Injuries and Lyme Disease

Shortly after contracting Lyme disease, I fell and broke my arm.  I was having trouble walking at the time due to swollen knees, ankles, thighs, and feet.  I would also get dizzy without warning.  One day I had to walk a long way in the rain and slipped on a wet sidewalk.  I slipped and broke my arm.  I had to wear a cast and a sling.  After a few weeks, I had to do physical therapy.  For some reason, I could not straighten or bend my arm, no matter how much I exercised it.  Every night, new scar tissue seemed to form when I slept.  I finally accepted that it would never be the same.  I concentrated on recovering from Lyme disease.  Then little by little, as the antibiotics started to work, my arm did recover its range of motion. My broken arm had taken two years to recover.

At my last follow up appointment, I mentioned to my doctor, that my broken arm was recovering, along with the Lyme disease.  I told my doctor that I thought that the Lyme disease had kept my arm from recovering in a timely fashion.  She said, "Yes, I have had many patients complain about the same thing.  Lyme disease loves to attack scar tissue.  Patients say that old injuries will be inflamed by Lyme disease."  Joints that have wear and tear from running, work, or repeated use will be attacked by Lyme.  For this reason, my doctor advised not to try to exercise at all while being treated for Lyme disease.  Rest, elevation, and plenty of sleep is the protocol for Lyme.  Walking, jogging, running, and work will just cause flare ups of inflammation.  Once the Lyme disease is over, there will be time to recover lost muscle tone.