Finding A Top Lyme Doctor Is Difficult Come To Us
If you need a Lyme doctor, consider the wellness protocol provided by Lyme Laser Centers. Were rapidly expanding our operations to include other health care facilities in the area. Here, you can count on a team that understands your needs and puts your best interests first. Learn more in our video documented testimonials.
Lyme disease can make anyone feel chronic pain, lethargy, and general malaise. Dont let another Lyme doctor, Massachusetts, tell you that antibiotic regimens, anti-depressants, and pain management therapies offer the only relief. We have experience working with people who are fighting this debilitating illness. Stop searching for a Lyme doctor, and contact our North Andover office by phone at 725-5963.
My Chronic Lyme Disease Journey
Likely, you have come to this page in hopes of sorting out some of the confusion surrounding Lyme disease.
There is so much controversy around this disease because most doctors dont understand it. Even many doctors who consider themselves Lyme experts or Lyme literate medical doctors do not completely comprehend its complexities.
But I have one qualification that most other physicians do not. My life and a busy medical career were disrupted midstream by Lyme disease, though obtaining that diagnosis was quite the journey through multiple diagnoses including fibromyalgia.
My late 40s were marked by debilitating fatigue, tremendous brain fog, aching all over, burning in my feet and tingling in my hands, skin rashes, joint pain, chest pain, heart palpitations, mood changes, and poor sleep. I know what its like to start and end every day feeling like you have a terrible flu. Over several years, I experienced virtually every known symptom of Lyme disease.
Ultimately, this caused me to stop practicing obstetrics. But because I didnt have a firm diagnosis at the time, declaring disability wasnt an option. As an alternative, I started a less demanding primary care practice that did not require nightcall. The practice provided me with the environment I needed to recover. I had control over my work hours and the intensity of the work.
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A Pioneer In Lyme Disease
Our program is led by Allen Steere, MD, one of the worldâs foremost experts on Lyme disease. Dr. Steere discovered the illness in 1976 and laid the foundation for understanding the many manifestations of the disease, including Lyme arthritis .
Today, Dr. Steere is researching why some patients with Lyme arthritis have persistent joint inflammation after using antibiotic therapy to eliminate the Lyme disease bacterium. This research is leading to improved diagnostic and treatment capabilities for such patients.
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Do Your Research And Get Referrals
You can learn a lot just by researching doctors and reading patient reviews online. You can also connect with other patients through local and online support groups for various tick-borne diseases. Asking other patients to recommend or share their own experiences with different doctors can be particularly helpful when youre trying to locate and learn about physicians who specialize in various tick-borne illnesses.
The following sites can connect you to online support-group forums or help you identify different tick-borne support groups in the United States:
About The Lifespan Lyme Disease Center
The Lifespan Lyme Disease Center is a unique, multidisciplinary center entirely dedicated to the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Our team of infectious disease specialists is highly experienced in treating patients with acute Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and other tick-borne diseases.
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Touched By Lyme: What Only 7 Cases Of Lyme In Massachusetts
Advocates have objected for years to how severely the CDC undercounts Lyme disease cases.
LymeDisease.orgs Lorraine Johnson took a deep dive into this issue in a blog earlier this year. Basically, she points out, in states the CDC considers low-incidence, only 1 in 50 Lyme cases is counted. While in high-incidence states, 1 in 7 is counted.
Which brings us to the strange case of Massachusetts, traditionally considered a high-incidence state. According to the CDC website, the Bay State clocked thousands of Lyme cases every year. Until suddenly, it didnt.
Abruptly, in 2016, there were only 146 cases. In 2017, there were 321. In 2018, the number dwindled to 13. And in 2019, the most recent figures available, there were six confirmed cases in Massachusetts, along with one probable case, for a total of seven. In the whole dang state.
Does this mean that fewer people in Massachusetts are contracting Lyme disease? Not at all. It merely reflects the fact that the state has changed the way it tracks Lyme disease cases. Ergo, the CDC throws out the Massachusetts numbers. Disregards them. Pretends they dont exist.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of pressure on local, state, and federal health officials, it cant be blamed for a surveillance system that has been problematic for years.
Let me tell you, it is, Dapsis said.
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Potential Barriers To Accepting A Lyme Disease Vaccine
Welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast with your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this episode, Dr. Cameron discusses the potential barriers to the public’s acceptance and utilization of a Lyme disease vaccine. By Dr. Daniel Cameron The study, Understanding consumer and clinician perceptions of a potential Lyme disease vaccine, was published by Devchand and colleagues in the journal Health Education Research.¹ It has been two decades since the LYMErix vaccine
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Be Prepared For Your Doctor Visit
You can improve your chances of having an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment by providing your doctor with as much information as you can from the very start. The following checklist can be a good reminder of what to bring and discuss with your physician at your first visit:
- Have the tick tested and/or identified:If you were able to remove or find the tick that bit you, seal it in a glass or plastic container and consider sending it to IGeneX for testing. Additionally, photograph the tick and/or have the species identified ahead of time if possible. Knowing what kind of tick bit you and, in particular, whether it has tested positive for a tick-borne disease can be extremely helpful for your doctors diagnostic process. If the tick is still being tested when you see your doctor, you still may be able to start treatment based on the severity of your symptoms.
- Note possible exposure: Write down the places and dates that you believe you were exposed to ticksand the possible date and time of day when the engorged tick attached and fell off or was removed.
- Track your symptoms: Keep a running log of all symptoms youve noticed since the tick bite, even if youre no longer experiencing them. Be sure to include the days/times when symptoms appeared . For additional help, you can use IGeneXs Symptom Checker.
- Take pictures: Take pictures of any rashes or blisters that you may have noticed at the site of the tick bite or elsewhere on your body.
Lyme Disease And Other Tickborne Diseases
Lyme Disease and Other Tickborne Diseases: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Lyme Disease?
A: Lyme Disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States. Transmitted through tick bites, Lyme Disease can cause serious, even chronic, health problems for both people and their companion animals. The bacteria that causes the disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, lives inside a tick or mammal and can bind to connective tissue once the tick bites its host. Lyme has the ability to change its presentation in the immune system, so the symptoms can vary with the individual and can even change at each stage of the infection.
Q: Are there other diseases that can make my dog sick from ticks?
A: Ticks have the potential to carry many harmful diseases. Common ones in Massachusetts include Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, which can often be co-transmitted with Lyme Disease. These are easily tested for. Other diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, are rare in our geographical area but still our pets are still at possible risk of infection.
Q: What are the symptoms of Lyme Disease?
A: Symptoms may not present themselves for two to six months or more. They can include lameness, which can change from one limb to another without explanation. Other symptoms can include joint swelling, decreased energy/lethargy, fever, and loss of appetite.
Q: What kind of actions can I take for my dog to prevent infection of Lyme Disease and other tick borne diseases?
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After Just One Treatment The Amount Of Relief I Have Received Has Been Astounding
I went here for chiropractic care and acupuncture having been in a car accident and in excruciating pain. After just one treatment the amount of relief I have received has been astounding. I found the wellness center to be warm, the staff to be kind, and the treatment to be immensely helpful. I am thrilled that I found this place and I highly recommend to anyone else in need of healing!
Jessica D.
How Can I Prevent Lyme Disease
There are many things that you can do to prevent getting bitten by a tick:
In this video, Dr. Nancy Shadick describes how to prevent bites from ticks which transmit Lyme disease, how to remove ticks and how to recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease.
Nancy Ann Shadick, MD, MPH, Director of the Lyme Disease Prevention Program at Brigham and Womens Hospital.
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Why Antibiotics Have Limited Use For Chronic Lyme
Borrelia clears the blood quickly and uses its corkscrew shape to penetrate deeply into tissues where it is protected from antibiotics and the immune system. It can penetrate into cells, give up the corkscrew shape, and live inside of cells, thus gaining protection from the immune system and antibiotics. If confronted with a full antibiotic assault, it rolls up into dormant cyst and rides out the storm until the antibiotics are gone.
Antibiotics work best on highly threatening microbes that grow very rapidly and congregate densely in localized areas in the body . Borrelia grows very slowly in the body and only occurs in very low concentrations in tissues.
Borrelia is a master at blending in with the trillions of other microbes that make up the human microbiome . Overwhelming the host is not its mission it simply needs to scavenge enough resources to survive. Borrelias stealthy ability to lay low makes diagnosis and treatment a real challenge.
Borrelia never occurs alone. There are many stealthy microbes Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Bartonella, Epstein-Barr virus , cytomegalovirus , and others that can occupy space in the microbiome. Sometimes they occur as coinfections with the tick bite, but they can already be present in the microbiome, without causing symptoms, when infection with Borrelia occurs.
Welcome To The Lyme & Pans Treatment Center
It is increasingly clear that many children and adults in New England suffer from tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease. At the same time, there is confusion about the signs, symptoms, and treatment protocols for these disorders. When left untreated, bacteria, such as Lyme and certain strains of strep, can produce unexpected neuropsychiatric symptoms. Lack of awareness on the part of patients and their doctors can contribute to misdiagnosis, prolonged illness, and other complications, e.g., Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome or PANS.
The Lyme & PANS Treatment Center is a multidisciplinary practice that offers integrative, patient-centered, coordinated care. Our dedicated team of doctors, psychologists, dietary & health coaches, acupuncturists and other healing practitioners work together to treat adults and children who suffer from often persistent conditions including, but not limited to, Lyme Disease, tick-borne co-infections, PANS and PANDAS . We understand that these illnesses can be difficult to treat and the toll they can take both physically and emotionally for the patient as well as the entire family unit.
Our goal as a center is to provide treatment options and support patients with these complex, often misunderstood conditions using a combination of eastern and western medicine coupled with a whole body approach to healing.
Elena Monarch Ph.D.
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What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. It can cause symptoms and illness of the skin, heart, joints, or neurologic system, so its important for it to be detected early and treated with antibiotics, says Dr. Nancy A. Shadick, director of the Lyme Disease Prevention Program at Brigham and Womens Hospital.
The signature bulls eye rash is distinctive enough to make the diagnosis, but the rash is absent in approximately 20 percent of those who are infected.
What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Early stage : The most common early symptom is a rash where the tick was attached. It often, but not always, starts as a small red area that spreads outward, clearing up in the center so it looks like a donut. Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, stiff neck, sore and aching muscles and joints, fatigue and swollen glands may also occur. Even though these symptoms may go away by themselves, without medical treatment, some people will get the rash again in other places on their bodies, and many will experience more serious problems. Treatment during the early stage prevents later, more serious problems.
Later stages : If untreated, people with Lyme disease can develop late-stage symptoms even if they never had a rash. The joints, nervous system and heart are most commonly affected.
- About 60% of people with untreated Lyme disease get arthritis in their knees, elbows and/or wrists. The arthritis can move from joint to joint and become chronic.
- Many people who dont get treatment develop nervous system problems. These problems include meningitis , facial weakness or other problems with nerves of the head, and weakness or pain in the hands, arms, feet and/or legs. These symptoms can last for months, often shifting between mild and severe.
- The heart also can be affected in Lyme disease, with slowing down of the heart rate and fainting. The effect on the heart can be early or late.
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Identify Doctors Trained In The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Tick
You can access a variety of online resources and directories to locate doctors who are specifically trained in identifying and treating tick-borne illnesses. These do not have to be infectious disease specialists they can be physicians from any practice area who simply have extensive experience with tick-borne diseases.
It is particularly important to find a Lyme expert if you suspect that you may have Lyme disease, since it is the most frequently misdiagnosed of all tick-borne diseases. Finding a Lyme-literate medical doctor a physician who is familiar with the vast range of symptoms that may indicate infection at various stages of the disease, as well as potential coinfections and other complexitiescan help ensure that you get the right treatment, right away.
To find a doctor who is also a Lyme expert, you may want to explore the following resources:
Note: Some of these organizations may require you to submit a form or create a login to access their databases.
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We Treat Lyme Disease
Lyme Laser Centers, Inc. was founded with the goal of providing an affordable means of treating the distressing symptoms of Lyme disease. We have successfully cared for hundreds of acute and chronic Lyme clients. Lyme is a progressive disease that can have permanent, irreversible effects on the body. Damage to the neurological system is especially difficult to reverse. The Lyme Laser Protocol is designed to immediately begin the regeneration of these systems. Our research has shown that a significant number of our clients have undiagnosed co-factors that severely suppress normal body function and regeneration. It is just as important to be able to identify what these issues are and address them, as it is to address the Lyme itself.
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Whats So Hard About Finding A Lyme Doctor Anyhow
If youve landed on this post, you probably already know the answer. But for those who are at the beginning stages of investigating Lyme disease, let me fill you in.
You see, most doctors simply dont understand Lyme disease and some are certainly not humble enough to admit they dont really understand this disease. Many doctors dont even believe chronic Lyme exists.
To make matters worse,testing is unreliable and notoriously inaccurate, particularly the standard tests most doctors will run. If you happen to test positive for Lyme on one of those standard tests, the doctors will most likely throw a couple weeks of antibiotics at you and call it good.
Yeahthats not so good. And likely it wont help much at all.
When it comes right down to it, theres been precious little research done on this complex disease. Doctors at large have not been educated about what the good research out there actually says about Lyme. All they know is the outdated and ineffective guidelines passed down from the CDC.
The doctors that are really making an impact are those that have gone out of their way to dig into the research. Theyve spent time educating themselves and working intimately with their patients .
