Lyme and Tick Borne Illnesses

Lyme disease is an infection caused by a specific bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. Borrelia burgdorferi can live in multiple different insects and animals, including ticks, white-tailed deer, dogs, cats, horses, cattle, chipmunks, raccoons, grey squirrels, opossums, Western fence lizards, several species of birds, several species of mice. Because it can thrive in multiple different hosts, B. burdorferi has an incredible ability to shape shift and to take on different forms, which is called pleiomorphism in microbiology. Due to this pleiomorphic ability, it may be difficult to eradicate. There are 4 major forms: a cell wall form, a cystic form, an intracellular form and a form that lives in biofilms.

It's not just Lyme!

Ticks are often carrying multiple infection. In one study(i), which analyzed ticks in the United States, 45% of the ticks were carrying 2 or more infections. Other tick-borne infections can include: Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumonia (not the STI), Rickettsia, Tick-Borne Relapsing fever and various viral infections. This can lead to a complex chronic medical illness that is often referred to as multiple systemic infectious disease syndrome.

Patients with Lyme and other co-infections often present to acupuncturists because one of the main symptoms of chronic infection is migratory joint pain. Often these patients are failed by the conventional medical system, as most doctors have limited knowledge of chronic Lyme. The majority of patients with Lyme experience the following: chronic fatigue, insomnia, cognitive impairment, migratory joint pain and migratory nerve pain. Symptoms tend to vary in severity, coming and going, based upon the life-cycles of the infectious organisms. Women tend to have worsening symptoms with the menstrual cycle. Some patients can experience neurological and psychiatric manifestations as well, which can resolve with treatment of the infection.

Having the ability to clinically suspect Lyme disease and other tick-born infections is crucial for acupuncturists. In this course, we will explore the signs, symptoms and pathophysiology associated with Lyme disease and other tick-born infections. We will implement some screening techniques, so that you can evaluate who needs to be tested. We will evaluate various options for Lyme disease testing along with the various limitations of testing methods. We will identify other co-infections and analyze how this may impact the health of the patient, creating a complex medical syndrome. We will develop treatment options from a Chinese medical perspective, including acupuncture, cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, dietary therapies and herbal support. We will explore its associated issues of medical ethics. Frequently, patients with chronic Lyme have experienced “gaslighting” from various healthcare practitioners. Finally, we will discuss the importance of collaboration with Lyme-literate physicians.