The homeopathic approach to Lyme and how does it differ – acute and chronic care

Homeopathy is guided by a few laws that apply as much to Lyme disease and Co infections as they do to all disease. We shall explore these fundamentals of all practises of homeopathy to get a clearer picture of what is at the core of homeopathy as a medicine and then we will discuss how homoeopathy is applied in the case of Lyme disease.

The first principal:

The principal of ‘Like cures like’ also known as the law of similars. It is often summarized by the Latin phrase, "similia similibus curantur," usually translated as "like shall cure like." This fundamental law of homeopathy requires that the application of a remedy is made from a substance that causes a pattern of illness best matched to the person's symptoms. The term homeopathy can therefore be broken down into the Greek words “homo” for similar and “pathos” for illness.

The second Principal:

The law of Infinitesimals. This law is at the core of homeopathy .The more diluted the substance, the more potent it is or better said, the greater the dilution the greater its potency. This was discovered by the founder of homeopathy Samuel Hahnemann in the 1800’s and still stands today. Since then there has been some advancement in the potencies of Homeopathy .Including not just the X and C potencies but also LM potencies and mega dosing up to the M potencies or CM potencies. All of these potencies can be used in the treatment of Lyme and Co Infections.

The third Principal:

The Individualisation of each case.

An illness is specific to the individual therefore no two people will receive the exact same course of treatment .Even if they suffer from the same disease. In homeopathy the choice or selection of remedies for a prescription or treatment plan will not be entirely based on what you are suffering from but rather how you are suffering with it –the characteristic features of your symptoms and how you are as an individual. As each of us is unique in our medical history, genetic /family inheritances and temperament no two individuals will express an illness in exactly the same way .Therefore a prescription will have to reflect this and will differ from person to person.

The fourth Principal:

The law of minimum dose

The principle that only ‘the minimum dose’ should be employed is based upon the understanding that the stimulus of the medicine triggers the intrinsic healing response. Following this principle we give only enough medicine to initiate this healing response. This response then carries on, driven by the body’s need to maintain health and balance. Often remedies need repeating or potency adjusted in the holistic care of the patient.

When applying these principals in the treatment of Lyme Disease and Co Infections the homeopath will have to consider all factors. For example the homeopath will have to factor in the vitality of the person suffering with Lyme disease, how long they have been suffering and how it has affected them .If they have been very depleted by the disease over time and the body has broken down on many levels this will affect the choice of potency and dosage as also if the person has a relatively good base line of health this will also affect the potency and dosage.

In these considerations the homeopath will also have to consider not only how long the person is suffering from Lyme disease and Co infections but also in which spheres of health and which systems of health this disease has made the biggest impact. As we know this disease can affect each individual slightly differently this is then down to the susceptibility of the patient. Their susceptibility will be because of their medical history and also the inherited medical susceptibilities’ from their families, which is very distinct in each case, and will dictate not only how this disease impacts the health of the person, but also which infections will dominate in this illness. Also any maintaining causes in the disease state that the person may be exposed to or a situation they may be in has to be considered, There are many toxins in our environments these days, for an example mould /excess EMF’S, these factors have to be taken into consideration in a prescription. Lifestyle, diet and the emotional environment a person is in are all key when dealing with the treatment of Lyme disease and the homeopath has to factor all of this in. Often in chronic ill health there have been traumas that may be unresolved or accidents that set about the reactions in our bodies that led to the present ill health – therefore a time line and an understanding of these events, injuries, accidents, operations and traumas is vital to the process of prescribing for recovery in Lyme and Co infections. Whether the trauma is emotional or physical this can be key to the recovery of the person’s health and vitality.

Acute versus Chronic Lyme:

In the case that the patient has been suffering with Lyme disease and co infections for over a period of 6 months then the case could be considered in the chronic phase- the bacteria and virus can take a period of a few months of entrenching themselves deeper into the bodies system and invading different organs and soft tissues. There is no part of the body where these bacteria and virus cannot travel and oftentimes a client left untreated post bite will not suffer symptoms until months later and then the symptoms will begin to appear. As there are no boundaries to the areas affected by Lyme disease and Co infections ,it has a myriad of expressions in terms of disease – from heart issues to digestion , the musculoskeletal system , cognitive issues ,neurological issues and more .In fact it can be quite a shock to many as the symptoms begin to appear and the client has not made the connection to the original cause of the illness .This is when the person will go searching for answers and oftentimes will not find it until many months or years later. As Lyme and the co infections are cyclical in nature oftentimes the illness will create symptoms and then go underground again and to resurface until weeks or months later –so the pattern isn’t always recognised and goes again untreated. This can go on for some time and meanwhile the immune system is fighting hard to find homeostasis, oftentimes it can fail at this and the person becomes very ill indeed. Obviously the earlier the Lyme is detected and treated the better it is for the person and much suffering can be avoided. This brings us to that phase of Lyme &Co infections, the acute phase.

In acute cases the client has been very recently bitten – they will either have a bull’s-eye rash around the area that the insect has bitten or not .Lyme disease has been shown to be carried by many vectors and spiders in the insect kingdom so it not necessarily just from a tick bite as it frequently thought .If they have a rash then the body’s immunity is fighting straight away in the local area of the bite and trying to prevent it spreading, which is a good sign of a healthy system. But oftentimes there is no bull’s-eye rash and the person believes that there is no infection. If there are symptoms straightaway then it is obvious what one is dealing with but sometimes there are no symptoms for months and there is a lot of confusion around why the person is sick months later. The best approach is to use homeopathy after a bite has taken place regardless of the outcome from it. It is a powerful medicine and can prevent much suffering if at this particular moment homeopathy is used to its full effect. There are many remedies in this moment that can be used, an acute session of homeopathy will establish what is needed for the individual but also there are home prescribing options of following a protocol. This will be further discussed in a later chapter. This is a very effective strategy – to use homeopathy acutely and allows the client a good chance at better health.