Lyme arthritis is a debilitating joint disorder that arises from Lyme disease, which is a result of infection by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Antibiotics are the traditional treatment for Lyme disease, but chronic arthritis may persist in some patients despite antibiotic treatment. Therefore, other forms of treatment for Lyme arthritis are needed. Photobiomodulation (PBM) using red or near-infrared light, with wavelengths between 630 nm and 900 nm, has been found to be beneficial in alleviating inflammatory symptoms of many disorders. The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether photobiomodulation using either 670 nm or 830 nm light would help alleviate inflammation in a murine Lyme arthritis model. The central hypothesis for this study was that PBM, using 670 nm or 830 nm light, will decrease inflammation in Lyme arthritis. Our results indicate that different wavelengths may possess varying effects on inflammation in Lyme arthritis.
