I went to a lecture put on by the Marion Institute on Lyme Disease. It had a funny title and was actually about a Lyme disease model based on Chinese Medicine.
“Lyme Disease & Climate Change: The Connection Between Inflammation and Global Warming” by Brendan Kelly. A friend of mine was going and I thought nothing ventured nothing gained. I am always learning and working to uplevel my own healing. So off we went.
Brendan Kelly, author of “The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis,” discussed how the warming of our planet mirrors a similar overheating within us and within our culture
This talk was at a Whaling Museum in New Bedford about 75 minutes south. The auditorium was full. Brendan a herbalist and licensed acupuncturist spoke with some detail about how Chinese medicine looks at the world and healing. The relationship between hot and cold, hot builds then cold builds.
Brendan says we are in in a heat building phase. There are echoes of heat building on at many levels repeated on a large and small scale. We live in a Yang world all about newness and winning. Yang is building in our society and heat is building in our world as global warming. As the planet atmosphere warms it sets off a chain of events.
Brendan then began model Lyme disease. Chinese Medicine like Ayurveda and Functional medicine seek to identify and treat the root imbalance of disease. Some interesting insights flow out of the relationship between Yin and Yang, hot and cold and Lyme Disease. He uses the model of Yin deficient Heat to shine a light on treatments for Lyme disease. I have used both Ayurveda and Functional medicine to help me heal, but not Chinese Medicine. How about you? What are your wellness building tools?
Lyme disease starts with too much heat, high Yang. Heat from infection plus if we are already hot (have chronic inflammation) it makes us more susceptible. The heat is drying and burns through the antioxidants and hormones in the body. It disturbs the immune response. The disease progresses in 4 stages in the Yin deficient Heat Model.
4 Stages for The Lyme Disease Model “Yin deficient Heat”
- Heat /Yang builds In Lyme Disease Inflammation builds from the initial infection. If heat is already in excess this eases the way into residence in the body.
- Dryness comes from the Heat Cooks off the Fluids and creates Yin deficiency Joint Pain and chronic inflammation is part of this stage.
- Phlegm from from Yin fluid level trying to build back up in dryness. This causes Brain Fog, Issues with Stomach and Spleen.
- Wind builds to try to move the dampness in the phlegm. It causes excess movement. In Lyme this is reflected in issues with the nervous system like tremors and twitches and symptoms that come and go.
Traditional Treatment focuses on Stage 1 decreasing Yang. Add cold (antibiotics) to deal the infection and inflammation, independent of where the patient is in the disease process. But the excess cold drives creation phlegm. For some people antibiotics result in a worsening of symptoms. It did for me.
Chinese medicine suggests a more holistic approach. More Yin and less Yang in other words reorient towards balance. So based on this Lyme disease model it makes sense to treat illness and build balance and wellness on a parallel path. Really look at your life and figure out how to heal and build wellness. While there were no magic bullets in the lecture, I did not leave with a cure in my pocket, the paradigm informed my perspective and gave me some ideas to work on.
Build Wellness & Strength
How do you build wellness while you are healing from Lyme? Do you use Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine or Herbal ism on your path? Does your Lyme Disease Model support your healing? Scroll below and share, because with Lyme disease information is power, we have to help each other on our healing journey
The information provided in this blog is not a substitute for professional medical care, treatment or advice. All the material here is for information purposes only. Always share strategy and work with your health care team