Summer is here, which means I’m up north hiking in the woods as often as I can, and I’m very aware of ticks here in New England. Despite being super careful, I found an attached tick on myself last summer. After a three-week course of antibiotics, that experience made me particularly aware of treatment and how this medicine can work with eastern medicine. This year ticks are definitely back on my mind so I’ve decided to share some key information for prevention and how traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) can help in the treatment of a tick-borne pathogen.
Lyme disease, and other tick-borne pathogens, are becoming more and more dominant in our area and you can contact ticks anywhere from the urban suburbs to the woods. The best treatment is always prevention, so here are some tips to maximize safety:
- Treat your shoes, socks, and pants with permethrin.
- When you come inside and have been exposed to ticks, put your clothes in the drier for 10 mins on a high setting.
- Do a personal tick check every day; this includes all over, but especially the hair line.
- If possible, avoid direct contact with piles of leaves and short brush or grasses. Stay on thepath when hiking.
- Get a Tick Twister, or similar device, to remove the tick properly. You can then save the tick if you want to send it in for testing. Contact your primarily care physician (PCP) to coordinate this test.
- If you have pets, e.g., an outside dog, here are some extra precautions:
- No pets in bed with you . . . ever!
- Treat an old sheet with permethrin and let it dry. Now use that to cover the place where your pet likes to sleep.
If despite your best efforts, you find that you may have contracted Lyme or another tick-borne pathogen, make sure to contact your PCP immediately. Here are some ways that TCM can help with your recovery:
- Boost immune function — your body is the best defense for recovery, so make it function at its peak.
- Reduce Stress and help your body to function better.
- Reduce the side effect of antibiotics. Antibiotics can be harsh on your digestive systems, but stick with them and support your GI systems with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and probiotics.
With a chronic Lyme infection, TCM can help improve your overall health and quality of life. Post Lyme symptoms can include (but are not limited to): abnormalities in the skin, the joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Most patients also suffer from generalized fatigue, muscle and joint stiffness/pain, swollen glands, and headache. All these symptoms can be improved with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Each case of Lyme disease is individual. So, please contact me for an initial consult to see how I can help you on your road to better health.
Further resources packed with excellent information:
University of Rhode Island, Tick Encounter Resource Center
http://www.tickencounter.org/
International Lyme and Associated Disease Society
http://www.ilads.org/
Find a Lyme Literate Provider:
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php/doctors
How to do a tick check:
https://www.trails.com/how_1198_check-for-ticks.html