Episode 115 - Cory Tichauer, ND - Inside The Next Generation Of Lyme Testing

<p><strong>MEET THE GUEST </strong></p><p>Dr. Cory Tichauer is a board-certified Naturopathic Doctor with 22 years of experience in complex chronic illness and tick-borne infections at Bear Creek Naturopathic Clinic in southern Oregon. A longtime ILADS member and former board director, he also belongs to ISEAI, the ISMCAS, and the Ehlers-Danlos Society. Dr. Cory uses functional medicine, naturopathic therapies, individualized pharmaceuticals, and advanced diagnostics to remove obstacles to health and support the body&#39;s self-repair mechanisms.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>WHAT WE TALK ABOUT </strong></p><ul><li>Dr. Tichauer&#39;s background as a naturopathic physician and why he chose that path over conventional medicine</li><li>How chronic infection, particularly tick-borne illness, emerged as a central focus of his clinical practice</li><li>His involvement with ILADS and the role of the organization in advancing provider education</li><li>Why current two-tiered Lyme testing (ELISA + immunoblot) misses a large percentage of chronic cases</li><li>The use of the B31 lab strain in standard testing and how it contributes to false negatives</li><li>How immune suppression, biofilm formation, and the intracellular nature of Borrelia reduce antibody production</li><li>How lab threshold cutoffs are calibrated for acute care, not chronic illness</li><li>The difference between qualitative and quantitative ELISA results, and why specific band markers matter</li><li>Javora Health: what it is, how it was created, and its mission to increase access to quality Lyme testing</li><li>The TASO home blood collection kit: how it works, why it&#39;s well-tolerated, and how samples are processed</li><li>Armin Labs: what makes it one of the most validated Lyme testing labs, including CAP certification and German standards</li><li>The TickPlex panel and the scope of co-infections, chronic viral infections, and parasites it can screen for</li><li>Round body (persister form) Lyme testing and why up to two-thirds of chronic Lyme patients test negative on standard ELISA</li><li>The LymEspot (ELISpot/lymphocyte transformation test): how T-cell testing can detect active infection within 10 to 14 days of exposure</li><li>Serial testing as a tool to track treatment progress, including why an initial antibody increase after treatment can be a positive sign</li><li>The three-pillar natural support protocol: immune upregulation, biofilm disruption, and antimicrobial herbs</li><li>Javora&#39;s