Dentist Supports Self-Management of Parkinson’s Disease Through a Mind–Body Approach

Ms. Vu Thi Thanh Lan, Master's degree holder, Doctor of Odonto-Stomatology, was a student of the HARUVA – Igniting a New Vitality seminar. Before attending the course, she stated that she had a displaced disc and had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for many years. Every day, she had to wear a support belt to protect her spine; due to the impact of the disease, she suffered from pain in many joints, whole-body tremors, could not walk or stand up straight as before, and her body was constantly pulled noticeably to one side.

As a doctor, she clearly understood her own health condition and continued to maintain treatment with medication. However, according to her perception, her condition was still progressing and worsening, leading her to seek out the "Igniting a New Vitality" course with the hope of improving her health, reducing pain, stabilizing her body, and finding an additional safe supportive approach.

After the course, she used the instructed methods to care for and treat herself. In less than two months, she shared that her body had changed very clearly: no more pain in the joints, she stopped using the back support belt after about a week, she walked and stood more upright, and she no longer trembled as before. She also emphasized that she still did not dare to completely stop her medication – a very important detail for correctly understanding the safety spirit of the method.

Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition requiring specialist monitoring

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, primarily affecting dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Symptoms typically develop slowly over time and may include resting tremor, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), rigidity, gait disturbance, balance impairment; additionally, there are non-motor symptoms such as sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, constipation, cognitive changes, and many other issues. The Parkinson's Foundation states that there is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease; treatment is primarily aimed at managing symptoms and improving quality of life, including medication, lifestyle adjustments, and in some cases, surgery. (Parkinson's Foundation) [https://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons]

Therefore, Ms. Thanh Lan's story needs to be understood correctly: this is a personal account of symptom improvement and enhanced quality of life after practicing mind-body methods, not evidence to claim that Parkinson's disease has been cured in a medical sense. For Parkinson's disease, patients need regular monitoring by a neurologist, medication as prescribed, and should not stop medication on their own.

Displaced disc, whole-body pain, and a body pulled out of alignment

Besides Parkinson's disease, Ms. Thanh Lan also had a displaced disc and had to wear a back support belt daily. When the spine is in pain, the body tends to protect itself by tilting, shifting, tensing muscles, or limiting movement. If this condition persists, the entire muscle-skeletal-neural system can fall into a loop: pain causes the body to tense, tension causes incorrect movement patterns, and incorrect movement patterns further increase the pain.

In her account, she described that her body constantly felt as if it were being pulled to one side. This not only caused difficulty in walking and standing but also made the patient lose confidence, feel fatigued, and feel that she was no longer in control of her body as before.

After the course, when practicing the instructed techniques, she perceived her body becoming more stable, walking and standing more normally, and no longer dependent on the back support belt as before. For someone who had to wear a support belt to protect their spine, removing the belt after about a week is a very significant change, both physically and mentally.

When a doctor personally experiences mind-body methods

What is particularly special about this story is that Ms. Thanh Lan is not someone completely unfamiliar with medicine. She is a Master's degree holder and a Doctor of Odonto-Stomatology. Therefore, when she evaluated the course as "scientific, novel, and unique," this is the perception of a person with a professional medical background who also directly experienced the methods.

She shared that during the course, the knowledge about medicine, the body, neurology, emotions, and self-therapy conveyed by Expert Nguyen Manh Quan gave her a new perspective. For her, this was not just an inspirational class, but a place that provided concrete practical methods that learners could apply to themselves.

From a modern perspective, mind-body methods do not replace medicine, but they can add an important supportive layer: reducing stress, improving sleep, regulating emotions, reducing pain perception, enhancing relaxation ability, and helping patients become more proactive in their self-care.

Self-hypnosis, EFT, and the ability to calm the nervous system

In the "Igniting a New Vitality" course, students are typically introduced to methods such as self-hypnosis, EFT, deep relaxation, positive suggestion, stress release, and emotion regulation. These methods aim to bring the body out of a prolonged state of tension, helping learners re-perceive their bodies in a state of safety and calm.

NCCIH, part of the NIH, states that hypnosis has been studied in contexts such as pain, pre-procedure anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, PTSD, and smoking cessation; the level of evidence varies by condition. For pain, there is growing evidence that hypnosis may support the management of certain types of pain, but effectiveness is not the same for everyone. (NCCIH) [https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/hypnosis]

When the body relaxes, breathing calms, attention is directed, emotions soften, and fear decreases, learners may perceive reduced pain, increased body flexibility, and lighter movement. This is particularly meaningful for someone suffering from spinal pain, tremors, muscle tension, and prolonged fatigue simultaneously.

Why can symptoms improve even though the underlying condition still requires monitoring?

In many chronic diseases, especially neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, the symptoms a patient perceives daily do not depend solely on the underlying disease. They are also influenced by stress, sleep, emotions, fear levels, physical activity, nutrition, medication, living environment, family support, and the state of the nervous system.

For Parkinson's disease, medication and neurological monitoring are foundational. However, quality of life also depends on appropriate movement, mental state, sleep, stress reduction ability, confidence in walking and movement, and a sense of control over one's body. The Parkinson's Foundation emphasizes that although living with Parkinson's presents many challenges, patients can still do many things to maintain and improve their quality of life, and they need to coordinate with their doctor and adhere to recommended therapies. (Parkinson's Foundation) [https://www.parkinson.org/living-with-parkinsons]

Therefore, when Ms. Thanh Lan perceives that she has less pain, walks and stands more upright, and no longer trembles as before, this can be understood as a valuable improvement in symptoms, mind-body state, and motor ability. However, Parkinson's disease still requires evaluation and monitoring by a neurologist.

Not stopping medication on one's own – an important detail in the story

One of the most commendable points in Ms. Thanh Lan's account is her statement: "Of course, I still don't dare to completely stop the medication."

This statement demonstrates alertness and responsibility. When a person feels better, there is often a tendency to want to stop medication. But for Parkinson's disease and other chronic neurological conditions, stopping medication on one's own can worsen symptoms, cause motor fluctuations, rigidity, tremors, falls, or other complications. Patients should only change medication under the guidance of their treating physician.

Mind-body methods should be positioned as complementary supports: helping patients sleep better, relax more, reduce stress, reduce pain perception, increase confidence in movement, and improve quality of life. They do not replace Parkinson's medication, rehabilitation, physical therapy, neurological examinations, or necessary medical interventions.

Excerpt from Master's degree holder, Doctor Vu Thi Thanh Lan's reflection

"I have had a displaced disc and Parkinson's disease for many years. Every day I have to wear a support belt to protect my spine."

"Due to the impact of Parkinson's disease, I have pain in all my joints and whole-body tremors."

"I could no longer walk and stand up straight, and my body was constantly pulled noticeably to one side."

"I take medication every day, yet my condition kept worsening day by day."

"I participated in the Center's HARUVA – Igniting a New Vitality seminar, hoping to improve my health."

"Although I am also a doctor, I must acknowledge that Teacher Quan is an absolutely wonderful teacher."

"After finishing the course, I used the methods and techniques I learned to treat myself."

"Although it has been less than two months, I no longer have pain anywhere in my body. I stopped using the back support belt about a week after the course ended."

"Now I walk and stand completely normally and no longer have tremors. Of course, I still don't dare to completely stop the medication."

HARUVA – Igniting a New Vitality

The HARUVA – Igniting a New Vitality course is designed as a practical training program to help students learn mind-body health care using non-pharmaceutical methods. The content typically revolves around self-hypnosis, EFT, deep relaxation, positive suggestion, stress release, emotion regulation, and pain perception support.

For people with chronic diseases, the value of the course lies in helping them become more proactive. Learners do not only wait for external interventions but learn to observe their bodies, calm their nervous systems, relax their muscles, stabilize their breathing, reduce fear, and build more positive beliefs in the recovery process.

When used within appropriate limits, these methods can become companions alongside medical treatment.

Who might be interested in this course?

The course is suitable for those wanting to learn mind-body self-care methods, especially when dealing with issues such as prolonged stress, insomnia, body aches, neck and shoulder pain, back pain, joint pain, anxiety, fatigue, low energy, or chronic diseases needing additional support for mental state and quality of life.

For people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, learners need to consult their treating physician before changing any medication, exercise, or treatment protocol. The techniques in the course may support relaxation, stress reduction, and improve feelings of agency, but should not be viewed as a cure for progressive neurological diseases.

Scientific and safety note

The content of this article is the personal reflection of a student after the course. Results may vary depending on the individual, diagnosis, disease stage, current medications, pain level, sleep, stress, ability to practice, and medical follow-up process.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder for which there is currently no widely recognized cure; treatment primarily aims to manage symptoms and improve quality of life through medication, rehabilitation, lifestyle adjustments, and certain specialist interventions when appropriate. Patients need monitoring by a neurologist and should not stop or change medication dosage on their own.

Methods such as self-hypnosis, EFT, deep relaxation, positive suggestion, and emotion regulation should be understood as tools to support mind-body health. They do not replace neurological examination, Parkinson's medication, physical therapy, rehabilitation, spinal treatment, emergency care, or specialized medical intervention when necessary.

People with rapidly increasing tremors, falls, severe rigidity, confusion, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, severe pain, paralysis, spreading numbness, bowel or bladder dysfunction, or abnormal neurological symptoms should seek timely specialist evaluation.

Course information

Related course: HARUVA – Igniting a New Vitality

Orientation: Self-hypnosis, EFT, deep relaxation, pain perception support, stress reduction, emotion stabilization, quality of life improvement, mind-body health care

Instructor: Hypnosis Expert Nguyen Manh Quan

Suitable for: People with insomnia, stress, body aches, anxiety, fatigue, chronic diseases needing additional support for relaxation and self-care within safe limits

Hotline: 0904.606.965

Email: chualanhkhongdungthuoc@gmail.com

References

- Parkinson's Foundation. What is Parkinson's Disease? https://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons

- Parkinson's Foundation. Living with Parkinson's. https://www.parkinson.org/living-with-parkinsons

- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Hypnosis. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/hypnosis

- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know

- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Parkinson's Disease. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/parkinsons-disease

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