Parkinson disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that manifest as a slowing down of the body, muscle rigidity and uncontrollable tremors in a state of rest. An experiment with Parkinson’s patients – currently taking place in Rambam Hospital in the city of Haifa, Israel – indicates that guided visualization is helping to stop tremors. It appears that where conventional medication often fails to reduce the typical tremor, attending a guided visualization session does the job.
[Dr. Ilana Schlesinger, Neurologist, Rambam Hospital]:
“This, in fact, is the first time anyone has ever succeeded in completely putting a stop to tremors without the use of medication. This is something very unusual.”
But perhaps the patients are simply falling asleep? This option has been checked out and proven wrong.
[Dr. Ilana Schlesinger, Neurologist, Rambam Hospital]:
“Indeed we, too, were considering the possibility that the patients were simply falling asleep during the guided visualization session. However, we checked this with the help of EEG which shows the state of brainwaves and indicates whether a person is asleep or not. The EEG revealed the participants were all wide awake during the session.”
In the present session, the participating patients are under the nurse’s guidance as they follow a ray of light touching their body, “one vertebra after the other. The light ray goes on to shine upon all the muscles, small and big.”
The patients stopped trembling for the rest of the session and even felt better for a while after it.
[Danny, Parkinson’s Patient]:
“If you let yourself flow with it, it lasts longer. If you don’t, it’s shorter.”
[Nitza, Parkinson’s Patient]:
“Guided visualization does me good. Today, for example, I’ve come here after several nights of insomnia, and the guided visualization releases all the tension I’ve accumulated because of that insomnia.”
Guided visualization helps people more than just stopping their trembling, says the nurse guiding the visualization.
[Orna Ben Yaakov, Certified Nurse, Rambam Hospital]:
“Even in cases where trembling does not stop altogether, the guided visualization enables relaxation. It’s in fact preserving the healthy part. One can dance in one’s imagination, do everything, put the disease aside for a moment and be in a different state. This is hugely significant in diseases that affect all aspects of life.”
This research has been published in the International Journal of Movement Disorders. And Rambam Hospital has received some very enthusiastic responses via e-mail.
[Dr. Ilana Schlesinger, Neurologist, Rambam Hospital]:
“We have received e-mails from all over the world, including the United States, South America, and even Afghanistan. They all want to learn about the technique so they too can help patients suffering from this difficult disease.”
It all started by chance…
[Dr. Ilana Schlesinger, Neurologist, Rambam Hospital]:
“One day the physiotherapist called in sick, saying she would not come to work. The senior nurse managing the physiotherapy sessions said she had taken a course in guided visualization, and suggested she try it with the patients. She was in shock! The next morning she came to me and said, you wouldn’t believe it, they stopped trembling! They didn’t move, they seemed perfectly healthy, I can’t believe it!”
Why is this happening?
Research will continue to try and answer questions for which there are no answers at present.
