| A number of Chinese herbs can be useful for the | | | | Certain Chinese herbs can be used to reduce the |
| many different facets of Lyme Disease. Lyme | | | | person's sensitivity to cold and improve |
| Disease is a bacterial infectious disease caused by the | | | | microcirculation in the body. Herbs such as clove, |
| spirochetal organism, Borrelia Burgdorferi. It is usually | | | | cinnamon, ginger, and siegesbeckia can be useful for |
| caused by a tick bite. The prevalence of the disease | | | | this purpose. |
| is greatest in the northeastern United States, but | | | | The lymphatic system and the metabolism are often |
| there have been cases of the illness in all lower 48 | | | | compromised in people with Lyme Disease. The |
| states. The disease is easy to treat with antibiotics in | | | | bacteria frequently hides inside the walls of white |
| its initial stages, but it is often not detected at that | | | | blood cells, and results in swollen and congested |
| point. There is a bull's eye rash that is characteristic | | | | lymph glands. People with the disease often have |
| of the disease, but many people never get the rash. | | | | symptoms of hypothyroidism and a slowed metabolic |
| The rash looks different in people with darker | | | | rate even if all of their thyroid tests are normal. In |
| pigmentation, making it easy to mistake it for other | | | | Chinese Medicine, herbs that treat phlegm are |
| skin conditions, including bruising or eczema. The wide | | | | frequently used for conditions related to a slow |
| variety of symptoms that a person can have in its | | | | metabolism and a congested lymphatic system. The |
| later stages makes it hard to obtain a proper | | | | Chinese herb, prunella vulgaris (xia ku cao), and |
| diagnosis, and the medical testing for the illness is still | | | | scrophularia (xuan shen) are very useful for |
| not very accurate in many cases. | | | | inflammation, congestion, and infection of the |
| People with later stages of Lyme need treatment on | | | | lymphatic system. Herbs such as citrus aurantium, |
| a number of different levels. At the very basic level, | | | | kelp, epimedium, and Siberian ginseng, can be |
| herbs that are anti-bacterial, specifically against | | | | beneficial for improving a sluggish metabolism in |
| spirochetal bacteria, are an important component of | | | | people with Lyme Disease who have signs or |
| treatment. Herbs that have been shown to have | | | | symptoms of an underactive thyroid. |
| activity against spirochetal bacteria include coptis | | | | Another aspect of Lyme Disease is severe and |
| (huang lian), andrographis paniculata (chuan xin lian), | | | | debilitating fatigue and a total lack of energy. This can |
| isatis (ban lan gen/qing dai), phellodendron (huang bai), | | | | be due to a host of different factors. Poor |
| scute (huang qin), forsythia (lian qiao), smilax (tu fu | | | | oxygenation and blood circulation and lowered |
| ling), and gardenia (zhi zi). Garlic is also a useful | | | | metabolism and body temperature are part of the |
| antibacterial supplement for those with Lyme Disease. | | | | picture. The person's adrenal glands may not be |
| Lyme disease can lower body temperature and | | | | functioning properly either. Someone with Lyme |
| create poor blood circulation. A person is also likely to | | | | Disease may also have a host of digestive problems |
| feel cysts, lumps, and swellings in different areas of | | | | that result in a lack of adequate nutrition. The disease |
| their body that often change and move. The bacteria | | | | itself can trigger chemical changes in the brain that |
| walls itself off, and creates an environment in which it | | | | create severe depression and an inability to |
| can grow and thrive and the person with the disease | | | | concentrate, which is debilitating as well. |
| ends up in severe pain, with horribly low energy, and | | | | In Chinese medicine, herbs that nourish the qi and |
| neurological problems. The disease thrives in a low | | | | blood can help this lack of energy. The herbs can |
| temperature, low oxygen environment, and that is | | | | improve the person's digestive functioning, support |
| the environment it creates within the body. People | | | | the functioning of the brain, support proper |
| with the disease often have signs and symptoms | | | | functioning of the adrenal glands, and improve the |
| similar to someone with severe altitude sickness (also | | | | person's ability to handle stress. They can also help |
| caused by a low oxygen environment). Chinese herbs | | | | the proper functioning of the mitochondria in their |
| that clear blood stasis and break blood stagnation can | | | | production of ATP in the cells, which helps a person's |
| be very useful for this aspect of the disease. The | | | | energy at a very fundamental level. Siberian ginseng, |
| herb, pseudoginseng (san qi), can be extremely | | | | schizandra, licorice, and astragalus are all good herbs |
| beneficial for people with Lyme Disease. It promotes | | | | for improving a person's energy level, digestive |
| blood circulation and oxygenation in the body, and | | | | functioning, and their ability to handle stress. White |
| can force open the cysts that protect the bacteria | | | | peony, dong quai, and wolfberry nourish the blood |
| from being killed off. It also can help clear some of | | | | and reduce fatigue. Polygonum and eucommia can |
| the brain fog that people with this disease have by | | | | help improve a person's adrenal response and can |
| improving blood circulation and oxygenation to the | | | | improve brain functioning. Bupleurum, longan fruit, |
| brain. Frankincense (ru xiang), and myrrh (mo yao) | | | | zyzyphus seed, dragon bone, oyster shell, and |
| can also help by improving blood circulation, especially | | | | magnolia bark can be beneficial for the depression, |
| to the joints, where the bacteria often hides in | | | | anxiety, lack of concentration, and sleep problems |
| cartilaginous tissue where blood circulation tends to | | | | that people with Lyme Disease experience. |
| be poorer. An herb that is frequently used by people | | | | As you can see, Lyme Disease is a complex illness |
| with Lyme Disease, teasel root, is beneficial because | | | | with many facets. Chinese herbal medicine has |
| it improves circulation in the body and also has a | | | | numerous herbs in its pharmacopia that can treat the |
| warming affect. All of these herbs can help | | | | many different aspects of this disease in a |
| significantly with the intense and chronic pain that | | | | comprehensive and holistic manner. |
| those with later stages of Lyme disease experience. | | | | |