Alternative treatments for Parkinson's to be discussed

FALLBROOK – North County Parkinson's Support Group Fallbrook invites anyone interested to join their monthly Parkinson's Support Group meeting, Friday April 26, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Fallbrook Regional Health and Wellness Center- 1636 E. Mission Road.

The guest speaker, Dr. Ana Maleki, MDS, will talk about Alternative Treatments for Parkinson’s.

Medications are usually the first treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease. But there may come a time when one’s medications no longer work for one’s needs. DBS is a safe and effective surgical treatment that might be right for some individuals.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe, and effective way to manage the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Used for more than 25 years, DBS is the most common surgical treatment for Parkinson’s. In fact, over 160,000 patients worldwide have undergone DBS for a variety of neurological and non-neurological conditions, with numbers increasing each year.

A DBS system sends electrical pulses from an implanted device (neurostimulator) to the brain through “leads” (electrodes). Like a pacemaker, the neurostimulator devices use these pulses to help regulate brain activity. This pulse of energy is painless, and it can help control symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Maleki will be discussing the technology and benefits of DBS and will give an overview of the newest technology in the Abbott, Infinity Stimulating System.

Dr. Maleki, a native of Iran, received her medical education from Ahvaz Jondishapour University of Medical Science. Subsequent to that, she pursued her neurology residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and further specialized in movement disorder by doing a fellowship at the Cedar Sinai Medical Science Center in Los Angeles.

She has advanced expertise in diagnosing and treating a broad array of neurologic disorders, which include but are not limited to Parkinson’s disease, tremor, dystonia, Tics, headache, and stroke.

She is presently affiliated with Loma Linda University as a faculty member and also serves as the head of the neurology ambulatory clinic at Riverside Moreno Valley. Dr. Maleki is a bilingual professional, proficient in Farsi and English. She lives in San Diego.

In addition to the presentation, breakout groups for PWP’s and their Care Partners are held for a time of sharing; coffee and refreshments will follow the program.

This meeting is held in support of persons with Parkinson's disease, care partners and people interested in improving the world of those affected by Parkinson’s disease.

For more information, call Irene 760-731-0171 or Tony 951-751-2242 or email [email protected].

Submitted by the Fallbrook Parkinson's Support Group.