Crossing the Chasm, Part II
Here’s what I have for you this week:
I. Crossing the Chasm, Part II - Neuroplasticity and its role in healing
II. Master your Monday - A mindful tip to help you start the week.
III. Vision for You - An idea, image, or belief to help you create a vision for your life.
Crossing the Chasm, Part Two
Learning to walk a jagged edge
If you missed Part One of Crossing the Chasm, read it here.
After eighteen months and a desperate search for answers, my son had received a complex diagnosis requiring a multi-pronged approach to healing. The treatment protocols would require continual refinement and last for years.
While his neurologist began aggressively treating the multiple bacterial infections with a cocktail of antibiotics, I continued to study neuroimmunology and neuroplasticity.
I also leaned on my faith, soon realizing the journey to a diagnosis was just the beginning.
Thankfully, within three months of starting treatment, the daily seizures that plagued my son for more than eighteen months lessened and soon ended.
Within six months, he no longer needed a wheelchair, although regaining complete mobility and returning to his pre-illness state would require many years.
Regardless, these two improvements proved the diagnosis was correct, and the approach was working.
The treatments, however, were not without side effects. We were also cautioned that the many remaining symptoms could take much longer to resolve.
As is common when treating neurological Lyme and other vector-borne diseases, starting antibiotic treatment often leads to a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction – often called a “herx.”
In his book “How Can I Get Better?” Dr. Richard Horowitz, a board-certified internist who has treated over 12,000 Chronic Lyme disease patients in the last 29 years, describes the Jarisch-Herxheimer (JH) flare as a:
“temporary worsening of the symptoms of Lyme disease that occurs when the Lyme spirochete is being killed off by antibiotics, creating inflammation…These JH reactions produce cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8), which then create inflammatory symptoms, including increased fever, muscle and joint pain, headaches, cognitive impairment, and a general worsening of the underlying symptomology.”
As I watched my son’s daily struggle to tolerate treatment and overcome these invasive infections, clearing the body of toxins and inflammation that resulted, I continued to learn more about his complex conditions and the process of healing.
The more I read, the more concerned I became with the road ahead.
Neuroplasticity and the role of the autonomic nervous system
To understand the potential of neuroplasticity, I quickly realized the importance of understanding the role of the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the primary regulator of important systems in our body, including our heart, respiration rate, and digestion. It's constantly sending and receiving information between the brain and body, helping us respond to changes in our internal and external environment.
The ANS is divided into the sympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the “fight or flight” system, and the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and digest” system.
The sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system is activated when physical danger is encountered. Neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and epinephrine are released, increasing heart rate and blood flow in certain areas like a muscle while decreasing activities of non-critical functions for survival, like digestion.
The parasympathetic nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system enables the body to function in a “rest and digest” state. When the parasympathetic system dominates, there are increases in activities in digestion, while heart rate and other sympathetic responses decrease.
The ANS is always activated, either in the sympathetic or parasympathetic state. Depending on the situation, one state can overshadow the other, resulting in the release of different kinds of neurotransmitters.
The Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is a major component of the autonomic nervous system. It is the longest cranial nerve in the body, stretching from the brainstem to the stomach. It contains thousands of sensory and motor fibers and neural networks. It also plays a role in the neuroendocrine-immune axis.
What is Vagus Nerve Stimulation
According to a study published in 2014,
The study added:
Keeping this in mind, I began to theorize that in addition to the treatments targeting the infections and modulating the immune system, could therapies that reduce inflammation and help rewire neural connections also play a role in healing?
My research and conversations with other patients led me to learn of two such therapies. While my son did not utilize either of these therapies, I know of several patients who have tried them and found them helpful in their healing.
DNRS is a self-directed program that uses the principles of neuroplasticity to help reverse limbic system impairment in the brain and regulate stress responses involved with many chronic illnesses such as chronic Lyme disease, Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Chronic Pain, and many other conditions.
Annie Hopper developed Dynamic Neural Retraining System after a full recovery from an “unexplained” illness implementing her daily program of brain-based rehabilitation, which focused on “rewiring” faulty neural pathways in the brain. Hopper’s book, “Wired for Healing: Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic an,d Mysterious Illnesses” discusses her theory and approach.
According to Hopper, the limbic system is a complex set of structures in the midbrain and is associated with emotion, learning, memory, and the body’s stress response. Ongoing or chronic stress and various forms of trauma, such as a viral or bacterial infection, extreme emotional or psychological stress, and toxic exposure to chemicals or mold, can cause threat circuits in the brain’s limbic system to fire more rapidly. Sometimes, the brain’s limbic system can get stuck in a chronic fight, flight or freeze response and become impaired.
2. Polyvagal Theory
Dr. Stephen Porges is a psychologist, neuroscientist, and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Porges developed the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a non-invasive listening therapy designed to reset the nervous system. Designed to work with other therapeutic approaches and modalities, SSP features specially filtered music that stimulates the vagus nerve. It’s suitable for children and adults and has been used in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, sensory processing differences, and more.
Bioelectronic Medicine and The Future of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
In a 2022 Wall Street Journal opinion piece, “Is Electricity the New Medical Miracle,” I learned about Dr. Kevin Tracey, CEO of the Manhasset, N.Y.-based Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and his pioneering research, which showed electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve could suppress inflammation that causes chronic diseases such as Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis.
I wanted to know more about Dr. Tracey, a neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery and molecular medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
I learned that while scientists have long known that the vagus nerve carries signals between the brain and internal organs, Dr. Tracey’s breakthrough two decades ago led to the discovery that the brain also controls the immune system through the vagus nerve.
By using electrical stimulation to hack into neural networks, Dr. Tracey found it’s possible to regulate the immune response, suggesting that this approach could someday cure inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and more.
The Convergence of Neuroscience and Immunology
The Public Library of Science Magazine, PLOS Biology, recognized Dr. Tracey in 2019 as one of the most cited researchers in the world. His team has worked for decades to identify the convergence of neuroscience and immunology.
The more I read about Dr. Tracey, the more I wanted to learn.
In a TEDMED talk, “How electricity could replace your medications,” Dr. Tracey discussed how neurons control the immune system and the role of the vagus nerve.
Dr. Tracey’s laboratory discovered the molecular and neural mechanism for the reflexive control of inflammation, now termed the inflammatory reflex, among other significant discoveries.
These discoveries led to the first clinical trials of neuromodulating devices to replace anti-inflammatory drugs and a new field termed bioelectronic medicine.
His work has been highly cited in peer-reviewed scientific literature, and numerous clinical trials of devices to stimulate the inflammatory reflex in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other conditions are currently in progress.
In a recent New Scientist article, “Vagus nerve receptors may be key to controlling inflammation,” Dr. Tracey noted:
“Inflammation is our body’s response to injury and infections. Left unchecked, this reflex can turn against us as excessive inflammation damages cells and contributes to chronic disease. When it’s controlled, it drives healing and recovery. It’s well known that the brain sends signals for controlling inflammation through the vagus nerve, but it was previously unclear how the brain knows when to turn off inflammation. We didn’t know what activated the brakes.”
Dr. Tracey says recent findings are significant for two reasons.
1. They provide “a new way to think about how the brain and nervous system interact with the immune system to control the outcomes of infection and injury.”
2. It could guide the development of new therapies for people with chronic conditions characterized by excessive inflammation.
“Clinical trials have shown that stimulating the vagus nerve with electrical pulses can reduce symptoms and slow the progression of diseases like epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis. These findings raise the possibility of developing ultra-selective vagus nerve stimulators that act only on receptors known to control inflammation, which could improve treatment outcomes.”
Hope for the Future
For the first time in many years, I’m hopeful about the abilities of innovators such as Dr. Tracey and his team to make a real difference in patients' lives. The idea that those suffering from painful, debilitating, chronic autoimmune conditions could stop their medications and experience remission is remarkable.
As a regular writer on Twitter, I follow Dr. Tracey to stay up-to-date on his research. A few weeks ago, I commented on one of his many posts and asked about clinical trials and his current research.
Within a few hours, Dr. Tracey responded and provided additional information for me to consider.
I didn’t expect a response, but I was grateful he took the time to reach out to a patient looking for answers.
That alone speaks volumes for his dedication to finding cures and advancing medicine.
Like the incredible care team that has treated my son during the past six years, there are clinicians willing and able to help. Thanks to their dedication, he has stopped much of his treatment without experiencing a relapse.
In the world of chronic Lyme, it’s what every patient hopes for.
If you want to learn more about the mind-body connection, I encourage you to watch Dr. Tracey’s TEDMED, where he explains the advances in bioelectronic medicine.
If you have questions about Lyme Disease or the many treatment protocols we utilized, please reach out to me here.
If you enjoyed this edition, let me know by leaving a comment.
II. Master your Monday - A mindful tip to help you start the week.
There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
— A.A. Milne
If you found this content helpful, please share it with a friend who may enjoy it.
III. Vision for You - An idea, image, or belief to help you create a vision for your life.
Many times during the past six years, I needed time to think and contemplate the next step in our journey. I’m fortunate to live near the ocean. For me, being close to the water is my peaceful place. This photo was taken in 2021 when I remained hopeful but uncertain that the current protocols were working.
I hope you find your peaceful place and visit it often.
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I’m so glad you found it helpful Cheryl. Thank you for commenting and reading.
I am so glad your son is much better. So much important and helpful information. I appreciate the Vegus Nerve information as well, I've been wanting to look into that. I went to the link you provided for New Scientist. My next story is about gratitude so thanks for the gratitude link as well!