The Management of Lyme Disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Study

The number of reported and confirmed Lyme disease cases has been increasing year after year since its first diagnose in Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA, in 1975. In both acute and chronic cases, Lyme has a heavy impact on patients’ health and lowers their quality of life. Conventional approaches to treatment are often not fully satisfying for chronic patients. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pattern differentiation for Lyme disease varies according to the duration of the infection and the stage it has reached, while the basic strategy of replenishing qi and tonifying blood runs through the entire treatment like a thread. For optimal results, besides regular treatments that constantly adapt to the evolution of the patient’s condition, the patient’s involvement and effective communication with other healthcare professionals are also needed. This article presents a clinical case study of TCM treatment of post-Lyme disease syndrome with positive results. Further research needs to be carried out and clinical studies need to be documented, analysed and discussed in order to establish the most effective TCM approaches to Lyme disease and benefit more patients.