Parkinson’s disease cured by dog
We’ve already reported on how dogs are being used to fight Cancer, and how a boy with an allergy to dogs was cured by a dog, but now it seems that dogs are also helping to fight Parkinson’s disease.
A 28 year old woman suffering with the debilitating brain disease has seen a dramatic improvement in her condition since her friend gave her a West Highland terrier. The woman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago and was forced to take four different types of drugs each day in order to get by. In addition to the drugs, she had to use a pump for her morphine for 14 hours each day. Her condition was also getting worse.
However, once the Westie entered her life her condition improved, miraculously. She now requires far fewer drugs each day, and no longer needs the daily morphine at all.
Doctors from the Imperial College London reported about the case in the Journal Of Neurology. They commented:
Remarkably sustained benefits occurred, with improvement in her walking and symptoms including appetite, sleep and bowel function, as well as socialisation.
The Doctors aren’t sure how the introduction of the dog has managed to affect her condition so much, but the need to take care of the dog has encouraged her to take more exercise. It is also possible that the need to take care of the dog has helped her brain to manufacture the chemical dopamine, which helps the thinking areas and movement areas of the brain.
I am a Parkinson’s caregiver. A story like this is totally irresponsible offering false hope to the desperately ill. There are hundreds of thousands of Parkies around the world who have pets and who are not receiving miraculous benefits from them. This is not scientific reporting; this is sensationalism and I find it disgusting.
[…] post de hoje saiu do “Dream Dogs” […]
Dogs make a great companion for everybody and they can be a really good friend to those with Parkinson’s Disease.
Yes Wayne you say they have dogs!
Per haps if they didn’t they would be worst