Evidence-based testing for tick-borne illness, and an honest, careful evaluation of persistent symptoms after treatment.
Acute Lyme disease, caused by a tick bite from an infected tick, is a well-established diagnosis with standard testing and effective antibiotic treatment. Utah has a much lower tick-borne illness rate than the Northeast or upper Midwest, but exposure can still happen, especially with travel or outdoor activity.
Where things get more complicated is “chronic Lyme disease” — the idea that ongoing, unexplained symptoms after treatment (or without a confirmed diagnosis) represent a persistent Lyme infection. Some patients do experience prolonged symptoms after appropriately treated Lyme disease, a recognized phenomenon usually called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. However, long-term antibiotic treatment for “chronic Lyme” beyond standard courses is not well supported by evidence and carries real risks, which is why we don't offer it.
Our approach: proper testing if there's a reasonable exposure history or symptom pattern, appropriate antibiotic treatment for confirmed cases, and a broader workup for persistent symptoms rather than an assumption that Lyme explains everything indefinitely.
We take a thorough exposure and symptom history, order standard, evidence-based Lyme testing when appropriate, and treat confirmed cases with guideline-based antibiotic courses. For symptoms that persist after treatment, we run a broader workup rather than defaulting to extended, unproven antibiotic protocols.
For persistent symptoms after treatment, inflammatory markers help clarify what's actually going on.
Explore Inflammation TestingA comprehensive evaluation for unexplained, ongoing symptoms beyond a single diagnosis.
Explore Functional Medicine"I take tick exposure seriously and I'll test for it properly. What I won't do is put someone on months of antibiotics for ‘chronic Lyme’ without solid evidence behind it — that's not caution, that's a real risk to a patient with an uncertain benefit."
Often part of the same evaluation: chronic inflammation, fatigue, joint pain, and autoimmune disease. Browse all conditions we treat →
What patients ask most before their first appointment.
Evidence-based testing and treatment — no overpromising, no unnecessary risk.