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, 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

Ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy (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.