Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Ticks, Lyme, and Healing

Tick-borne diseases have been on the rise for decades now, and one of the most prominent has been Lyme. This one is tricky to address for several reasons.

One is that we often don’t know that we have acquired the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria (specifically, a spirochete) until symptoms begin; the often mentioned “bull’s-eye rash” that can occur after a tick bite where B. burgdorferi is introduced into the system only occurs in about 37% of people infected.[1] And, second, generally speaking, antibiotic reversal is only effective when used during the first few months following infection; after that, treatment is much more challenging due to the intelligent nature of the spirochete. I won’t go on at length about the bacteria and its co-infections because, while fascinating to explore (you can find lots of information online), most of you reading this post will be more interested in how to reduce your symptoms (or those of someone you love, be it person or animal; seeking support for my dog who contracted Lyme disease about a decade ago was the impetus for my own journey into how non-conventional modalities could help him recover).

That said, before getting to treatments and lifestyle shifts, I do want to mention that my perspective is not that of conventional medicine, which should be no surprise to anyone who is on my blog. I am firmly in the camp that versions of this syndrome have been around for thousands of years, and that the degree to which we are each affected by an infection is a direct result of our susceptibility to the bacteria, and is not something to be turned into a battle against the bacteria, which would be a battle against the natural world. My primary focus is to increase vibrational harmony in one’s own system so that it is no longer appealing to the bacteria and they die naturally without reproducing and spreading.

How do we do this? We move through my Five Petal Path of Healing. At the core of this approach is understanding one’s own Nature through which lens we then look at Lifestyle, Food & Spices, Cell Salts, Homeopathy, and Flower Essences, and how each of these might assist in bringing ourselves back into holistic vibrational harmony. Much of the process is distinctly individualized, rather than a one-size-fits-all, which is why few specific remedies are mentioned below.

Knowing our Nature, or innate temperament and/or constitution, is important because not being aware of our tendencies is often part of how we get out of balance. I evaluate a person’s basic nature via the five elements and the dosha in Ayurveda. Once understood, we can then shift Lifestyle and/or Food & Spices to better support the journey back to harmony. Using Ayurveda’s wisdom, I would agree with Gerard Buffo, MD, that the primary physiological effect, when chronic symptoms emerge, is one of deranged Vata dosha in the system; we can see this derangement in the most common Lyme symptoms.[2] The inflammatory response of the body, however, is distinctly Pitta dosha – and ties into a majority of Lyme patients tending toward a Type A personality (which makes them more susceptible).

The next two petals considered are Cell Salts and Homeopathy. Use of these related modalities can depend upon where you are in the phase of infection, whether acute or chronic. They can provide support for tissues or render subtle detoxification; they can build strength or lend prevention to further infection, and much more. There are some remedies quite specific to Lyme dis-ease, while others are broader in their scope.

The final petal can also be the first one, depending upon how we decide to approach your individual situation. This is the phenomenally powerful modality of Flower Essence therapy, and affects everything we do in bringing back a life and body of harmony. In particular, I incorporate a flower essence research protocol developed by Delta Gardens, which also addresses energetic recovery from co-infections of Lyme.

As always, please contact me if you would like more information and/or a consultation. I would be happy to help.

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