Recap :-)
I am back at the Durban Neuro Laser Clinic for weekly follow-up therapy of photobiomodulation (PBM) wearing the pad on my head, not unlike a cap: hence this sub-heading...
The initial phase of intense therapy was over three weeks in May followed by a mandatory one-month break (during which we drove from KZN to Gauteng and back - more about that later). I am now in a follow-up phase of PBM and so-called maintenance of what I was exposed to in May. This new weekly procedure started on 09 July. But first, dear reader, let me distract you.
Unfit for purpose
My wife and I needed to drive to Pretoria during June. In order to do so we needed a raft of documents before the KZN police granted a permit for inter-provincial travel. Unfortunately, the drive from Durban up to Pretoria on 18 June was sheer torture for my shoulders and arms. We made frequent stops to stretch and eat. Obviously, I had not been exercising enough. When we reached Pretoria I was in a sorry state. I had last undertaken a long distance drive on 19 March, pre-lockdown, from Pretoria to Durban. However, it included a stop in the Drakensberg where we met our children. Naturally, seeing the grandchildren was a distraction from my Parkinson's Disease (PD).
Impact and effects
I'd love to wax lyrical regarding the positive effects of the PBM therapy on my PD but it's too early to tell. My sense of impact is reflected in the picture above (Drakensberg, 24 March 2020): it is dark but there is a glimmer of light in the background! I'd like to reverse that but how can I? In keeping with my transparency, here's a brief summary of the past few months.
The effect of the PBM therapy may be likened to - if not confused with - simultaneously taking medication and a placebo: my belief in the treatment is strong so any effects may be attributed to the impact of the treatment itself. There are seven effects worth noting.
DURING PBM THERAPY (period: 05-29 May, 2020)
(i) I experienced a sense of my brain coming online again - it was the old "me".
(ii) The resting tremors subsided during therapy.
(ii) The resting tremors subsided during therapy.
(iii) My right hand dominance returned from time to time, a pleasant surprise.
(iv) My right leg was less "leaden" and more responsive.
(v) I stopped using a walking stick to walk (300 steps) from the car to the neurologist's rooms.
(vi) I often slept through the night.
(vi) I often slept through the night.
(vii) (👍 I was more confident and more active.)
AFTER PBM THERAPY (period: 30 May to 08 July 2020)
(ii) The resting tremors are worse and occasionally more intense.
(i) I feel I am in charge of my thinking again - there's more "me" and less "intruder".
(iii) I continue to experience deteriorating muscle coordination, especially my right side.
(iv) When I walk I have started to drag my right foot as I did before therapy.
(v) I have become more reliant on my walking stick.
(vi) Seldom do I sleep through the night.
(vii) (👎 I have assumed the PBM would lessen the effects of PD so I've not been exercising.)
(iv) When I walk I have started to drag my right foot as I did before therapy.
(v) I have become more reliant on my walking stick.
(vi) Seldom do I sleep through the night.
(vii) (👎 I have assumed the PBM would lessen the effects of PD so I've not been exercising.)
Some reasonable assumptions
I have observed a distinction between the response of my mental state and my physical state to the therapy. There is an apparent separation between the mind and the muscles. Naturally, I trawled the internet and besides the many articles on this connection, there is a recent (and expensive) book by Mitrofanis that appears to unpack this in the context of PD. I will invest in "Run in the light" sometime.The "intruder" has been encouraging me to rely on the therapy and to ignore daily stretching and walking. I have also stopped doing the online Dance for PD sessions that gave me much pleasure and confidence. So, dear reader, back to the drawing board for me. Till next time.
