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Monthly Archives: April 2017
Drumming for People with Alzheimer’s & Dementia
“The simple act of drumming can enable a non-verbal person with dementia to communicate–albeit temporarily—with loved ones.” For more information about the physical, mental and emotional benefits of drumming, read chapter 23 “Drumming” in “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia.” Book Reviews
Years ago, I attended a drumming circle with my husband Morris at the memory care home where he lived. The leader, John Crowder JD, trained directly with neurologist Barry Bittman, MD, and Christine Stevens, MSW, MT, BC, through the Health RhythmsTM program.
“You know, we all have a drum right here,” Crowder said, pointing to his heart. At least half of the members of the group understood exactly what he meant, as they shook their gourds to the rhythm of his drum.
But when Crowder handed out conga drums and other hand-held instruments, that’s when the fun really began. At the end of each rhythmic song, one patient would tell about his adventures in the military. And he didn’t miss a beat. More than once he broke into song, “Over hill, over dale, we would chase all kinds of tail.”
A woman talked about how her father and brother were drummers. Even though she insisted that she had never drummed, she apparently had learned by listening and watching because she was quite adept at following Crowder’s rhythms and creating rhythms for the rest of the group to follow. Throughout the forty- five minute session several people broke into song, which Crowder used to simultaneously lead the group in singing and playing. Several times he had the group mimic his rhythm. Overall, it was a calming, enjoyable experience for everyone.
Drumming for caregivers
Drumming is equally beneficial for caregivers. Dr. Bittman conducted landmark research published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2001, which showed that group drumming therapy releases stress and increases the disease fighting activity of white blood cells.
Another study showed that long-term care workers experienced less burnout, stress, and mood disturbances when they participated in a six-week program of recreational music-making, de ned as distinct from “regular” music making, as its purpose is the enjoyment and well-being of the participants, not an artistic or aesthetic outcome that requires talent or training.
Drumming circles are a fun and healthy way to connect with your care partner. To find a drumming circle in your location, visit the website: USA Drum Circle Finder. Or buy a couple of drums and create your own drumming experience. Visit the Drum Circles net website for information on drums, DVDs, and other information to help you get started.
My new book “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s and Dementia” (Blue River Press) is now available wherever books are sold: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Boulder Book Store, Barnes & Noble, Tattered Cover Book Store, Indie Bound.org, and many other fine independent bookstores, as well as public libraries.
Easy ways to calm down crazy full moon behaviors
The human body is 55 to 78% water (depending on sex and age) so it makes sense that the gravitational pull of the moon would affect us, right? Many scientists point out that the biological tide theory doesn’t hold. On The Skeptics Dictionary website Robert Todd Carroll says, “Given the minute and bounded mass of fluid contained within the human body, compared to the enormous and free-flowing mass of ocean water, and given the enormous distance to the moon, the lunar pull on the human body is negligible.”
Theories about the moon’s influence on animal behavior are more widely accepted. Although the topic of whether or not the moon affects human behavior is controversial, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and some scientific evidence indicating that it does.
I, for one, have a difficult time sleeping around the full moon. And my husband, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, exhibited more agitated behavior when the moon was full.
Studies have shown that the lunar cycle has an impact on fertility, menstruation, and birth rate. Admittance to hospitals and emergency units due to cardiovascular and acute coronary events, arterial hemorrhages in the stomach and esophagus, diarrhea, and urinary retention correlate with moon phases. Other events linked to human behavior, such as traffic accidents, crimes, and suicides, seem to be influenced by the lunar cycle.
In the 1600’s Sr. William Hale, a distinguished British physician and medical biographer, wrote, “The moon has a great influence in all diseases of the brain, especially dementia.” The British Lunacy Act of 1842, which dismissed crazy behavior as being caused by the full moon, built on his theory. In fact, as recently as 1940 a British soldier who was charged with murder pleaded “moon madness.”
Alan M. Beck of Purdue University conducted a longitudinal study to objectively examine the lunar influence on the frequency, duration, and intensity of behaviors in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
He examined wandering, anxiety, physical aggression, and verbal confrontation. His study concluded that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease did, in fact, exhibit significantly more erratic behaviors during periods of the full moon, and that these behaviors were of greater duration during that time. The objective analysis that a lunar influence on behavior in Alzheimer’s individuals exists validates a long-standing belief held by many healthcare providers.
If you’re a caregiver for someone with dementia, you’ve probably seen some odd behavior in your loved one around the full moon. And if you have trouble sleeping or feel restless or anxious during the full-moon, you’ve personally noticed the effects.
Here are some ways to calm the nerves and odd behaviors during the full moon or anytime.
From Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia--“Aromatherapy” chapter 18 by Laraine Kyle Pounds, RN, MSN, BSN, CMT.
Aromatherapy can be a resource of comfort to you and your care partner by providing an easy, natural way to reduce stress and anxiety and uplift mood. The following oils can be used in a diffuser, or put in a bath or fragrance free moisturizer. They can also be sprayed on a pillow or handkerchief.
Citrus oils are generally refreshing and uplifting for the mind and emotions, relieve stress and anxiety, and are useful for odor management and appetite support. Consider: bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, and orange.
Floral oils are often used as a personal fragrance and are useful to relieve anxiety, depression, and irritability. These oils are useful as an inhaler, in a body lotion, and for the bath. Consider: clary sage, geranium, lavender, rose, and ylang ylang.
Tree oils are revitalizing with immune boosting properties, ease respiratory congestion, and are supportive to breathing ease. They are useful for pain relief, skin infections, and odor management, and can relieve nervous exhaustion and depression. Consider: eucalyptus (Eucalytpus citriodora or globulus), pine needle, sandalwood, or Tea Tree.
Herbal remedies
A nervine is a plant remedy that has a beneficial effect upon the nervous system. Nervines are especially useful during times of stress because they have a strong relaxing and calming effect without producing a dulling, “hang-over” side effect. They also tone and restore the nervous system to a more balanced state. Some nervines are also anti-spasmodic, meaning they relax the peripheral nerves and the muscle tissue, which in turn has a relaxing effect on the whole system.
The main types of nervines are tonics, relaxants, and stimulants.
- Nervine Tonics – are particularly helpful for strengthening the nervous system and restoring balance. In addition to having a relaxing effect, they have a vaso-dilating action on the blood vessels of the brain. This increases oxygen availability to brain cells and helps with mental agility and mood.
- Nervine Relaxants – are especially beneficial for short-term use, for example in treating mild depression or acute anxiety. “This group of nervines are most important in times of stress and confusion, alleviating many of the accompanying symptoms. They should always be used in a broad holistic way, not simply to tranquillize. Too much tranquilizing, even that achieved through herbal medication, can in time deplete and weigh heavily on the whole nervous system,” says renown herbalist David Hoffman.
- Nervine Stimulants– are used as a restorative “pick-me-up” when you need an energetic boost without that revved up feeling produced by caffeine.
Recommended nervines:
- Passion flower- helps soothe anxiety, insomnia, tension headaches, muscle aches and spasms, pain, hyperactivity, epilepsy, and helps alleviate anger and lower blood pressure.
- Skullcap – is antispasmodic and relaxing and is recommended to relieve headaches, mood swings, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, and nervous tension and exhaustion.
The next time you’re feeling nervous, agitated, restless or hyped up, calm your nerves with a nervine herb or aromatherapy. If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia and is on medication, please check with the physician to make sure they do not interact with the nervine herbs. Use pure essential aromatherapy oils to lower risk of allergy.
If all else fails, you can always go outside and howl at the moon.
Studies showing we are affected by the full moon
1. More babies are born around the full moon. A study in Kyoto, Japan looked at 1007 natural births and found there was significant increase in births when the moon was closest to the earth. Results of this study suggest that the gravitational pull of the Moon has an influence on the frequency of births.
2. Do you have trouble sleeping around the full moon? Sleep researcher Christian Cajochen at the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel in Switzerland conducted a four-year lab study to see if he could show that it is physiologically true that many people have difficulty sleeping during the full moon. His researchers monitored the brain activity, eye movements and hormone secretions of 33 volunteers in the lab while the participants slept. All the participants were healthy, good sleepers, and did not take any drugs or medication.Unexpectedly, the scientists found “the lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not see the moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase,” Cajochen said. After reviewing their data, the scientists found during the time of the full moon, brain activity related to deep sleep dropped by 30 percent. People also took five minutes longer on average to fall asleep, and they slept for 20 minutes less overall on full-moon nights. The volunteers felt as though their sleep was poorer when the moon was full, and they showed diminished levels of melatonin, a hormone known to regulate sleep and wake cycles. “It took me more than four years until I decided to publish the results, because I did not believe it myself,” Cajochen told LiveScience. “I was really skeptical about the finding, and I would love to see a replication.”
Barbra Cohn cared for her husband Morris for 10 years. He passed away from younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2010. Afterward, she was compelled to write “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia” in order to help other caregivers feel healthier and happier, have more energy, sleep better, feel more confident, deal with feelings of guilt and grief, and to ultimately experience inner peace. “Calmer Waters” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Boulder Book Store, Tattered Cover Book Store, Indie Bound.org, and many other fine independent bookstores, as well as public libraries.
A popular prostate cancer treatment puts men at risk for Alzheimer’s & dementia
I know several men with prostate cancer. In fact, one of them is on his death-bed. But don’t worry. It’s a slow-growing cancer, and it’s possible to live with it for a long time. It’s also possible to avoid. (see below) But first, here are some things you should know
The American Cancer Society predicts that 220,800 new cases of prostate cancer would be diagnosed in 2015. An estimated 27,640 men will die of it. African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer and have the highest death rate. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. In other parts of the world — notably Asia, Africa, and Latin America — prostate cancer is rare.
If you are a man over 50 years old and don’t already suffer from prostate problems, the odds are 2 to 1 that you will before you turn 59.
Almost all men experience the symptoms of prostate enlargement and some form of prostate-induced discomfort during their lifetime, and especially after the age 50. These include frequent and urgent urination, urination through the night, a weak stream or one that is difficult to start or stop, and reduced sexual libido. The symptoms typically appear with the beginnings of hair loss and eventual baldness. The cause is an imbalance of sex hormones.
The connection between dementia and ADT therapy
A new study at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found there is a connection between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) — a testosterone-lowering therapy for prostate cancer– and dementia.
Their previous studies have shown men who undergo ADT may be at an increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, compared to men who were not treated with the therapy. This new analysis — the largest of its kind ever performed on this topic — shows that all existing studies taken together support the link to dementia and show a possible link to Alzheimer’s.
This is not good news. The common side effects of ADT are hot flashes and enlarged breasts, which are definitely annoying but symptoms you can live with. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are another story.
Other treatments for prostate cancer include surgery, radiation, and brachytherapy, a type of internal radiation that plants radioactive “seeds” in the prostate. But these treatments also carry risk of side effects including urine leakage, poor sexual function, and bowel problems. It’s important to speak with your doctor to determine which treatment is best for you and what side effects you are willing to live with.
Prevention is the key
- b-Sitosterol is one of a group of phytosterols that promote prostrate and male uro-genital health. b-sitosterol and other phytosterols support male urinary and prostate health by inhibiting the uptake of cholesterol into the blood. This redirects the conversion of cholesterol into the steroids from which the sex hormones are made. As hundreds of scientific studies have demonstrated, the cells of the prostate respond to these rejuvenated hormones and de-proliferate, reducing the size of the prostate and the symptoms
- Boron is found in red wine, raisins, peanuts, apples, pears, peaches, oranges, grapes, lima beans, and peanut butter. Studies have shown that men with the highest boron intake were 65 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men with the lower boron intake. Researcher found that boron’s cancer-fighting effects seem to be specific for prostate cancer, so make sure you eat your daily dose of apples and oranges.
- If you like tomato sauce, you’re in luck. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in red fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruit, and guava. Researchers have linked the frequent use of lycopene from tomatoes to a lower risk of prostate and other cancers. Interestingly, Lycopene is best assimilated and absorbed after eating tomatoes cooked in olive oil.
- Selenium intake has been directly associated with lower risk of prostate cancer. In a Harvard School of Public Health study, men who received at least 200 micrograms of selenium in a daily nutritional supplement were one-third less likely to get prostate cancer than the men who received a placebo. Selenium is found in tuna, brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds.
- Zinc is important for a healthy prostate gland. Since the prostate gland requires 10 times more zinc than any other gland or organ in the body, researchers believe that a zinc deficiency might contribute to BPH. Foods that are high in zinc: pumpkin seeds, oysters, beef, lamb, toasted wheat germ, spinach, squash seeds, nuts, dark chocolate, pork, chicken, beans, and mushrooms. Play it safe and take a zinc nutritional supplement. Make sure it contains some copper, which optimizes absorption.
What does the prostate gland do?
The prostate is the size and shape of a walnut and is located under the bladder and directly in front of the rectum. It secretes a thick, whitish fluid that provides about half the fluid in semen, and helps transport sperm.
What causes prostate problems?
After about age 40, the prostate begins to grow in just about every male because DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a potent form of the male hormone testosterone, isn’t excreted efficiently. DHT then accumulates in the prostate, causing prostate cells to rapidly reproduce. Sometimes the enlargement is a sign of cancer. But usually the result is a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. Most doctors refer to enlarged prostate simply as BPH.
As BPH develops, the prostate may press against the neck of the bladder or urethra, squeezing the pipe shut, like stepping on a garden hose. This pressure can make it difficult to urinate and may result in a variety of symptoms:
- Urgency—the need to go immediately
- During urination, there is a thin stream of urine that stops and starts instead of a full, steady stream
- Hesitancy or difficulty starting urine flow
- Dribbling after urinating
- Nocturia — having to get up frequently at night to urinate
- Increased frequency of urination
- Increased risk of infection if the bladder does not empty entirely and urine is retained
Unlike BPH, prostate cancer may not give symptoms in its early, curable stage. This is why every year start in your 40s it’s important to get a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test, in which the blood is analyzed for evidence of cancer.
Barbra Cohn cared for her husband Morris for 10 years. He passed away from younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2010. Afterward, she was compelled to write “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia” in order to help other caregivers feel healthier and happier, have more energy, sleep better, feel more confident, deal with feelings of guilt and grief, and to ultimately experience inner peace. “Calmer Waters” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Boulder Book Store, Tattered Cover Book Store, Indie Bound.org, and many other fine independent bookstores, as well as public libraries.
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