Restoration Healthcare’s Treatment of Lyme Disease

What is Lyme Disease?

People typically get Lyme disease from the painless bites of immature ticks infected with Lyme spirochetes. The nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed. Many people do not realize they were bitten until the symptoms are unbearable. Studies show that some people may be ill for as long as 15 years before a diagnosis.

The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi is the primary cause of Lyme disease; occasionally, but rarely, Borrelia mayonii also transmits to humans through the bite of these tiny black-legged ticks. Other forms of the bacteria, including B. afzelii and B. garinii are common in Europe and Asia.

The symptoms can vary significantly among individuals. Most common include flu-like symptoms and a bulls-eye-like rash or bite mark. More severe symptoms may develop if left untreated.

Lyme disease symptoms can include:

• Headache
• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint aches
• Facial palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face)
• Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees and other large joints
• Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
• Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
• Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
• Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
• Nerve pain
• Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet
• Digestive and bowel disorders

Myths and Truths About Diagnosing and Treating Lyme Disease

There is a lot of misunderstanding when diagnosing and treating Lyme disease. Many patients tell us they’ve seen many different doctors before coming to our clinic for treatment. Let’s look at the myths of Lyme disease so you can understand what is and how our model of care differs from others.

Tick Season is in the summer. In Southern California, every day is tick season. Our warmer weather means that ticks do not die off. They hide in wooded areas, leaves, and underbrush, and grasses. If you travel to even warmer temperatures, ticks may be even more active.

Testing Will Confirm a Diagnosis. The two-step blood tests for Lyme disease only tell if someone was exposed to B. burgdorferi. It is not a confirmation of whether you have or don’t have Lyme. These tests typically miss 20-to-50 percent of patients who have Lyme disease. It could mean your immune system is not producing antibodies to B. burgdorferi. We use testing with a long list of other diagnosing criteria (see more below).

Symptoms Show Up Right Away. Lyme disease California can be dormant for days, months, years, and even decades. Lyme disease is sneaky and can hide deep within the immune system before symptoms occur. For instance, some health agencies say the most common symptom, a bulls-eye-like rash (called erythema migrans or EM), is seen in up to 80% of people with Lyme Disease soon after being bitten. Our experience at Restoration Healthcare shows it is as low as 20% to 40%. Some may not even know they have Lyme Disease because there are multiple strains of B. burgdorferi, which is why the individual strains cause different symptoms and variations in severity.

Lyme Disease has Distinct Symptoms. Lyme disease mimics many other autoimmune and neurological conditions. Other conditions look a lot like Lyme, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ALS, and Alzheimer’s disease.

All Patients Have the Same Symptoms. Some people have mild symptoms or no symptoms, while others experience debilitating health issues. People with minor signs may have what is called “Lyme arthritis,” a less severe form of the disease. It’s a very tricky disease. The Lyme disease advocacy group  Truth Cares says that some people may have a form of Lyme disease that suppresses the immune system and causes false negative test results. Often once someone notices acute symptoms, the disease is in the central nervous system, which makes treatment difficult.

Treatment is the Same for Everyone. Every treatment is different. Our lyme disease specialist Los Angeles may not recommend starting with a full-on, high dose of antibiotics right away because everyone responds differently. Our physicians examine and diagnose each patient independently and provide a comprehensive plan of care based on an individual’s response to treatment. We have seen firsthand from people who did not receive appropriate care at the onset that mild flu-like symptoms developed into severe health conditions that affected the cardiovascular, nervous, digestive system, and immune systems.

Overview of Lyme disease Symptoms

Lyme disease symptoms can include:

• Headache
• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint aches
• Facial palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face)
• Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees and other large joints
• Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
• Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
• Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
• Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
• Nerve pain
• Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet
• Digestive and bowel disorders

Why Restoration Healthcare’s Treatment of Lyme Disease is Unique

From our experience treating Lyme Disease, we know there is no “one size fits all” treatment protocol for a chronic-complex illness like Lyme disease and its other co-infections. As the disease progresses, it can become more complex and involve multiple body systems. Successful care models mean lyme disease specialists treating Lyme disease must invest time with their patients.

1. When a person begins care at our Lyme clinic for known or suspected Lyme disease, the clinic starts with a thorough medical history before we prescribe anything.
2. Starting with high doses of antibiotics may not be a safe or effective way to initiate Lyme disease treatment. Our experience shows that everyone responds differently to antibiotics.
3. We evaluate how Lyme disease affects the vagus nerve and sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
4. The gut microbiome and gut-brain axis are often disrupted, leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction and cognitive problems. These two issues should be addressed but are often overlooked
5. Our patients go through a dietary evaluation to address food allergies or sensitivities that weaken the immune system if not addressed.
6. Lyme disease significantly affects a person’s ability to manage stress. Our Lyme disease specialist California and the team helps with stress management and the psychological aspects of Lyme disease.
7. We look at the value of nutritional supplements with antimicrobial properties to help support the body’s immune system response.
8. Many of our patients have confounding health issues related to toxin exposure that affects the body’s ability to restore and maintain health.
9. We evaluate sleep habits and make suggestions for improving sleep.
10. Our lyme doctor Los Angeles and physicians monitor all symptoms and treatment responses throughout the person’s care.

If you believe you have Lyme disease or perhaps another complex chronic illness and want the type of care that Restoration Healthcare provides, we would like to hear from you. Contact or call us at (949) 535-2322  find out more go to our homepage and fill out a patient inquiry form.