Lyme Disease, Spinal Degeneration & Spinal Taps: Are These Silent Clues Behind Your Chronic Pain?

Are you facing back pain or severe neurological signs? Spinal degeneration and Lyme disease can result in chronic pain and affect your nervous system. Mostly, people suspect spinal degeneration as the major cause of back pain. But, what if there lies an underlying condition beneath the clinical symptoms.

When the bacteria crosses the blood brain barrier, it can affect the spinal cord and brain. Lyme disease can serve as a potential cause of back pain. In this blog, we will explore how spinal degeneration, spinal taps, and Lyme disease can result in chronic pain. 

What is spinal degeneration?

Degenerative disc disease can be defined as the wearing of spinal discs. As a part of aging, degeneration occurs in the spinal discs. When there is wearing, the bones will rub together causing scoliosis, herniated disk, spinal stenosis, etc. 

Types of degenerative disk disease:

• Lumbar degenerative disk disease: The lumbar spine comprises 5 vertebrae. Around 90% of the degeneration occur in the lowest portions of the lumbar spine.
• Cervical degenerative disk disease: In this type, degeneration occurs in the cervical spine.
• Multilevel degenerative disk disease: This type of degeneration affects more than one disc. Both lumbar spine and cervical spine will be affected. 

Clinical symptoms:

• Deformity of the spine
• Restricted mobility
• Sharp pain
• Weakness
• Problems with bladder and bowel function

X-rays, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed tomography (CT), etc can be used to diagnose degenerative spine conditions.

What is a spinal tap?

A spinal tap, or a lumbar puncture can be used to analyze the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In this procedure, a needle is inserted into the space surrounding the subarachnoid space in the lower back area.

 CSF comprises proteins, cells, etc, that helps to maintain the balance of the nervous system. Spinal tap can be helpful in diagnosing various conditions, such as meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, neurosyphilis, demyelinating diseases, etc. 

Can Lyme disease cause chronic pain?

Yes, Lyme disease can cause chronic pain, particularly if treatment is not initiated. The causative agent of Lyme disease is Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease usually manifests itself by flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and bull-eye rash in its early stages. But when not treated, it may result in an infection that spreads to other areas of the body, such as the joints, the nervous system, and the heart.

Lyme arthritis is one of the most frequent long-term complications that tend to target the knees. In this condition, a person may develop pain, swelling and stiffness in joints. Burning, tingling sensation or shooting pain may be caused by neurological complications such as peripheral neuropathy. Chronic symptoms can be prevented with the help of early diagnosis and the correct use of antibiotics.

What is the link between Lyme disease and spinal degeneration?

Spinal degeneration can arise as a complication of Lyme disease. When Lyme disease affect the spine, it can lead to several conditions, such as arthritis, degenerative disc disease, etc. The bacteria can cause joint inflammation that leads to the breakdown of cartilage. 

Lyme disease can also lead to oxidative stress and destroys the cells in the spine. As a result, the disc will lose the elasticity. The inflammation, resulting from Lyme disease can cause spine arthritis.

Treatment options:

The treatment option depends upon the intensity of the condition. In mild cases, the treatment comprises:

• Acupuncture
• Physiotherapy
• Chiropractic care

When the symptoms are severe, medicines can be used to relieve the pain. Surgery can be indicated in the cases of nerve compression. 

Why does spinal degeneration occur in Lyme disease?

Several factors can lead to spinal degeneration in Lyme disease patients.

• The bacteria can attack the spinal discs and lead to inflammation that can result in degeneration of the spinal cord.
• The inflammation can remain in the body even after the treatment of Lyme disease.
• Essential nutrients like calcium is important for maintaining the spinal health. Lack of nutrients can contribute to degeneration.
• Lack of physical exercise can impair spinal health. 

What are the risks of performing spinal surgery in patients with unresolved Lyme disease?

Spinal anesthesia can introduce infectious agents into the central nervous system (CNS) in Lyme disease patients. As a result of inflammation, there will be an increased of developing chronic pain, irritation in the nerve roots, etc. The systemic infection can predispose the patients to meningitis, abscess, etc. 

Lyme disease can result in dysfunction of the immune system. Hence, Lyme disease can lead to impairement in the immune function and delay in the wound healing. When the infection involves only the upper layers of the skin, it is called superficial infection. Surgeons prescribe antibiotics to prevent the risk of infection. Superficial infection can be easily treated with antibiotics. In deeper infections, additional surgeries are performed. 

Conclusion:

Both Lyme disease and spinal degeneration can leads to chronic pain. Many people think that spinal degeneration is a common cause of chronic pain. Even though, spinal degeneration serves as a common cause, Lyme disease can also play a major role. If not treated, Lyme disease can cause inflammation and lead to degenerative disc disease. 

If you are experiencing persistent pain, it is important to determine the underlying cause to initiate timely intervention. Lifestyle modifications and appropriate treatment can prevent complications and leads to a better quality of life.

References:

1. Cleveland Clinic. Degenerative disk disease. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. www.my.clevelandclinic.org. Updated 2025 [cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16912-degenerative-disk-disease
2. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Lumbar puncture. Johns Hopkins Medicine [Internet]. c2025 [cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/lumbar-puncture
3. Oasis Medical Institute. Lyme disease & spinal degeneration. Oasis Medical Institute [Internet]. c2025 [cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from: https://oasismedicalinstitute.com/lyme-disease-spinal-degeneration/
4. University of Maryland Medical Center. Complications of spine surgery. UMMC [Internet]. c2025 [cited 2025 Jul 5]. Available from: https://www.umms.org/ummc/health-services/orthopedics/services/spine/patient-guides/complications-spine-surgery/