Course
13

Lyme and Co-Infections

Overview
Understand how to recognise chronic Lyme and co-infection patterns to manage stealth pathogens, immune dysfunction, and post-infectious fatigue through phase-based plans that disrupt biofilm and apply targeted microbials.
Format
Online
Units
14
Recommended for
  • Tick bites
  • Relapsing fever
  • Joint pain
  • Neurological symptoms
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
Lyme and Co-Infections

The learning framework

1
Why Lyme-related illness is frequently misdiagnosed
Lyme disease and its associated co-infections represent one of the most complex, misunderstood, and under-diagnosed areas of modern health, with symptoms that often mimic chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalances, or psychiatric conditions, leading to years of misdiagnosis, dismissive care, and suffering while tick-borne and vector-borne illnesses drive multi-system dysfunction.
2
The challenges of assessment and terrain complexity
Most practitioners lack training to identify Lyme-related illness, assess co-infections, interpret inadequate testing methods, or address the broader terrain issues, immune dysregulation, biofilm formation, mitochondrial dysfunction, mould exposure, heavy metal burden, and chronic inflammation, that allow these infections to persist and cause debilitating symptoms, leaving clients without clear understanding of why symptoms remain despite treatment attempts.
3
A structured framework for Lyme and co-infections
The Lyme and Co-Infections module trains you to recognise symptom clusters, interpret functional and clinical data, understand the complex interplay between infections and immune-metabolic-environmental health, and provide structured, education-based support within scope while knowing when and how to collaborate with Lyme-literate medical doctors and specialists.

What you'll learn

By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Understand the pathophysiology of Lyme disease
Recognising Borrelia as a stealth pathogen that evades immune detection through biofilm formation, intracellular hiding, immune suppression, and antigenic variation, leading to chronic, relapsing symptoms affecting multiple body systems.
Recognise common co-infections and their unique presentations
Assessing Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, and viral reactivations that commonly accompany Lyme, each contributing distinct symptom patterns and complicating presentation and treatment.
Identify the multi-system symptoms of chronic Lyme and co-infections
Recognising patterns including severe fatigue, brain fog, migratory joint and muscle pain, neuropathy, headaches, sleep disturbances, temperature dysregulation, autonomic dysfunction, mood changes, light and sound sensitivity, and gastrointestinal issues.
Understand the limitations and challenges of Lyme testing
Recognising that standard two-tier testing misses many cases, understanding the value of specialised labs, and knowing when clinical diagnosis based on history and symptoms is appropriate despite negative testing.
Interpret functional markers that suggest chronic infection and immune dysfunction
Using blood chemistry, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress markers, nutrient deficiencies, and mitochondrial function indicators to assess infection burden and immune suppression.
Recognise the role of biofilm in chronic infections
Understanding how Borrelia and co-infections form protective biofilm matrices, and how biofilm disruption strategies support treatment effectiveness.
Understand the interplay between Lyme, mould, and biotoxin illness
Recognising CIRS overlap, how biotoxin burden and impaired detoxification create chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation.
Build phased, terrain-focused protocols
Sequencing interventions through drainage and detoxification support, immune modulation, mitochondrial support, biofilm disruption, and antimicrobial support in collaboration with medical practitioners.

Why this matters

The ability to identify cases that have been missed or misdiagnosed
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Recognising symptom patterns and functional markers that suggest tick-borne illness allows you to guide clients toward appropriate testing and specialist care.
Confidence in complex, multi-system cases
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You'll assess clients with overlapping symptoms and identify when chronic infections may be the underlying driver.
Better client outcomes
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Supporting terrain restoration, immune regulation, detoxification, and mitochondrial function creates meaningful symptom reduction and enhanced treatment response when combined with medical care.
Professional differentiation
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Lyme expertise positions you as capable of supporting one of the most challenging and underserved patient populations.
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Lyme Disease
Borrelia
Bartonella
Tick-Borne Illness
Co-Infections
Chronic Infections
Vector-Borne Disease
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Immune Dysfunction
Your path to becoming a Certified Practitioner

How to get started

1st Step
Submit your Application
Apply online in just a few minutes. Our team will review your experience, education and goals to ensure this certification aligns with your professional path.
2nd Step
Join the IOH community
Once accepted, you’ll gain instant access to our global network of practitioners, mentors and resources that support your learning from day one.
3rd Step
Begin your first module
Start your studies inside the IOH learning portal — with guided mentorship, live calls, and access to the Oracle AI system that turns knowledge into action.

Expand your knowledge

All Courses
What does an Integrative Nutritional Therapist do?
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An Integrative Nutritional Therapist utilises the latest evidence-based research to create an integrative approach to optimising each client’s health and wellbeing.

They design bio-individual nutrition plans, personalise supplementation where appropriate, and interpret functional laboratory data, including blood work, to gain deeper insights, achieve better accuracy and tailor every intervention to the individual.

How is functional medicine different from conventional medicine?
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Conventional medicine often waits until a disease is clearly present before intervention begins. Treatment is focused on managing or suppressing a diagnosed condition.

Functional medicine looks upstream. It assesses the early drivers of dysfunction and works to prevent disease from developing in the first place, or restore balance in the body. It uses a whole-systems view of the body, then applies personalised, preventative nutrition and lifestyle interventions to support long-term health rather than only reacting once things have gone wrong.

What will be my scope of practice after completing this certification?
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After completing the certification, you will be recognised and insured as a Integrative Nutritional Therapist inclusive of Nutritional Therapy and Functional Blood Work, with a clearly defined scope of practice.

You will be trained and insured to:

  • Design bio-individual nutrition plans
  • Recommend and prescribe over-the-counter supplementation up to safe, optimal intake thresholds
  • Utilise functional blood work from a wellness perspective to guide your reasoning and recommendations
  • Collaborate with and refer to medical professionals when red flags, pathology or out-of-scope conditions are identified

Our scope of practice has been aligned with nutritional therapy standards and externally audited, so you can work with confidence and clarity.

Is your course accredited?
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Yes. Our certifications are accredited by multiple independent professional bodies, including the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT) and the Complementary Medical Association (CMA).

To receive these accreditations, our curriculum undergoes forensic external auditing to ensure every component is up to date, evidence-informed, ethically delivered and aligned with recognised Nutritional Therapy and Functional Health standards. This includes rigorous evaluation of our academic content, assessments, delivery methods and scope of practice frameworks.

This external oversight gives you confidence that the qualification you are investing in is credible, robust and widely recognised within the industry, with clear pathways for insurance, professional membership and global practice.

Will I be able to practise internationally?
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Yes. Our graduates are eligible for insurance through IICT that is recognised across 36 countries, including:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden & United Kingdom.

This allows you to work with clients internationally, including in online practice, provided you respect local regulations and the scope of practice defined by your insurer and professional associations.

Need help?
Get in touch with us
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