Homeopathy for tick-busting and Lyme support

Spring, summer and fall are tick seasons - that means they’re also tick prevention seasons. Read on to learn about a fantastic homeopathic tool to use if you find yourself with an acute tick bite, a case study of a client that developed symptoms from a tick bite, and a few things you can do to support good health during tick season.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease results from infection by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, although many clinical cases appear to involve multiple tic-born pathogens called co-infections. The Borrelia pathogen and co-infections are carried by ticks, including deer ticks and lone star ticks. Ticks are most active in spring and summer months, although they’re active year round in most of the country, including Minnesota in the winter.

Lyme was first discovered by Willy Burgdorfer in the 1970s when he studied ticks from the Lyme, Connecticut area, where physicians were treating an unusually large number of cases of what was thought to be Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Today, we know it was Lyme disease, as medical investigators eventually found the condition was caused by a bacterial infection from the Borellia spirochete. We’ve come to further understand Lyme as a complex illness that can impact lives in many ways.

Early signs and symptoms

Not all tick bites result in severe illness like Lyme and its co-infections, but ticks are generally nasty little creatures that carry infectious agents of one kind or another. When this happens, the body recognizes the pathogenic intruder injected into the skin by the tick and mounts an immune response, often in the form of a small, red bump, similar to the bump of a mosquito bite. The reaction may resolve by itself over a few days or be accompanied by more troubling symptoms that indicate greater infection, including:

• Erythema migrans rash

• Fever

• Chills

• Fatigue

• Body aches

• Joint stiffness and pain

• Headache

• Neck stiffness

• Swollen lymph nodes.

If you develop these symptoms with or without a known tick bite, seek medical attention immediately. In addition, consider using the following homeopathic tool.

Homeopathic tool for acute tick bites

With an acute tick bite, try taking a dose of Ledum 30c, 3x per day until the bite looks 90% better.

For a more progressed case, dose 3-4 times per day until symptoms resolve. ALSO seek medical care and seek out homeopathic support!

For any ongoing mental or physical ailments, seek out constitutional homeopathic care.

Case study - an acute tick bite with Lyme symptoms

This is a case from my practice of a 45-year-old man that saw me 4 weeks after receiving a tick bite on the nape of his neck that was followed by a continuous headache, 24/7. In addition, there was the faint outline of a red circular rash around the tick bite area. The headache started in his occiput area, wrapped up and around his head, and was worse above the temples. It ebbed and flowed in intensity but was continuous. He also reported an increase in bladder sensitivity with increased sensation of needing to urinate that started after the tick bite. Based on the recent onset of the symptoms and the clear etiology, he was prescribed Ledum 30c, 3 doses, 12 hours apart. The Ledum was intended to stimulate his vital force so that his body would mount an immune response. He saw 70% improvement in his headache symptom within 4 days, but then the improvement stalled and he was prescribed Ledum 30c, 1 dose in 4 oz water, 1/2 tsp 2x/day. All symptoms were resolved within 10 days.

Support to reduce susceptibility during tick season

There are some things you can do to support yourself during tick season to reduce your susceptibility to severe illness. These recommendations are broad and are preventative against severe illness of all kinds:

• Get plenty of good sleep, eat good food, drink clean water, and make time for the sympathetic nervous system to rest - that’s the “rest and digest” state of the nervous system.

• Include a high-quality supplemental multivitamin that includes plenty of vitamin Bs, C, D, zinc, copper and magnesium, and supplemental fish oil in your daily nutrition intake if you tolerate them.

• Reduce screens and spend time in nature and with loved ones in person and in relaxing settings!

• Give yourself some good self-care in the form of yoga, meditation, journaling, forest bathing, or anything else that rejuvenates and allows for healthy introspection.

• Consider constitutional homeopathic care. Homeopathy stimulates the body’s vital force, which causes the body to increase it’s own vitality and wellness, and ultimately the body’s natural healing abilities, naturally reducing susceptibility to illness and allowing the body to heal from chronic and complex illness.

Homeopathy can be wonderfully supportive of many chronic and complex conditions, such as more advanced Lyme disease. Homeopathy is focused on stimulating your vitality rather than treating, diagnosing, or preventing any specific illness.

Reach out now to learn how homeopathy can support you with your wellness and vitality. I welcome the opportunity to work with you!

*Please note that this content is NOT medical advice, and Sue McKinley Homeopathy is not a medical doctor or clinic. The suggestions here are based on homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Homeopathy and holistic care are NOT a replacement for medical care if needed.

To begin your own healing story with homeopathy, contact me at Sue@SueMcKinleyHomeopathy.com. If you know of anyone that may be interested in this natural, holistic, and 100% individualized modality, I would appreciate a referral and welcome the opportunity to work with them!