Chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) can contribute to Lyme disease symptoms
Improving brain circulation may lessen neurological Lyme disease symptoms
I was first exposed to LLMD (Lyme literate medical doctor) Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt by Yolanda Hadid's book, Believe Me. He was the doctor who encouraged Yolanda Hadid to remove her silver fillings when she was sick with Lyme. I had mine removed as well, after reading her book.
Lately, I have been reading more articles by Dr. Klinghardt. The man is what you might call an independent thinker! So many original ideas, and so many fascinating suggestions for healing. (I heard a rumor that he healed his own Lyme disease with bee venom.) One thing that caught my eye in Klinghardt’s work was his writing about CCSVI, or Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency.
What is CCSVI?
Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency is a condition that involves a narrowing of the blood vessels that drain the brain. Dr. Klinghardt writes that he has found it in all of his Lyme patients.
Lyme bacteria like to accumulate in the endothelium – the inner lining of blood vessels. This can lead to a narrowing of the vessels, probably due in part to inflammation. (This is not the only possible cause of CCSVI, just a probable cause in Lyme patients.)
Narrow blood vessels constrict the flow of blood through the brain. This constriction may contribute to symptoms of neurological Lyme disease such as tinnitus, vision problems, headaches, brain fog, neck tension, and others that unfairly bedevil us Lyme Warriors.
This makes so much sense to me. I often visualize the fluids moving through and cleansing my brain, and I use cranial bodywork on myself and my Lyme clients to move them as well – this really seems to help neurological Lyme symptoms. We Lymies need that fluid moving, removing toxins! I have written before about how important it is to encourage lymphatic flow in the brain, and blood flow deserves the same attention.
Visualizing blood flow in your brain
Here is an image of the veins that drain your brain. The jugular veins continue down the front of your throat, pass under your clavicle, and drain back into your heart.
Imagine the flow of blood beginning at the top of your forehead. The veins are right below your skull, nested in the fascial tissue that encloses your brain. The blood drains back along the top of your skull, all the way down to the ridge where your skull curves in toward your neck. There the veins split into two, and curve down behind your ears, and down on either side of your throat.
This is a beautifully simple pathway. To learn it, trace it with your hands. As you run your hands along this path, imagine gently pulling fluid with them.
When you are feeling foggy and tired, use the image of your veins flowing well to rest your brain, and to help you sleep. Try lying on your back with a small towel rolled up under your neck. (If you have a warm neck wrap, use that!) Let the back of your head fall back over the towel. Let the front of your neck lengthen and relax. (Allowing blood to flow freely here will help with Lyme disease neck pain.) This imagery is self-healing – it will help your body widen your blood vessels and restore healthy flow, washing your brain, cleansing it of all debris.
Other tools to improve cranial blood flow
Stay hydrated. Lemon water! Coconut water! If you’re well-hydrated, all your fluids move more easily.
Gentle cardio. Walk up a hill, walk up some stairs. Get the blood pumping in your veins, and use the image of blood flow through your brain to help.
Gingko supplements have been shown to improve blood flow, even in the brain. They also help lessen symptoms of tinnitus in studies. Ask your doctor to recommend a good brand, and for dosage advice.
My Cranial Healing meditation is especially good for vision problems and headaches caused by Lyme disease.
Thank you so much for reading! Your brain is a vast, complex galaxy,
Shona
Sources:
Amen DG. The end of mental illness. Carol Stream, Illinois. Tyndale House Foundation: 2020.
Dziwenka M, Coppock RW. Ginkgo biloba. Nutraceuticals Efficacy, Safety and Toxicity. 2016. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-802147-7.00049-8
von Boetticher A. Ginkgo biloba extract in the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.2011; 7: 441–447.
Published 2011 Jul 28. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S22793
Weinmann S, Roll S, Schwarzbach C, Vauth C, Willich SN. Effects of Ginkgo biloba in dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr. 2010; 10: 14. Published 2010, March 17. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-10-14