This is part one of a three-part series exploring Lyme disease—how to test for it, treat it, and prevent it.  Lyme disease can be a crippling condition for many individuals. In fact, many patients who seek functional medicine care at our wellness center often struggle with Lyme and the commonly associated co-infections. Our family has even dealt with both acute and chronic Lyme disease. What Is Lyme Disease? The origins of Lyme disease, or borreliosis, are widely disputed. From what we understand, it was first recorded in the 1970s in Lyme, Connecticut. In 1982, the spirochete bacteria that causes Lyme disease was discovered by Willy Burgdorfer and was named Borrelia burgdorferi. Since then, the rate of Lyme disease has grown, and now Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are nearly 500,000 people diagnosed …