Achy, stiff, or swollen joints

Early Lyme symptoms include joint pain and stiffness, which are frequently intermittent. The joints in your body may be inflamed, warm to the touch, painful, and swollen. Some joints may be stiff and have a limited range of motion. The pain may shift. Sometimes your knees hurt, and other times your neck or heels pain. Bursitis is another possibility. Bursae are tiny cushions that sit between the bone and the surrounding tissue. The discomfort may be severe or very temporary. It is possible that more than one joint will be damaged. The major joints are frequently affected.

Joint disorders are frequently blamed on age, heredity, or sports. According to these figures, Lyme disease should be included in that list:

• One study estimates that 80 percent of people with untreated Lyme have muscle and joint symptoms.
• Fifty percent of people with untreated Lyme have intermittent episodes of arthritis.
• Two-thirds of people have their first episode of joint pain within six months of the infection.
• The use of anti-inflammatory drugs may mask the actual number of people with joint swelling