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Eye Pain in Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/eye-pain-lyme-disease-eye-exams/

Lyme Science Blog

Jan07

Eye Pain in Lyme Disease: Why It Occurs Despite Normal Eye Exams

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron

A Patient Experience

A man with Lyme disease described persistent eye pain and pressure despite repeated normal eye exams. He worried that something serious was being missed, yet ophthalmologic evaluations and imaging were reassuring. The pain fluctuated and worsened with fatigue and stress. Over time, the eye pain gradually improved.

This pattern is one I see frequently in Lyme disease and other post-infectious conditions. In many patients, this type of eye pain reflects a broader pattern of autonomic and neurologic dysregulation associated with Lyme disease.

In simple terms, the eyes can hurt even when nothing looks wrong because the nerves that carry pain signals become overly sensitive. The problem is not damage to the eye, but how the nervous system is processing sensation.

Eye Pain in Lyme Disease With Normal Eye Exams

Eye pain in Lyme disease is a common but often misunderstood symptom. Patients may describe aching, pressure, stabbing discomfort, or pain behind the eyes, yet ophthalmologic exams, imaging, and vision testing are frequently normal. This disconnect can be confusing for patients and frustrating for clinicians.

A normal eye exam is reassuring because it rules out dangerous eye conditions. However, it does not rule out neurologic, autonomic, or post-infectious mechanisms that can produce very real pain. When eye exams and imaging are normal, this type of pain is rarely a sign of structural eye damage or vision-threatening disease. Patients may describe this as eye strain, eye pressure, or pain behind the eyes rather than sharp eye pain.

Sensory Nerve Involvement in Lyme Disease

The eyes and surrounding structures are richly innervated by sensory branches of the trigeminal nerve. In Lyme disease, immune activation and inflammation can sensitize these nerves, altering how pain signals are transmitted to the brain.

When sensory nerves become hypersensitive, patients may experience eye pain even in the absence of visible injury or structural abnormality. Pain may worsen with eye movement, mental effort, or light exposure. This reflects altered nerve signaling, not damage to the eye itself.

Central Sensitization and Pain Amplification

In some patients with Lyme disease, prolonged illness or repeated inflammatory flares lead to changes in how the brain processes pain. This phenomenon, known as central sensitization, causes the nervous system to amplify sensory input.

Once sensitization develops, normal sensory signals around the eyes may be perceived as painful or overwhelming. This process is biologic and neurologic in nature and does not imply that symptoms are imagined or psychological.

Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation

The autonomic nervous system plays a role in regulating blood flow, pressure sensation, and sensory integration around the eyes. Dysautonomia is well described in Lyme disease and other post-infectious states.

Autonomic dysregulation can produce sensations of pressure, fullness, or discomfort behind the eyes. Patients often notice symptoms worsen with standing, fatigue, dehydration, or stress — patterns that point toward nervous system involvement rather than ocular disease.

Migraine Pathways in Lyme Disease

Migraines do not always present as classic throbbing head pain. In Lyme disease, migraine-like pathways may produce eye-centered pain, pressure, or light sensitivity even when headaches are minimal or absent.

When eye pain responds poorly to eye-directed treatments but fluctuates with sleep, stress, or sensory overload, a neurologic mechanism should be considered. Migraine pathways, autonomic dysfunction, and central sensitization overlap in Lyme disease.

Post-Infectious and Immune-Mediated Mechanisms

After infection, the nervous system may remain in a heightened state of reactivity. In Lyme disease, ongoing immune signaling or residual inflammation can keep sensory pathways sensitized even after initial treatment.

In clinical practice, some patients report improvement in eye pain as their overall condition stabilizes, while others experience a slower post-infectious recovery. Not all patients improve at the same pace.

Why Reassurance Alone Isn’t Enough

Being told that eye exams are normal can feel dismissive when pain persists. Eye pain without visible disease is not imagined. It reflects real changes in how the nervous system processes sensory input.

Understanding the mechanism restores trust and supports more thoughtful evaluation and care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is eye pain in Lyme disease dangerous?
Eye pain is usually not dangerous when eye exams are normal. However, new vision loss, rapidly worsening pain, or focal neurologic symptoms should prompt further evaluation.

Is this an eye disease?
Not usually. In Lyme disease, eye pain most often reflects nerve sensitivity, migraine pathways, or autonomic dysregulation rather than a problem within the eye itself.

Can eye pain improve over time?
In some patients, eye pain improves gradually as nervous system sensitivity decreases. Recovery timelines vary.

Clinical Takeaway

Eye pain despite normal eye exams is a well-recognized manifestation of Lyme disease. It most often reflects neurologic, autonomic, or post-infectious mechanisms rather than structural eye disease. Recognizing this pattern helps prevent unnecessary testing, validates patient experience, and supports more effective care.

Selected Clinical References

Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Fallon BA, Levin ES, Schweitzer PJ, Hardesty D. The neuropsychiatric manifestations of Lyme borreliosis. 2008;20(2):123–135.

Frontiers in Neurology Adler BL, Vernino S. Dysautonomia following Lyme disease: a key component of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome? 2024;15:1344862.

Pain Woolf CJ. Central sensitization: implications for the diagnosis and treatment of pain. 2011;152(3 Suppl):S2–S15.

Lancet Neurology Tracey I, Mantyh PW. The cerebral signature for pain perception and its modulation. 2007;6(4):377–391.

Autonomic Neuroscience Vernino S, Bourne KM, Stiles LE, Grubb BP, Fedorowski A, Stewart JM, et al. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): state of the science and clinical care from a 2019 NIH expert consensus meeting. 2021;235:102828.

For more:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/01/erratic-eye-jerks-in-child-with-lyme/
https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/21/growing-list-of-eye-problems-in-lyme-disease/ The authors described patients with tick-transmitted diseases presenting with the following ophthalmologic findings:
- Follicular conjunctivitis
- Periorbital edema and mild photophobia
- Bell’s palsy, cranial nerve palsies and Horner syndrome
- Argyll Robertson pupil
- Keratitis
- Optic neuritis, papilledema, papillitis and neuroretinitis
- Myositis of extraocular muscles and dacryoadenitis
- Episcleritis, anterior and posterior scleritis
- Anterior, intermediate, posterior and panuveitis
- Retinal vasculitis, cotton wool spots and choroiditis
- Retinitis, macular edema and endophthalmitis

Normally, I associate eye issues with Bartonella, but it’s clear from all the references above, Lyme is a culprit as well:

Category:

Eye Issues, Lyme, Treatment

Preventing Cancer: The Root Protocols

https://imahealth.substack.com/p/preventing-cancer-the-root-protocols? Go here for video

Preventing Cancer: The ROOT Protocols

Drs. Paul Marik and Justus Hope introduce the ROOT Protocols—combining nutraceuticals and repurposed drugs to reduce cancer risk—featured in the latest edition of the Journal of Independent Medicine.

Independent Medical Alliance and Justus R. Hope

Nov 12, 2025

A Data-Driven Blueprint for Cancer Prevention

Cancer is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time—its incidence rising steadily across all age groups, with an alarming surge among younger adults. In the last decade alone, the risk of cancer has increased by 17%, translating to over 2 million new cases and 600,000 deaths annually in the United States.

A new paper published in the Journal of Independent Medicine offers a proactive response. “Preventing Cancer: The ROOT Protocols” presents a novel framework to help individuals lower their cancer risk using accessible, evidence-based interventions.

Authored by Paul Marik, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the Independent Medical Alliance, and Justus Hope, MD, the study identifies synergistic combinations of nutraceuticals and repurposed medicines that disrupt cancer pathways at multiple stages of development. (Go to link to read and download full paper)

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Important excerpt:

The study underscores that up to 40% of cancers may be preventable through changes in lifestyle, environment, and nutrient support. By combining the best-studied compounds in integrative oncology—such as green tea extract (EGCG), curcumin, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids—with carefully selected repurposed drugs, the ROOT Protocols form a scalable, multi-tiered approach to cancer prevention.

For more:

Category:

Activism, Cancer, Parasites, research, Treatment

Good News Just in Time for Christmas: mRNA Truth Bombs & Corruption

http:// Approx. 22 min

Truth Exposed: mRNA Truth Bombs & Corruption

Dr. Drew

Dec. 24, 2025

Naomi Wolf breaks down hidden Pfizer trial data, sudden deaths buried in footnotes, and why regulators and media refused to investigate.

Del Bigtree shares how mainstream media is a bought out, dying monolith and that people are turning to independent news for the truth. Please see: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2025/11/03/the-pfizer-job/

From FDA capture systems to the silencing of key witnesses, this conversation explores how vaccine safety questions were sidelined—and why they’re resurfacing now.

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**Comment**

Another silver lining from the era of COVID tyranny is that people are finally waking up to discover that legacy media, medicine and its professional organizations, science journals, hospitals, public health and it’s monopolized, centralized faulty testing are not to be trusted due to severe conflicts of interest.

Also, the “vaccine religion” is finally getting some much needed air-time with the admission that there were 10 certified child deaths from the COVID shots – but that the real number is higher. The FDA never required manufacturers to demonstrate—through randomized controlled trials—that vaccinating children reduced hospitalization or death. Available data are deeply limited, rely on methods with notorious biases, and fail to establish whether the vaccine saved more children than it harmed. Source

And more good news: there were 80 lawsuits against hospitals to administer ivermectin to COVID patients. The courts granted the request in 40 of those lawsuits.

In 38 of the cases where ivermectin was given, the patients survived.
In 38 cases where ivermectin was refused, the patients DIED. Helloooooo?

“The level of statistical significance on that accidental study is absolutely astronomical.” ~ Dr. Brett Weinstein

Sadly, the majority of the medical “experts” continue to pretend that lifesaving compounds like Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine do not work against seasonal flus, common colds and gain-of-function viral lab releases. These same drugs are being used by real doctors for ‘vaccine’-induced adverse events (VAIDS).

The truth eventually outs.

Believing it is an entirely different matter.

Category:

Activism, Treatment, vaccines, Viruses

At Home Heat Therapy Lowers Blood Pressure

At-Home Heat Therapy Lowers Blood Pressure

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

December 19, 2025

https://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2025/December/PDF/heat-therapy-healthy-blood-pressure-pdf.pdf

Story at-a-glance

Heat therapy is a simple, at-home method proven to lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel flexibility, offering heart benefits similar to exercise without physical strain
A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that older adults who used heated garments for eight weeks lowered their systolic blood pressure by about 5 mm Hg — a reduction that cuts heart attack and stroke risk by roughly 10%
Research in the American Journal of Physiology showed that hot water immersion raises core body temperature more effectively than traditional or far-infrared saunas, producing stronger cardiovascular and immune responses
Near-infrared sauna therapy adds another layer of support by activating cellular energy production, boosting nitric oxide release, and accelerating tissue repair — mechanisms that enhance blood vessel function and recovery
Combining gentle heat exposure, proper sodium-potassium balance, and regular movement builds stronger arteries, steadier blood pressure, and long-term cardiovascular resilience

High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that often goes unnoticed until it causes serious harm. It develops quietly, putting constant strain on your arteries, heart, and brain long before symptoms appear. That hidden pressure gradually stiffens blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder, creating the foundation for heart attack, stroke, and cognitive decline.

Many people assume that feeling “fine” means they’re in the clear, only to find out later that their blood pressure has been elevated for years. The truth is, high blood pressure doesn’t wait for dramatic warning signs — it typically builds slowly. Nearly half of adults in the U.S. live with it, but only a fraction keep it under control.¹

What makes this so important is that your vascular system is dynamic — it changes with the right input. The same body that develops stiff arteries can also restore flexibility when given the right conditions. That’s why new research into heat-based therapies is worth attention.

It shows that something as simple as raising your body temperature through safe, controlled heat exposure improves how your blood vessels function and eases the pressure placed on your heart. This isn’t about quick fixes or gadgets — it’s about teaching your cardiovascular system to respond better, recover faster, and perform the way it’s designed to.

Heat Therapy at Home Works Like Exercise for Your Heart

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology investigated whether simple, home-based heat therapy could lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function in older adults.² The study followed 19 participants — men and women with an average age of 67 — over eight weeks.

They used heated pants connected to a portable water circulator four times a week, for 60 minutes per session. The device pumped water heated to about 124 degrees F (51 degrees C) through tubing that warmed their legs, while a control group used the same setup with water at a neutral 88 degrees F (about 31 degrees C).

•Older adults who used heat therapy had drops in blood pressure and improved circulation — Those in the heat group saw their daytime systolic blood pressure — the upper number on a blood pressure reading — drop by an average of 5 mm Hg. That’s a small number with big consequences.

Even a 5 mm Hg reduction cuts the risk of major heart events like stroke or heart attack by roughly 10%. They also showed enhanced endothelial function, meaning the inner lining of their arteries became more responsive and flexible. This improved function helps your arteries widen more easily, which reduces strain on the heart.

Many older adults hesitate to exercise because of joint pain or fatigue, and this approach gave them a safe, convenient way to get some of the same cardiovascular benefits, without movement, equipment, or gym membership. Compliance was remarkable: participants completed every session, a rare outcome in intervention trials.

•Blood pressure dropped in as little as eight weeks, and vessel health improved steadily — The researchers measured blood pressure and vascular function at multiple intervals and saw consistent improvements throughout the trial.

The most significant changes occurred after the full eight weeks, showing that benefits build gradually as the body adapts to repeated heating. These improvements lasted beyond each session, suggesting cumulative effects rather than temporary relaxation.

•Circulation improved through the same biological pathway triggered by exercise — Heat exposure increased shear stress — the friction of blood flowing against vessel walls — which stimulates the release of nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes and widens arteries.

Nitric oxide acts like a natural vasodilator, helping blood move smoothly and delivering oxygen more efficiently throughout your body. This mechanism explains why heat therapy mimics the vascular effects of moderate exercise, even though participants stayed seated during treatment.

•The heart responded to heat by working smarter, not harder — During sessions, participants’ heart rates increased slightly, similar to what happens during brisk walking. However, because blood vessels were dilated, the heart pumped more efficiently, moving greater volumes of blood without excessive pressure. This mild cardiovascular “workout” trains your heart to handle stress better over time, just as regular aerobic exercise would, but without physical exertion.

Hot Water Immersion Boosts Heart and Immune Health

In a related study published in the American Journal of Physiology, scientists compared how different types of heat exposure — traditional dry saunas, far-infrared saunas, and hot water immersion — affect the cardiovascular and immune systems.³ The goal was to see which form of passive heating most effectively increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and activates beneficial immune pathways.

Twenty healthy adults participated, each completing three sessions in randomized order, one for each heat method. Each session involved 45 minutes of exposure to one of the three heating methods, followed by a recovery period to measure changes in heart rate, core temperature, and blood pressure. The results were clear: hot water immersion raised the body’s core temperature the highest, producing stronger and longer-lasting cardiovascular effects compared to both sauna types.

•Hot water immersion lowered blood pressure more dramatically than saunas — Mean arterial pressure — a measure of overall blood flow resistance — dropped by 14 mm Hg after hot water immersion, compared with smaller reductions in the sauna conditions. In other words, the simple act of sitting in a hot bath produced measurable heart health benefits equivalent to those gained from moderate-intensity exercise.

•Heart rate and circulation responded like they would during a brisk walk — During the hot water session, participants’ heart rates increased from about 70 beats per minute to nearly 110, which mimics the response seen in light to moderate exercise. This rise wasn’t due to stress — it was a sign that blood vessels were widening and the heart was pumping more efficiently.

•The immune system showed powerful short-term activation — The study revealed that hot water immersion boosted levels of a signaling molecule that triggers the release of anti-inflammatory agents and helps regulate immune response. It also increased the activity of two types of white blood cells responsible for targeting viruses and damaged cells.

•Hot water immersion triggered unique physiological stress that built resilience — The combination of hydrostatic pressure (the force of water against your body), heat, and mild cardiovascular demand created what scientists call “thermal exercise.” This type of controlled stress trains your body to adapt, improving blood vessel elasticity, fluid regulation, and heat tolerance over time.

For people who can’t perform regular exercise due to pain or illness, this kind of conditioning offers an alternative way to keep your circulatory system strong. As body temperature rose, endothelial cells — the thin lining inside blood vessels — released nitric oxide, helping to relax arteries and improve blood flow.

•Hot water immersion offers systemic benefits — While all three methods improved circulation to some degree, hot water immersion consistently produced the strongest increases in core temperature, heart rate, and immune markers.

This means you can use your bathtub as a powerful therapeutic tool. Regular hot baths help lower blood pressure, support healthy immunity, and mimic the benefits of physical activity for those who struggle to exercise.

Near-Infrared Sauna Therapy Takes Heat Training to the Next Level

While the American Journal of Physiology study compared traditional and far-infrared sauna therapy to hot water immersion, another approach — near-infrared sauna therapy — builds on those findings by combining heat exposure with exercise.

This practice uses radiant light to raise body temperature and stimulate the same cardiovascular benefits seen in heat therapy for blood pressure, but with added cellular repair and recovery advantages. Athletes and health enthusiasts are increasingly using infrared heat during workouts to enhance circulation, boost endurance, and accelerate recovery time.

•Not all infrared is the same — near-infrared works deeper — Infrared light is divided into near-, mid-, and far-infrared wavelengths, each with unique effects on your body. Near-infrared light penetrates several inches into tissue, reaching blood vessels and mitochondria — the energy-producing structures in your cells.

There, it activates photobiomodulation, a natural process that improves how your cells produce energy, release nitric oxide, and repair themselves.⁴ Far-infrared, by contrast, primarily warms the surface of your skin and promotes sweating but doesn’t reach deep enough to stimulate these regenerative pathways.

•Near-infrared boosts nitric oxide and mitochondrial performance — the same pathways linked to lower blood pressure — The mechanism that makes near-infrared so powerful mirrors the one seen in heat therapy research: increased nitric oxide production. This molecule relaxes arteries, improves oxygen delivery, and enhances blood vessel flexibility.

Meanwhile, near-infrared light improves energy metabolism at a cellular level. The result is more efficient cardiovascular function, reduced fatigue, and faster tissue recovery after stress — effects that complement the vascular benefits of hot water immersion and sauna therapy.

•Infrared heat strengthens training adaptations and speeds recovery — Exercising in near-infrared heat creates a mild, controlled stress response that reinforces cardiovascular and muscular adaptation.

It improves oxygen use, increases endurance, and supports muscle growth through pathways that include mTOR and heat shock proteins — molecules that repair microscopic muscle damage and reduce soreness.⁵ This combination of movement and thermal conditioning mimics the “cardio effect” of heat therapy, offering an efficient way to build resilience, balance inflammation, and accelerate repair between workouts.

•Choose near-infrared over commercial far-infrared saunas for real results — Most commercial “infrared” saunas rely on far-infrared emitters or weak near-infrared LEDs, which generate surface heat but not enough irradiance — the power needed to activate true photobiological effects.

For meaningful results, near-infrared exposure should come from high-irradiance red-filtered incandescent bulbs that deliver full-spectrum, natural light while minimizing electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. These can be easily built into a home sauna setup for safe, affordable, full-body therapy that supports heart health, recovery, and long-term vitality.

How to Use Heat to Lower Blood Pressure and Strengthen Your Heart

Your blood vessels respond best to steady, predictable input — not sudden extremes. When you expose them to gentle, consistent heat, they relearn how to expand and contract with ease. That’s how heat therapy targets one root cause of high blood pressure: stiff, unresponsive arteries that make your heart work harder than it should. You don’t need special equipment or a trip to the spa to do this. All it takes is warm water, radiant heat, time, and a bit of intention.

That said, heat therapy isn’t the only piece of the puzzle. True cardiovascular health depends on how you move, eat, rest, and recover. Think of heat exposure as one powerful tool in a broader routine — something that supports, but doesn’t replace, the daily habits that keep your heart strong and your blood pressure steady. Here’s how to make it part of your routine.

1.Start with shorter sessions and work your way up — If you’re new to hot water or infrared therapy, begin with 10 to 15 minutes to let your body adjust. Ease in slowly, and extend your sessions as your body adapts. Most people benefit from 20 to 30 minutes of infrared therapy. More time isn’t necessarily better. The goal isn’t to push your limits — it’s to train your cardiovascular system through repetition. Consistency, not intensity, creates lasting change.

2.Use warm — not scalding — water — Comfort is key when it comes to warm baths. If the water stings, burns, or turns your skin bright red, it’s too hot. Aim for a temperature between 100 degrees F and 104 degrees F. If you’re prone to flushing, itchiness, or heat rashes, keep your chest and face out of the water. This moderate warmth is enough to boost circulation and improve vessel flexibility without overstressing your body. Think of it as a gentle stimulus, not a test of endurance.

3.Alternate between bath and sauna therapy for greater benefit — Very hot water dries out your skin, alters its pH, and disrupts your skin microbiome, especially if you have eczema, rosacea, or sensitive skin. If hot baths are too harsh for your skin, sauna therapy offers a great alternative.

It delivers many of the same heart and immune benefits without prolonged water exposure. Start low — around 120 degrees F — and increase gradually as you get used to it. Two to four sessions per week are plenty for most people. Combining both forms — baths for circulation and near-infrared light for mitochondrial repair — offers the broadest benefit.

4.Lock in moisture right after each session — Heat strips natural oils from your skin and causes fluid loss through sweat. Rehydrate by drinking mineral-rich water and apply organic coconut oil afterward to seal in moisture. It helps restore your skin barrier and prevents dryness while you strengthen your heart from within.

5.Balance your sodium and potassium for stronger blood pressure control — Heat therapy helps improve circulation, but healthy blood pressure also depends on what’s on your plate. Most Americans consume nearly twice as much sodium as potassium, even though your body functions best with the opposite ratio. Processed foods account for roughly 70% of sodium intake, making it easy to overload without realizing it.⁶

To support vascular health, aim for about 3,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day from natural, unprocessed foods, along with 3,400 to 5,000 mg of potassium from whole foods like spinach, beet greens, and oranges. Potassium helps your body flush out excess sodium, balances fluid levels, and lowers hormones that tighten arteries. Your sodium-potassium ratio — not sodium alone — is one of the most powerful levers you have for steady, healthy blood pressure.

FAQs About Heat Therapy for Healthy Blood Pressure

Q: How does heat therapy lower blood pressure?

A: Heat therapy works by gently raising your body temperature, which increases blood flow and improves the flexibility of your arteries. This heat exposure creates shear stress — the friction of blood moving along vessel walls — that triggers the release of nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes and widens arteries. Over time, this process retrains your cardiovascular system to work more efficiently, reducing overall blood pressure without medication or intense exercise.

Q: What’s the difference between hot-water therapy, traditional saunas, and near-infrared saunas?

A: Hot-water immersion and traditional or far-infrared saunas improve blood pressure by increasing core temperature and promoting vessel dilation. Near-infrared therapy goes deeper — it activates mitochondrial energy production and nitric oxide release at a cellular level, which enhances both vascular function and recovery. Together, these methods create a comprehensive system for improving heart and immune health.

Q: How long and how often should I use heat therapy?

A: Start with 10 to 15 minutes per session to allow your body to adapt, and gradually build up to 20 to 30 minutes, three to four times per week. Whether you use a warm bath or sauna, the key is consistency — regular exposure leads to cumulative benefits for heart health, circulation, and blood pressure regulation.

Q: Is near-infrared safer or more effective than far-infrared?

A: Yes, for most therapeutic purposes. Near-infrared penetrates deeper into tissue, reaching blood vessels and mitochondria to activate cellular repair and energy production. Most commercial “full-spectrum” saunas rely on far-infrared or weak LEDs that only warm the surface. Look for high-irradiance incandescent bulbs that emit natural-spectrum near-infrared light with minimal EMF exposure.

Q: Besides heat therapy, what else helps regulate blood pressure naturally?

A: Heat therapy is one part of the solution, but diet and lifestyle still matter. Most Americans consume nearly twice as much sodium as potassium, even though optimal blood pressure requires the reverse ratio.

Aim for about 3,500 mg of sodium and 3,400 to 5,000 mg of potassium daily from whole foods like spinach, beet greens, and oranges. Balancing these minerals helps your body eliminate excess sodium, regulate fluid levels, and keep your arteries relaxed. Together with consistent heat therapy, this approach supports stronger, more flexible blood vessels and long-term cardiovascular health.

Category:

Heart Issues, Treatment

The Morning I Couldn’t Walk and What Finally Healed Me

While reading this, please note this patient finally got to a Lyme literate doctor and started anti-microbial treatment – including antibiotics and herbs. Her progress went from wheelchair to walker to cane to walking on her own. That is progress; however, there is more to this than killing pathogens, for sure, but never, ever underestimate the power of killing pathogens! For some that alone is enough but for many, more is required…..

Further complicating the picture is borrelia complexity, the involvement of coinfections requiring different medications, and environmental toxins. Then, there’s the inevitable blowback from harsh treatment and imbalances within the body that need to be corrected.

IMO, treating pathogens AND the whole person is a requirement with Lyme/MSIDS and for many, this treatment will take YEARS. Many make the mistake of only taking one track or giving the final thing they used all the credit. This is short-sighted. This will be unlike anything else you’ve ever been treated before, and frustratingly confusing.

https://www.lymedisease.org/morning-i-couldnt-walk/

The morning I couldn’t walk–and what finally healed me

by Dr. Melanie Stein

Nov. 12, 2025

The morning my legs wouldn’t move changed everything I thought I knew about health. Full-body tremors tore through me. I couldn’t stand, let alone walk. I was admitted to the hospital, frightened, searching for answers.

A long list of tests returned “normal,” and the doctors’ search for answers stopped there. I was given a label, conversion disorder, and asked why I might be “choosing to live this way.” [Editor’s Note: Conversion disorder refers to physical symptoms that have no obvious medical explanation.]

While I was still inpatient at the hospital, an unmistakable bull’s-eye rash appeared. I knew what it meant and expected treatment. Instead, I was told, “Lyme disease doesn’t exist in Oregon,” and I was discharged without care.

Still not believed

The dismissal kept going. During one exam, a neurologist let me fall and said, “Get up.” I couldn’t. I was then sent to inpatient rehab, not to find out why I was so ill, but to learn how to live in a wheelchair. Soon after, my spinal fluid showed signs of infection. It still wasn’t enough to be believed, but it was enough for me to keep looking until I found someone who would listen.

I eventually found a Lyme-literate physician. What followed were years of steady, dedicated work—oral and IV antibiotics, herbal protocols, and constant reassessment and new treatments. Progress returned in pieces: wheelchair → walker → cane → walking.

Through it all, I finished medical school. I attended lectures in a wheelchair, studied between infusions, and arranged rotations around treatment. I promised myself I would never become a provider who stops at “normal” labs.

When I completed my training, I opened my practice at Restorative Health Clinic, focusing on complex chronic illness, vector-borne disease, and caring for patients who too often hear the same “nothing is wrong” I once did.

What finally moved the needle

Then COVID-19 hit. After I contracted COVID-19, I developed seizures, 20 or more a day. Retesting showed my tick-borne infections had reactivated. We tried multiple antimicrobial regimens, different combinations and intervals, without a meaningful response. I had done what I ask my patients to do: pursue treatment, show up to appointments, and adjust therapies as needed. The results didn’t match the effort.

This is when I changed the question from “Which pathogen remains?” to “Why isn’t my body recovering the way it should?”

Day one of medical training teaches this: healing begins at the cellular level. Every thought, heartbeat, step, and immune decision depends on cells that can take in what they need, send out what they don’t, and interpret messages accurately.

The cell membrane is the gatekeeper; the mitochondria make energy. When those are damaged, signals scramble, energy falters, and even smart treatments become unpredictable or short-lived. The body can get stuck in a protective “danger” mode instead of repair.

So I shifted from targeting infections first to strengthening the body’s foundation with a terrain-first model I call Cell Membrane Therapy. That means helping the outer layer of each cell (the cell membrane) work well again and boosting the cell’s “energy makers” (mitochondria).

When we rebuilt that foundation—and supported the body’s natural cleanup system and immune response—other treatments started to work better. Progress wasn’t overnight, but it lasted: my energy and focus returned, and the daily seizures stopped.

Why I Wrote Breaking Through Chronic Illness

Seeing outcomes shift when we rebuilt the cellular foundation—repairing membranes, restoring mitochondrial function, and strengthening the terrain—convinced me we needed a new playbook. Cell Membrane Therapy became the backbone of my practice, yet it’s still under-taught and often overlooked.

I wrote Breaking Through Chronic Illness to share this framework and to shift the question from “what else should we treat?” to “what’s blocking recovery despite the right therapies?” It’s for those who have done everything right and still don’t feel better—offering clear steps to rebuild the foundation so progress becomes durable.

I did everything I was told, and my body still wasn’t recovering the way it should. Week after week, my patients tell me the same. We’ve been asking the wrong question: it’s not just what’s left to treat, but why recovery isn’t happening despite the right treatments.

The signs were there—I knew what that rash meant—yet I wasn’t taken seriously and was taught how to use a wheelchair before anyone could explain why I needed one. That experience—and a clear purpose to make sure no patient goes unheard—carried me through school, through illness, and into this work.

Beyond the revolving door

This book looks beyond the revolving door of standard antibiotic protocols to an overlooked reason progress slips away and recovery doesn’t last: damage to cell membranes and mitochondria undermines the body’s ability to heal. When we repair the cellular foundation, the body can finally use the treatments we give it to restore health, not just suppress symptoms.

I keep the science readable and the steps practical: why good treatments fail when cellular repair is missing, how a stuck Cell Danger Response keeps the body in a defensive, inflamed mode (and what helps it switch off), and a clear roadmap to rebuild resilience—restoring energy, calming neuroinflammation, and resetting immune balance.

I translate this into everyday choices—nutrition, key supplements, detox support, nervous-system regulation, and environmental strategies—so you know where to start, what to look for, and what matters most.

The book weaves in patient stories of people with “normal” labs and very abnormal days who moved from temporary relief to durable progress. That’s the goal: hope with a plan.

If you’ve been told “everything is normal” while your life is anything but, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. There is a path forward when we begin — where healing begins — at the cellular level. If you’re tired of improvements that don’t last, Breaking Through Chronic Illness offers a way back. Your symptoms are real, and so is the science that can explain them.

Dr. Melanie Stein is a naturopathic doctor specializing in complex chronic illness and vector-borne disease. After overcoming her own battle with Lyme disease, she founded Restorative Health Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Click here to order Breaking Through Chronic Illness.

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Bob Giguere of IGeneX states a case by Dr. Jones of a little girl who went outside to play about 8:30a.m. and came inside at 10:30 with an attached tick above her right eye. By 2 o’clock, she had developed the facial palsy. At the hospital she was told it couldn’t be Lyme as the tick hadn’t been attached long enough. They offered a neuro-consult…..

By 4pm she couldn’t walk or talk.

Dr. Jones met the family in his office on a Saturday, gave her an intramuscular injection of antibiotics and within 2 hours the palsy was gone. He continued her treatment for approximately 4 weeks.

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Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category

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Eye Pain in Lyme Disease: Why It Occurs Despite Normal Eye Exams

A Patient Experience

Eye Pain in Lyme Disease With Normal Eye Exams

Sensory Nerve Involvement in Lyme Disease

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Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation

Migraine Pathways in Lyme Disease

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Still not believed

What finally moved the needle

Why I Wrote Breaking Through Chronic Illness

Beyond the revolving door

By 4pm she couldn’t walk or talk.

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