Lyme disease is a bacterial infection from a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi. There is debate over the origin of Lyme disease but the name comes from Lyme, Connecticut where some of the first cases were diagnosed. There are many different ticks that carry Lyme Disease and different sub-types of Lyme Disease depending on geographical location. Connecticut is one of the epicenters of the disease, but there are others in the East Coast.
Classic symptoms are muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, fevers, neuropathy and nerve sensations, palpitations, and fatigue. The signature rash from a tick bite only shows up in 10% of all cases. Despite common belief, the rash doesn’t have to be in a target pattern. The rash could come in any shape or form to indicate Lyme or another tick-borne disease. There are other bacterial infections that can come from ticks, like Babesia and Bartonella, that can also leave a rash. Babesiosis symptoms include headache, chills or night sweats, and shortness of breath. Bartonella symptoms include sore soles of feet and tender skin nodules. They have similar pathologies, but distinctly different treatments.
Methods of Prevention
There are multiple methods of prevention, including wearing long pants, tucking your socks into your pants, using some sort of bug-repellant, doing a tick-check after being outside, showering, using tea-tree based soap and shampoo, and cleaning pets on a regular basis. Dr. Brody also has a DIY tick repellent. Pour ½ a glass of water into a spray bottle, add 20 drops of Lemongrass oil, then add 20 drops of Eucalyptus oil. Shake the bottle and spray on clothes and shoes before going outside.
The normal allopathic treatment is Doxycycline, with an ideology that if the disease is acute, the doctor will treat the patient until symptoms go away. This treatment plan will work for some, but there are other options for other patient populations who are treated and their symptoms don’t get better. There is a school of thought of using different antimicrobials to kill Lyme, but Dr. Brody has found solely relying on antimicrobial treatment doesn’t provide consistent results. This lack of consistency leads to performing the same actions but expecting different results, which is more akin to the definition of insanity.
If you do get bit, don’t panic. Remove the tick immediately, especially the head – try using a tick key if possible.
Clean the area with clean water and soap, and save the tick if possible. Ticks can be alive or dead for testing. Place ticks in a small plastic tube or sealed plastic bag and seal them in an envelope. Please then send the tick to your local department of health after filling out this specific form. To read more please click here to view to state government’s webpage.
Naturopathic Treatment
The naturopathic philosophy of disease treatment holds true to the “soil theory”, that the environment allowing the bug to live is what needs to be treated. Dr. Brody uses a terrain based treatment that flushes out the system, giving the bacteria nowhere to live. If bacteria cannot root, the antibiotics or antimicrobials can kill it. This treatment theory and many others Dr. Brody employs were passed down from his father, who has been practicing as a homeopath for over 40 years and specializes in Lyme disease.
If you find that a tick has latched on, call and make an appointment as soon as possible to begin treatment. Through the use of supplements, Dr. Brody can help turn the tide against a potential Lyme infection.
There are different tests to detect Lyme offered from labs like Quest Labs and Labcorp. Insurance typically covers tests at both of these locations. There are other, more specific tests that exist but they are considerably more expensive. Those tests are ordered only when necessary, saved as a last resort.
Dr. Brody holds himself to a high standard, he doesn’t automatically assume everyone has Lyme disease-he need conclusive evidence first. Lyme disease is following the trend of gluten sensitivity, candida, and MTHFR mutations of being frequently diagnosed, even if there’s room for reasonable doubt. The International Society of Infectious Diseases has stated that if clinical symptoms are present without lab support, Lyme Disease can be diagnosed, but Dr. Brody prefers to have the lab support to understand exactly what the patient needs to be treated. With the information Dr. Brody gathers before making a diagnosis, he can better create a personalized treatment plan to help any patient get rid of Lyme Disease once and for all.
Appointment
To schedule an appointment, please contact the front desk at the Personalized Natural Medicine Clinic. We are located in a beautiful Victorian house in the heart of Newtown, Connecticut.
