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FINDING A  LYME-LITERATURE MEDICAL DOCTOR (LLMD)

Finding the right practitioner can be one of the most challenging steps in your healing journey.  I've gathered some information and resources that may help you navigate the process.

LLMD: Learn More

MUSCLE TESTING 

Also known as kinesiology, muscle testing is a technique some practitioners use to gather information about what may be creating stress in the body and to help guide treatment decisions.

For me, muscle testing became one of the most valuable tools in my healing journey.  It was like receiving a progress report every time I visited my practitioner.  Rather than guessing, we were checking in with how my body was responding, what might need more attention, and whether it was time to adjust my protocol.

Once of the things I appreciated the most was that it looked beyond Lyme disease and co-infections.  It was used to identify other hidden stressors that might be interfering with healing, such as parasites, mold, viruses, organ dysfunction, or other imbalances.   It also helped determine which supplements or therapies my body appeared to need most at that time. 

Years ago, I learned how to muscle test my own body, and it has become one of my favorite tools.  I use it to help determine which supplements, foods, or other suppotive therapies my body may benefit from at a particular time.  If you'd like to learn the simple technique I personally use, download my video 

BINDERS

Substances that bind to toxins, waste products, and other unwanted compounds in the body so they can be eliminated.  Think of them like a magnet that grabs onto toxins and helps escort them out.

For me, binders were one of the most underrated tools in healing.  When we kill pathogens, they release toxins that can recirculate in the body and make us feel worse.  Binders helped support my body's ability to handle that toxic load.  Any time you're stirring up toxins, binders can be a great tool.  This may include sauna sessions, lymphatic massage, colonics, ionic foot bath.

Different binders work in different ways.  Some primarily bind toxins in the digestive tract, while others provide broader systemic support. Some compounds are even able to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Important Tip:  Binders can also bind to nutrients, supplements, and medications.  Take them at least 1 hour away from any of those. I kept mine on my nightstand so they were easy to take in the middle of the night or before I got out of bed in the morning.  Do not take binders if you are constipated, as they need to be eliminated from the body to be effective.

Helpful Tools:  GI Detox (my favorite), activated charcoal, chlorella, bentonite clay, and zeolite.

HERX (Herxheimer Reaction)

A temporary worsening of symptoms that can occur when pathogens die and release toxins faster than the body can eliminate them.  This can happen because treatment is killing to aggressively, detox pathways are not keeping up, or a combination of both.

Symptoms vary from person to person and are often an intensification of existing symptoms.

For me, a herx felt like every symptom I had ever experienced was amplified.  It felt like the worst flu, the worst hangover, and had been run over by a semi-truck all at the same time.

Helpful Tools:  Binders, lemon water, minerals/electrolytes, lymphatic support, detox pathway support, nervous system regulation, and rest.

Herx Support Guide:  Learn More

FLARE

A worsening of symptoms that is not necessarily cause by pathogen die-off.  Flares can be triggered by stress, poor sleep, overexertion, food sensitivities, environmental exposures, inflammation, infections, or other factors.

Symptoms vary from person to person and can often resemble a herx, making it difficult to tell the difference.  The key distinction is that a flare is typically the result of a trigger or stressor rather than toxins being released from die-off.

For me, understanding flares was just as important as understanding herxes.  As I got further along in my healing journey and became less symptomatic, a flare could be scary.  It was easy to feel like I was taking a million steps backward.  But more often than not, it was my body's way of telling me that something was out of balance and that I needed to slow down, identify the trigger (this is where journaling can be a great tool), and give my body additional support. 

Helpful Tools:  Prioritize rest, reduce infalmation, support the nervous system review recent triggers, and return the basics that help your body feel its best.

COSTOCONDRITIS

Inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone.  It is common source of chest, rib, and upper back pain for many people dealing with chronic inflammation.

For me, it felt like all of my ribs were broken.  It hurt to breathe, move, and even change positions.  At times, the pain was so intense that if felt like I was having a heart attack. 

Reducing overall inflammation is the important piece to improving symptoms.

Helpful Tools:  Aeon phototherapy patch, Heating pad, Tart Cherry juice, Turmeric

DETOX PATHWAYS

Your body's natural routes for processing and eliminating toxins.  These include the colon, liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, and lymphatic system.  When these pathways become sluggish or overwhelmed, toxins can build up in the body and contribute to symptoms.  Supporting detox pathways became especially important for me when treating because it helped my body keep up with the toxic load.  

Helpful Tools:  Hydration, magnesium, glutathione phototherapy patch, castor oil packs, dry brushing, movement, sauna.

Detox Pathways:  Learn More

GLYMPHATIC SYSTEM

Your brain's cleanup system.  It works primarily during deep sleep, helping clear waste products and toxins from the brain. Clean cerebrospinal fluid then replaces it.  When it becomes sluggish, symptoms may include brain fog, head pressure, poor sleep, cognitive fatigue, and increased sensitivity to toxins.

Helpful Tools: Prioritize deep sleep, sleeping on left side helps support drainage, and calming the nervous system.

LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

Your body's drainage system.  It helps move waste, toxins, excess fluid, and cellular debris from the tissues.  When lymphatic flow becomes sluggish, symptoms may include swollen lymph nodes, swelling around the neck or collarbone area, fluid retention, and increased fatigue.  Poor lymphatic drainage can also contribute to detox challenges and increased herxing.  Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system does not have a pump.  It relies on movement to keep things flowing.

Helpful Tools:  Vibration plate, rebounding, dry brushing, lymphatic massage (I also used a little hand held massager)

CORTISOL

Your body's primary stress hormone.  It helps regulate energy, blood sugar, inflammation and your sleep-wake cycle.  Cortisol is naturally highest in the morning to help wake you up and get you moving.  However, when the body has been under prolonged stress, cortisol patterns can become disrupted, contributing to fatigue anxiety, feeling "tires but wired", sleep disturbances, and weight gain.

Helpful Tools:  Nervous system regulation, morning sunlight, hydration, deep breathing, vagus nerve support, quality sleep, and limiting early-morning screen time. 

DEPERSONALIZATION / DEREALIZATION

A feeling of being disconnected from yourself, your surroundings, or reality.  It is commonly associated with the nervous system dysregulation, chronic stress, trauma, anxiety.  Some might describe it as feeling like they're living in a dream, watching life through a foggy window, or observing themselves from the outside.

For me, it felt like I was stuck in a constant dream or reliving the same day over and over, similar to the move Groundhog Day.  It was very scary.

Helpful Tools:  Grounding exercises, nervous system regulation, deep breathing.  The technique that helped me the most was identifying: 5 things I could see, 4 things I could touch, 3 things I could hear, 2 things I could smell, and 1 thing I could taste.  By intentionally using all 5 senses, it helped ground me in the present moment. It was a valuable way to remind myself that I wasn't dreaming and to help pull me back into reality.

BIOFILMS

Protective layers created by bacteria and other microbes to help them hide from the immune system and treatments. Think of biofilms like a protective shield that allows infections to survive and persist.  Biofilms can make microbes harder to reach and may slow healing by protecting hidden infections.  

For me, understanding biofilms was a major piece of the puzzle.  It helped explain why infections can be difficult to eradicate.  This is also one of the reasons I don't like antibiotics for chronic Lyme.  Antibiotics are designed for fast growing bacteria, while Lyme is slow-growing.  An easy way to think about it: The antibiotics come in fast and the microbes say no let's go build more biofilms and hide.

Helpful Tools:  Serrapeptase, nattokinase, bromelain, allicin, berberine, oregano oil, cistus tea, colloidal silver, and stevia.