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Can Lyme attack the spine?

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Posted 1/16/2012 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Once again, I am sorry that I still have more questions than help or answers. I'm certainly not here for sympathy, because I understand everyone is sucked dry and needs as much or more sympathy than I. I'm am sincerely here to question stuff because I can't seem to get anywhere.

Anyway, if I could figure out how to insert an image, I would insert an xray of my spine. I've talked about it here before, but would like to ask about it again because it seems to be worsening fast. I have had moderate scoliosis my adult life.( I am now almost 59, female) A few years ago, my back pain began getting more and more severe, so I had it xrayed. It was bad, very bad, it was collapsing.

A year later, it had gone down quite a bit further -- one curve had gone from 63 degrees to 75 degrees, and the other from 74 degrees to 82 degrees. I can tell by looking it has worsened even since then and the pain is becoming nearly unbearable. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP IT!

The ortho surgeon said he doubted Lyme had caused it to worsen like this. So did my LLMD. But somehow, even tho I am aging and THAT doesn't help, it seems like it could have been Lyme, since that bite was appx 1 year before the time I finally sought help for my spine and learned how bad it had gotten.

I"m mad mad MAD about this danged Lyme. Look at everyone here and all that we feel it has caused. 1 stupid bacteria and it leads to all these issues and then more infections. It just doesn't make sense anymore, it feels like we may as well as taken a poison pill!
Posted 1/16/2012 9:54 PM (GMT 0)
i know +Lyme...its hard to deal sometimes....but i will say this again cause i have said it 100 times when someone says "lyme cant do ...."....the truth is...lyme has no bounderies....and if your spine has blood flow..well then guess what....the lyme bacteria has free reign wherever it goes...and i highly doubt it would stop when it gets to your spine and says.."ooo i cant go there...its a spine"...its all ludacris....lyme can go anywhere at anytyime in your body...if its connected to your person....then guess what...that part has Lyme...no one will ever be able to convince me other wise......so what if people dont know about this system...but that doesnt give them right to tell you it wouldnt go there....i would suggest you go to a spine specialist...and he may not be Lyme literate...but he might be able to help...but just remember...any kind of trauma or surgery will bring out the bugs...your symptoms will probably get worse...you will just need to weight your options....and at this point...it doesnt matter if Lyme caused it or not...the fact is...your spine is collapsing....you need to address it....i hope this reply helps....i just kinda upset when i hear someone say "lyme cant do a certain thing"
Posted 1/16/2012 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
Before I was diagnosed I thought I had Ankylosing spondylitis.. The reason being the pain was so bad and my back was degenerating quickly.. I have no facts for you but I know this lyme attacks weak areas in our body. Every old injury I ever had started bothering me even though they never did from 1st injury.
Posted 1/16/2012 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi +Lyme,

Even if the Lyme disease didn't affect your spine, it certainly didn't help it! All the muscle cramping and nerve issues and the inactivity could have contributed a lot.

I am very sorry you are having so much pain. It must be fairly debilitating. You are allowed a rant every once in a while -- whatever helps!!

So your doctors are aware of this problem. Do they have any plan for helping you with it, or is this something that must be just borne?

Are you at least involved in some kind of pain management program?
Posted 1/16/2012 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
No, I am not doing any pain management, but I guess I will have to because there is no help for my spine. It is also rotating and the damage goes from my neck to my tail bone. Surgery would be too extensive (so says orho surgeon) because the damage is extensive. Need to get rid of the Lyme #1, I guess. Inhim, I do have quite a bit of spondylitis, no mention of ankylosing yet. Can't be fixed.
Posted 1/17/2012 3:39 AM (GMT 0)
I had scoliosis (non-Lyme related) when I was younger. I had it under control, but recently my back has been very sore, and I've been worried I am getting more crooked (don't know what I would do though, so I haven't got it checked because I am scared).

I read up on it, and I did find some stuff about how Lyme can affect the tendons/ligaments/muscles supporting the spine. when they weaken, the spine starts to curve again.

I didn't get the feeling from my research that it is SUPER common (back pain is though)...

I don't really know what to say. But I understand, because my sister had to have surgery to keep her spine from curving too much (once again, when she was young). I am praying that I just have back pain, and not worse scoliosis, because I don't know what to do about it. I'm pretty sure if I figured out that my scoliosis was back along with the Lyme that would be the straw that broke the camels back
Posted 1/17/2013 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
We are here to support each other and to be here for you! :-) My mid to lower back has been killing me too and I follow up with the dr tomorrow after an MRI. I am on pain management and still barely get thru the day. Often I wae up in the night feeling like someone is stabbing me the pain is sooo intense. If you need some pain meds, you should get some relief. I have heard LDN can help but not if you are on pain meds. I do believe it is related too! I will keep you in my prayers! :-)
Posted 11/14/2013 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Never have steroids I had pain management and ended up in emergency room high liver count..Lyme disease..
I was misdiagnosed for years had back problems yes curve in spine... I had disk crumbling ALL Lyme disease no one knew then 8 years that Lyme can give you metal allergic... I was titianum & nickel allergic it was making me I'll, chronic fatigue read about titaiunm poisoning .. And in 2005 had back fusion what a huge mistake... So I Finally had the hardware screws removed. It's an easy operation but for me the screws were faulty & it was he'll getting them out...but I google the best neurosurgeon and thank God I found him..now Lyme disease before after n durning surgery..my probably I had weaken legs,numb feet, cement feeling in back but the titianum out that cement feeling is gone...Lyme effects joints, your brain,memory, best Lyme treatment now is cowden herbs.then IV Rocephin, doxy,plaquial, mepron, zithormax, many antibiotics. B12 may be low ,vitamin D, check allergies STOP Wheat. Very bad Lyme disease my dr put out a great book. My story is in this book...why some dr's insisted I had MS...no it was after the fusion tha t gave me brain lesions n T spine lesions, all antibiotics cleared it up... But it took years. Also I v rocephin can destroy your gull bladder.you can get better..buy this book on Amazon why can't I feel better chronic Lyme.. Dr.Richard Horowitz .. Feel better all watch your diet
Posted 11/14/2013 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
PS..in a spine biopsy it showed Lyme disease during hardware removal i signed to have this biopsy taking GLAD I DID, at least we know how to treat it.. so yes Lyme goes into muscles,spine heart please get my dr's book....on amazon I have learned to educate myself. My sister in law sick for years allergic to wheat now she's doing great on holistic dross and diet same with Lyme. Wheat gives inflammation. So have your dr. Check metals, wheat, beef, dairy,B12 levels and Vitamin D.take a strong probiotic for your GI track.I take Mastic Gum a Greek probiotic pill got it on amazon read how great this is for GI Track that you get from LD ..take two to three a day.We all help each other
Posted 11/14/2013 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
+Lyme, it is my opinion that your doctors are probably right that "technically", Lyme did not directly cause your spine to bend out of shape. However (and that is a big however) Lyme does affect the muscles that support your spine and posture, it affects your calcium and magnesium that feeds your bones, your red blood cells that feed your bones, muscles and cartilage, it affects the collagen in between the disks, causes inflammation that pushes the disks away from each other, it ruptures the tendons, and so much more.

So at the end of the day, Lyme can affect everything that your spine needs to retain its shape, posture and health. With these systems being impacted then the spine is weakened and thus the deformation.

I also feel bad for you. I have strained my back muscles in the past and it can be very debilitating, it hurts like heck and you can't sit down, sleep well, or even go to the bathroom because of the pain. I hope that your doctor is giving you something for the pain.

It is unfortunate that doctors feel that they cannot do anything because they feel that at your age it is normal to have spine issues. If you were in your teens or 20's, I am sure that they would be thinking of using braces and external support mechanisms to slowly bring your spine back into shape. Kind-of-like what they do for teeth to straighten them out with braces.

Has your doctor suggested wearing a brace to give your spine some support so that it doesn't get worse?
Posted 11/14/2013 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I believe today they know so much more. My NEW Doctor is young.he said we do not even do fusion like this and I never would have done this to you. So in some ways find a great doctor. Some are old school. I learned the hard way that older doctors aren't great because they know more. Young doctors are so hip on new things. As. For Lyme I am on drops that kick my butt it kills Lyme IN your muscles. They are

Burbur start off 2 drops once in morning once at night then increase drops. I am only up to 6 drops because the flair ups are amazing.
ALONG with Burbur
2 drops of Banderol again 1 x in morning again at night

Place in a small amount of water along with drops
THEN
20 minutes later

Parsley drops
Samento drops again in small amount of water only two drops of each go slowly because the body needs to adjust.

I am up to six drops of the bur bur and banderol 2 x a day and then
Same with pArsley and Samento

You can buy these on amazon READ REVIEWS, your immune system does get stronger but as the Lyme is dying you flair.

The company of these dross are NUTRA MEDIX


I was always one to say yeah right drops. Well let me tell you they take time BUT WORK!!!!! Sometimes so well I Herx, I then do warm water and lemon and stop a day or two to let flair ups decrease.

Again, read amazons reviews on this WE are NOT alone and SO MANY are so smart, suffering but educating us all.

Thanks for replying healing98

Stay well
Posted 4/11/2014 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hi +Lyme, how have you been doing with your scoliosis?
I realize this is an old thread but I'm doing a bunch of research on Lyme disease and the effects it might have on the spine.
I haven't been diagnosed with Lyme, but I'm very suspicious that it may be the culprit in my current health situation. I have many many symptoms, but something that's come to my attention recently while working with my neurologist is that I have scoliosis and arthritis in my spine. I am not sure if these were issues I've had and didn't know it (the neuro's theory, of course, is that I've probably had the scoliosis and the arthrosis has come along because of repeat trama of running... I doubt it. AND, yet he still hasn't been able to account for ANY of my other symptoms. So frustrated!). All of my health issues have come on very suddenly, I never had back pain before, my back didn't pop 800 times everytime I would turn until January/Feb. I'm just wondering how you're doing, if you found any resolve with your scoliosis, and if you had/have any arthritis accompanying it...? Just in need of some support right now.
Thank you.
Posted 4/12/2014 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
+Lyme, I have Lyme and scoliosis, too. A friend of my mom's had always said my scoliosis might be caused by a virus and now that she knows I have Lyme disease she thinks that the Lyme caused it. I got Lyme disease the same summer I got scoliosis ten years ago (when I was 11). My C curve was only 6 degrees then. By the time I was 15 it was 60 degrees then it straightened to 45 degrees within a year. What I think straightened it was being active (I was in marching band at the time. It is a very intense workout.), working out with a personal trainer, going to the gym/working out at least 4 times a week, chiropractic care, stretches (I did dance/ballet stretches), wearing a spinecor brace, and laying on a cut pool noodle. What I did was cut a pool noodle to like 6 or 7 inches (the length of my curve) and I lay on my bed with it under the highest point of my curve and it pulls and stretches my curve to go straight. A chiropractor told me to do it and it feels really good. I don't move around too much anymore (I haven't for the past couple yeas) but my curve is still holding at 50 degrees. I also don't wear the brace anymore because it makes my neck pain worse.

I don't know if you have ever been told about any of the things that helped me, but maybe it can all help you. My surgeon actually got mad at me and insisted the spinecor brace would not do anything (since I was done growing) and said working out won't straighten my spine, but it did. Maybe a spinecor brace will help you.

Maybe Lyme causes scoliosis, I don't know. Scoliosis runs in my family so I ]think mine isn't 100% Lyme related.

I actually don't have very bad back pain anymore. For years it was sooo horribly painful. It started when I was 12 and hurt really bad until I was around 18 and has been getting better since. It has been just mild to moderate pain since then. It is tolerable and I hardly notice it.
--
I just realized this is an old post! But maybe my info can help some people.

Delmar, my first Lyme symptoms were sudden and unexplainable back pain and then headaches and then more and more symptoms doctors couldn't explain. My neck pops all the time. My scoliosis only sometimes pops. I don't have arthritis, though. You very well could have Lyme. I suggest getting the western blot from igenix.
Posted 4/12/2014 1:15 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you thank you for the responses. +Lyme, I will definitely try some of your recommendations. Thanks so much :) and LearnLyme - I will look for that. If I find it I'll post. Bless you both
Posted 4/13/2014 12:00 AM (GMT 0)
I have a lesion in my spine that the doctors really could not tell me what it was other than a bruise. I think it is from my lyme disease
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