Chronic LD is a Complex Condition that cannot be Resolved in Simple Way

Chronic LD is a very complicated condition: multiple pathogen co-infections, multiple body systems affected, and multiple pathophysiological mechanisms involved, LD caused multiple complications and wild spectrum of symptoms. It is a complexity condition that cannot be resolved by a simple method – sole anti-infection by using antibiotics alone.

For the complex condition of chronic LD, we need Chinese medicine’s multiple-target regulatory treatment strategy. It should consist of anti-infection, immune regulation, general health support, and treatments of complications and symptoms. In Chinese medicine this anti-infection principle is called “Fuzheng Quxie (扶正祛邪),” that can be literally translated as “Support the right and eradicate the evil.” It means “strengthening the vitality and eliminating the pathogenic factors.” MCM believes that fighting off infections mainly rely on the body’s own defense, the immunity, but chronic LD caused the very system dysfunctional, such as immune deficiency, autoimmunity, over-sensitivity, and prolonged extensive inflammation, which not only causes complications but also creates symptoms that make patients sick, at the same time it weakens patient’s defense power.  Long term chronic LD made patients in a sub-health status. If the body is weak, no matter how strong the external interventions (such as the multiple antibiotics used together or even long-term intravenous antibiotics infusion) are the infectious agents cannot be totally eradicated; only the body becomes healthy and immune system function normalized then under the help of the anti-infection treatments we can eradicate the pathogens effectively. This is the believe of MCM that it is the body heals itself not the external intervention. It is internal cause determinism. In comparison, conventional medicine is mainly relied on suppression of the infection by antibiotics, i.e. external intervention.

MCM believes that the job of eradicating the pathogens can only be done by the patients; while conventional medicine tries to do the job for the patients.  Philosophically, these two medicines’ viewpoint on dealing with chronic LD is quite different which leads to different clinical therapeutic methodologies and clinical outcome.