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Burrascano - Physical program for immune health ?

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Posted 7/9/2016 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
On the NORVECT-conference Dr. Burrascano shortly mentioned that he recommends some kind of physical program for immune health. Unfortunately he did not go into details on that. Does someone know what he is talking about?

Here's the link to the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8t6j_HVTkA
Posted 7/9/2016 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
I imagine he is meaning the same thing that this article means.

www.tiredoflyme.com/exercise.html
Posted 7/9/2016 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
Markus - at the bottom of the Lyme Disease Treatment Guidelines (written by Burrascano) - is a section on physical therapy.

He says no aerobic exercise - which is a contentious topic on this forum.


Here's a link to the guidelines...(it's at the very bottom)

www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf
Posted 7/13/2016 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
I've read Burascano's recommendations on exercise and wondered about the "no aerobic" piece.
Has he updated his recommendations recently?
Posted 7/13/2016 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't seen an update...even though those guidelines are from 2008.

The reason I said it was contentious - is because many people on here do aerobics and do well.
I think it all depends on the person. Those that are really sick, and have debilitating fatigue...may not respond well to aerobic exercise.

Also, the 'only every other day' piece. I exercise almost every day. I need to keep my range of motion that I have finally recovered from the frozen shoulder. But, it's not aggressive and doesn't make me sore or tired.
Posted 7/13/2016 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Burrascano's program is one hour of weight lifting every other day with low weight and high reps. He says no cardio whatsoever.

I don't know exactly how he came up with this recommendation or if it's backed by any science. How exactly does one hour of light weight lifting boost the immune system? Maybe it's just moving the lymph and a yoga class would actually be better because the movements are more varied.

There is a scientifically verified drop in immunity following intense cardio and I imagine that this is why it is contraindicated. However there are also studies that cardio helps promote apoptosis which can clear out intracellular infections. Also the increase in blood flow and oxygenation kill bacteria which is why some people herx from it.

Personally I'm one of the people who does well on cardio. I don't do it if I'm herxing and I stick to yoga and resistance band training. However on my days off from pulsing I go out and do a long intense bike ride and feel that it is good for my recovery to circulate the blood through cardio.

Realistically at this point unfortunately almost all treatments for Lyme are highly experimental. Some things work for some and not for others. Best to just listen to your own body.
Posted 7/13/2016 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
From the Guidelines:

"Regular exercise-related movements can help mobilize lymph and enhance circulation. In addition, there is now evidence that a carefully structured exercise program may benefit T-cell function: this function will depress for 12 to 24+ hours after exercise, but then rebound. This T-cell depression is more pronounced after aerobics which is why aerobics are not allowed. The goal is to exercise intermittently, with exercise days separated by days of total rest, including an effort to have plenty of quality sleep. The trick is to time the exercise days to take advantage of these rebounds. For an example, begin with an exercise day followed by 3 to 5 rest days; as stamina improves, then fewer rest days will be needed in between workouts. However, because T-cell functions do fall for at least one day after aggressive exercises, be sure to never exercise two days in a row. Finally, an in intermittent exercise program, properly executed, may help to reset the HPA axis more towards normal. On the following page is an exercise prescription that details these recommendations."
Posted 7/13/2016 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
I'm one that's always dealt with exercise intolerance, which is what I believe Dr. Burrascano was mainly talking about. It's when exercise makes you feel a lot worse and can take days to recover from. Because his treatment recommendations are 8 years old, it may be that those of us with exercise intolerance are suffering from some level of adrenal fatigue??? I'm not sure.

Whatever level of exercise you can do, without "paying for it" for more than a couple of hours, I would encourage you to go slowly and find what you can do, always watching for issues. We all know that exercise is good for us.
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