10 Lyme Disease Symptoms
Symptom #3: Joint Symptoms
In the early stage of Lyme disease, muscle (myalgia) and joint pains (arthralgia) can accompany flu-like symptoms. Later on, in the second stage of Lyme disease or disseminated stage (3-10 weeks after the bite) patients can experience pain and inflammation in several joints that can be migratory, meaning that it can move from one joint to another. In chronic Lyme disease patients can develop arthritis, usually in large joints like the knee (knee involvement in 90% of cases).
This inflammatory process can involve bursae, tendons, and joints. It can evolve to affect only one joint (monoarticular), usually involving the knee, ankle or wrist. Some people can present intermittent joint pain without inflammation. In 60 percent of patients, the first episode occurs within six months of the rash, and can last about a week. Recurrences can also be observed, and they usually involve more than one joint. In time, recurrences can become less frequent, involve fewer joints and increase in severity.
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