by
Dr. David Minkoff
Lyme
disease (LD), a tick-borne illness, is becoming more commonly diagnosed every
year. According to the CDC, there are approximately 30,000 new cases of LD reported
annually, however, not every case is reported; studies suggest the number
should be closer to 300,000(i) as people from around the world are
being diagnosed having it.
LD
is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and primarily spread by deer
ticks (small, blacklegged ticks that feed on human blood). Infected deer ticks
can spread the disease via deer, birds, mammals and even pets. Mosquitoes and
other insects have also been known to spread the disease. The American Lyme
Disease Foundation, Inc. (ALDF) reports that 90 percent of cases will present
with the bullseye rash(ii), however, not all.
Detection
Lyme
disease symptoms vary significantly and mimic other ailments. Patients all over
the world have been wrongly diagnosed with other illnesses. Most blood tests
are not an accurate form of testing for the Lyme bacterium because they only
test for antibodies that the body has made in response to the infection. These
antibodies may not yet have developed when the blood test is performed and can
take up to two months to be detected. If a patient has presented to their doctor
with symptoms similar to Lyme and felt no improvement or perhaps feels worse,
it is recommended they make an appointment to see a doctor who specializes in
Lyme disease.
Symptoms
Often,
early symptoms do not appear so the disease lies dormant and untreated. The
infection spreads through the bloodstream and lymph nodes within days to weeks.
As the list of symptoms is extensive, including severe joint pain, body aches,
brain fog and depression, many doctors who are not familiar with LD will misinterpret
these for other illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s,
etc.
Conventional Treatment
Conventional
doctors treat LD with a course of antibiotics for up to four weeks. If someone
is experiencing Lyme symptoms after a tick bite, it is essential that they see
their doctor as soon as possible. Symptoms develop within a few days or weeks
and antibiotics can be effective at this stage. It is imperative to get
treatment right away to try and prevent the development of LD. In some cases,
patients won’t experience any symptoms relating to Lyme for years when the
disease is misdiagnosed due to its imitation of other illnesses. At this stage,
conventional doctors may prescribe antibiotics but their effectiveness to kill
the bacteria will be greatly reduced.
LifeWorks Offers Holistic Solutions
For
more than 18 years, LifeWorks has been treating patients with Lyme disease; most
of them had been suffering with the disease for many years as they had been misdiagnosed.
Using a lab whose specialty is testing for Lyme disease, LifeWorks finds the results
to be the most accurate ever seen.
Ozone
therapy is an excellent treatment to help heal a body that is infected with LD.
Since oxygen (O2) is made up of two atoms, the three atoms in ozone
(O3) supercharge the oxygen in the body, encouraging it to heal.
Ozone treatments can kill viruses and bacteria, boost the immune system,
detoxify the liver and improve circulation. The ozone treatments used at
LifeWorks include UVBI IV’s, MAH IV’s, HBOT and HOCATT.
UVBI IV’s
(UVBI) utilizes ultraviolet (UV) light which has been
used to treat diseases back to the 1870s. Mainstream doctors have been using
antibiotics and vaccines to treat patients since the 1950s, but a lot of
infections and viruses are resistant. Accordingly, practitioners across the
world had to find other forms of treatment. Photo-oxidation therapy has become
more prevalent in treating patients. The UVBI IV is similar to the MAH. A
patient will have a small amount of blood removed into a sterilized IV bag. The
bag will be mixed with saline and ozone. As the blood is administered back into
the patient’s body, it will be exposed to the UV light.
MAH IV’s
Major
autohemotherapy is an ozone IV which takes about 30 to 60 minutes to
administer. The patient will have 100 to 250 milliliters of blood removed into
a sterilized IV bag. The IV bag with the patient’s blood will then be injected
with ozone. With each treatment and depending on the patient’s symptoms, there may
be an increase of the dosage of ozone in the IV bag. The bag is gently shaken
to enable the blood cells to absorb the ozone. The ozonated blood is then
administered back into the body via an IV drip.
Hyperbaric
Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
Hyper means increased and baric means pressure. That is exactly
what HBOT accomplishes. When oxygen is under pressure, it becomes a potent
healing tool and promotes tissue repair, regeneration and changes at the
cellular level, including stimulation of the DNA. The treatment is performed
inside a hyperbaric chamber for an hour a day. Each hour session is referred to
as a “dive”. Best responses are obtained
with completion of about 30 to 40 treatments due to its cumulative effect,
resulting in permanent tissue changes.
HOCATT
Hyperthermic
Ozone and Carbonic Acid Transdermal Technology (HOCATT) is an ozone steam sauna
where a patient sits comfortably inside with their head exposed to the air for
a relaxing 30-minute treatment. The sauna heats up to a comfortable temperature
and carbonic acid (carbon dioxide) is infused; this opens up the body’s pores
to allow the ozone to penetrate. After a few minutes, the carbonic acid is removed
and the sauna is infused with ozone. As the sauna fills with steam, the photon
infrared light helps to increase blood flow and circulation in the body, accelerating
its healing abilities and providing faster pain relief. The HOCATT also helps
increase the patient’s blood oxygen level and metabolism, detox the body and
increase energy.
Dr. David Minkoff is co-founder and medical
director of LifeWorks Wellness Center, one of the foremost alternative health
clinics in the U.S. For more information and appointments, call 727-466-6789 or
visit LifeWorksWellnessCenter.com.
(i)
cdc.gov/lyme/stats/humancases.html
(ii)
aldf.com/lyme-disease/#whatislyme
