of what people are trying and focusing on medical symptoms. how they found it. But remember that everyone will have a Are complementary dierent experience. therapies beneficial? There’s no simple answer to this. Please remember these are people’s There are so many types of therapy personal opinions. Parkinson’s that it’s impossible to generalise. UK doesn’t endorse any There’s evidence of the beneficial particular therapy. 4 5 Why do people use complementary therapies? People may use complementary Complementary therapies therapies alongside prescribed are not as rigorously tested. medication for many reasons, Some therapies, for example such as the following examples. aromatherapy, are not medicine- based. This means they don’t need y Conventional medicine might to go through this form of testing. not always control Instead, researchers will look at someone’s symptoms. a therapy and what practitioners y Complementary therapy is a say it can be used for. They then way of taking control of your study it to see how eective it is own health. when put into practice. Methods of testing can be varied. Some y Group therapy can be an therapies work for some people opportunity to socialise. Equally, and not for others. complementary therapies can be a time to enjoy your own Which evidence should I trust? company. There’s a lot of information on complementary therapies, y Complementary therapies can particularly on the internet, that be relaxing. claims to be based on scientific The evidence about evidence. But it’s not all reliable. complementary therapies To help make sure you’re reading accurate and useful information – Conventional medication goes that’s not misleading – you may through a thorough testing process find it helps to ask yourself the before it becomes available. It’s following questions. tested in clinical trials and needs to meet scientific standards to prove y Where is the research published? it works and is safe. Common side Research should normally be eects are also clearly stated on ‘peer-reviewed’ in professional the patient information leaflet. journals. This means that before 6 the details are released, it has Can I use complementary been reviewed by other experts therapies instead of taking not involved in the study. Parkinson’s medication? y How many patients were Complementary therapies don’t involved in the study? The higher work as a replacement for the number, the more reliable the Parkinson’s medication. Stopping or study usually is. making changes to your Parkinson’s medication can be dangerous y Is the result of the study a without the guidance of your ‘one-o’ or have other specialist or Parkinson’s nurse. scientists confirmed it? Why have you included therapies with no scientific evidence? The therapies in this information have all been chosen because they’re popular with people aected by Parkinson’s. Just because a therapy can’t be proven to work in a medical trial, or there hasn’t been enough research about whether it helps people with Parkinson’s, it doesn’t mean you won’t find it useful. In fact, we’ve heard from many people who tell us they have benefited from using these therapies. Many of our local groups organise complementary therapy sessions at their meetings to encourage members to give them a try. Throughout this information, we highlight what scientific evidence there is to support the use of each therapy. 7 are complementary therapies safe? Generally speaking, the therapist if you’re trying for or complementary therapies listed expecting a baby. in this information are considered safe. But before taking tablets, It’s not always easy to tell what is pills or capsules, applying creams or isn’t safe and many organisations or drops or drinking teas, you oering therapy give the should talk to your GP, specialist or impression of being reliable even Parkinson’s nurse. This is because when they’re not. some herbs and remedies may have side eects or clash with Is a therapy unsafe if it’s not medications you’re already taking. statutorily regulated? Your healthcare professional may Not necessarily. Some also be able to recommend a complementary therapies are therapist, or advise you on other regulated by statutory law, sources of information. including osteopaths, chiropractors and art therapists. This means that, The Medicines and Healthcare in the same way GPs and specialists products Regulatory Agency have to register with the General (MHRA) is the