Novel Approaches to Lyme Disease: Ancient Remedies and Modern Illnesses


By Kenneth R. Hoffman, L.Ac T


he history of Lyme disease in Con- necticut began in 1975, when a cluster of children and adults residing


in the Lyme, Connecticut area experienced uncommon arthritic symptoms. By 1977, the first 51 cases of Lyme arthritis were described, and the Ixodes scapularis (black- legged) tick was linked to the transmis- sion of the disease. During 1982, Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, was discovered and the first bro- chure addressing Lyme disease was devel- oped by the Arthritis Foundation. Serology testing became widely available in Con- necticut during 1984. By 1988, the news of Lyme disease spread and national media attention began. The first federal funding for Lyme disease surveillance, education, and research became available in 1991. The first Lyme disease vaccine became available in 1997. However, the manufacturer withdrew the vaccine from the market in 2001, due to safety issues, lack of efficacy and class action lawsuits.


Two Standards of Care According to the International Lyme


and Associated Disease Society, “Opinion within the medical community is deeply divided regarding the best approach for treating Lyme disease, particularly persistent Lyme disease that is not cured by short- term protocols. This split has resulted in two standards of care. Both viewpoints are reflected in peer-reviewed, evidence-based guidelines. Some physicians treat patients for 30 days only and assume that remain- ing symptoms reflect a self-perpetuating autoimmune response. Other physicians assume that the persistent symptoms reflect


18 Natural Nutmeg May 2013


on-going infection and gauge the duration of treatment by the patient’s individual clinical response. These physicians believe that there is insufficient evidence at this point to adopt standardized treatment protocols.” If you add to this the other theories


regarding chronic Lyme disease symptoms, such as the presence of co-infections and the “Molecular-mimic” theory of a Lyme-like auto-immune problem, it is easy to see why a patient suffering from Lyme Disease can get confused and lost in the sea of informa- tion and opinion.


Details of the Disease Lyme Disease symptoms can manifest


in a variety of ways, leading to missed or ignored symptoms. Most recently, a patient of mine, a 10-year-old boy, presented with nothing more than a swollen knee. The Western Blot and Elisa tests were performed and came back positive. It would have been easy to miss the single symptom which would later have lead to serious infection. It’s important to know that Lyme testing is typically 50% incorrect and there are a va- riety of co-infections that may not be tested for. One of the best labs for testing is Igenix Lab. However, if all testing is coming back negative and you are experiencing Lyme- type symptoms, neuromuscular testing from a qualified practitioner can be effective to support using a natural approach. Early symptoms of Lyme include a bulls-


eye rash and flu-like symptoms. Later symp- toms include joint pain and neurological impairment. More rare but equally disturb- ing symptoms can include heart problems such as palpitations, liver inflammation, eye inflammation, and severe fatigue.


Treatment


While treatment, testing and controver- sies can take up a whole book, let’s look at just a few ideas. Due to the dangerous and long-term debilitating effect of Lyme Disease and its many manifestations, do not try to self-diagnose or treat this disease. Go see a qualified, Lyme-literate health professional. This article is intended only to inform and educate so that you will understand the doctors you see and be aware of what is available from a complementary medicine standpoint.


Chinese Medicine: Chinese medicine views all pathogens as toxic heat; regardless of the type of microbe, Meteria Medica (herbs that work for toxic heat) will help. A bio-medical explanation would state that these herbs work against aggressive entities such as bac- terial and viral infections, and even against parasitic and malarial-type pathogens. Ironi- cally, Western Science has supported the use of the herbals as effective anti-microbials. Two such examples we use in my clinic are Xu Duan (teasel root) and Hu Zhang (Knotweed). The most absorbable way to take these is in a tincture. Since I could not find a good source of these locally, a local community of nuns grew a large batch and distilled them. These herbs will be very powerful as they were lovingly grown and harvested to retain the energy of the plants. I find that the addition of acupuncture therapy also opens up the circulation, so the herbs can penetrate the body deeper to get to all the pathogenic particles and support good immune and organ function.


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