Dr. Bonnie Liakos in Glen Head, NY
We specialize in treating the following conditions:
- Candida
- Lyme Disease
- SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth)
- Food Sensitivities
- Chemical Sensitivities
- Autoimmune Disorders
- Hormonal Imbalances
- EMF (Electromagnetic field) Issues
- Heavy Metal Accumulation
- GERD
- Migraines
- Chronic Pain
- Emotional Disorders
- ADD/ADHD
- Weight Loss
What is Lyme Disease? Why has it become such a serious illness in today's world? Why do so many people have it? Where does it come from? Will I ever feel well again? Why can’t anyone help me? Why now? And why me?
These are some of the questions many of my Lyme patients ask me when coming to my office seeking help with their illness. Let’s start with a brief history of Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is not new. It has been around in North America for over 60,000 years. Originally it was thought to have been sparked by a recent introduction of the bacterium or an evolutionary change, a mutation to the bacterium, making it more transmissible to humans. None of this is true.
Actually, deforestation and the explosion of the deer population in the last century created optimal conditions for the spread of ticks and triggered the ongoing epidemic. Since the 1970’s the disease has rapidly spread across New England and the Midwest. It has been reported in 49 states with 90% of the cases occurring from Maine to Virginia and in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. On the West Coast, Lyme Disease also occurs in Northern California and Oregon. Lyme Disease is also in Europe, across the former Soviet Union and in China and Japan. Different strains of the Borrelia bacterium cause Lyme Disease. The North American strain is different from the strains in other places in the world. But they all cause Lyme Disease.
It has become the most common vector-borne disease in North America. The disease has more than tripled since 1995 and the Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) now estimates that more than 300,000 Americans get ill from Lyme Disease each year. The ticks are not only spread by deer, but also small mammals and birds that can transport it long distances.
The symptoms of Lyme Disease and the illness itself is very complicated. The early symptoms may include a rash as well as neurological, cardiac, and joint abnormalities. It was thought originally that everyone would get the classic Bulls Eye Rash, but that is not so. Every person who gets Lyme Disease expresses it differently. Many of my patients have suffered from debilitating headaches, while others experience burning nerve pain. Some people can barely get out of bed. Many times severe digestive issues arise like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). GERD (heartburn and reflux) and colitis. Many of my patients complain of dizziness, depression, exhaustion, memory problems, sleep issues, night sweats, and other hormonal issues.
What can make Lyme Disease so hard to treat is that most people who become very sick from Lyme Disease already have many other factors affecting their health that have not been treated. I have found over the many years that I have been in practice that in order to get a patient well from Lyme Disease you must first address these other health issues before treating Lyme Disease. These other health issues can be Candida, SIBO, viruses, parasites, bacteria, heavy metal accumulation, environmental sensitivities, food sensitivities, hormonal imbalances,
and auto-immune or toxic overload of the body.
Many people who come to see me have been to many other doctors, both traditional and holistic over the years. Most have taken years of antibiotics and other herbal formulations. Many have told me that they feel better for a while, but then they start to feel all the symptoms again, never really getting well. Sometimes they actually feel worse.
My approach is completely different. After helping my patients lessen the burden on their overall immune systems by correcting those other health issues, I then begin my Lyme Protocol. As an Applied Kinesiologist and a Holistic Chiropractor, I look at all aspects of your health. This is called the Triad of Health. Structure, chemistry, and brain function must all be working together in order to help restore optimal health. These are the three sides of the triad with structure being the base.
Testing for all types of Lyme and its co-infections is the first step. Once that is known I then proceed to test many different types of supplements—vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, essential fatty acids, homeopathic’s, etc., to see what your body needs to help it heal from
these infections. Very specific structural corrections are also made to help the body heal. These include chiropractic, acupressure, cranial techniques, muscle rebalancing, injury recall technique, NET, exercise rehab, and more. The last part of my protocol is to engage the brain into this scenario. This is done through the meridian system. Without the brain being involved no permanent health changes can be made to your body. By doing all these steps I am helping your body communicate on all three sides of the triad: structure, chemistry, and brain function.
