Lisa R Butler D.O. / Integrative Osteopathy

Permanently closed. Not accepting patients. Thank you.

Time to break out the bug spray.

First Positive West Nile Virus Mosquitoes Found in Larimer County (Health) The first positive West Nile virus mosquitoes have been found in Larimer County this year. Positive mosquitoes were found in southeast Fort Collins. No human cases have been reported in Colorado so far this year. Mosquito numbers are abundant in many areas of the County. It is a good time to remind....

Knowledge is helpful... learning some new details on an old problem.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/realestate/poison-ivy.html?fbclid=IwAR2A8Y-Fm8hF1jUda74MbPXy9RGfChG6G3_WzHbvvmA2PSRg4zOwUNsOFtA

What You May Not Know About Poison Ivy Sure, it’s irritating. But this unpopular native plant also has underappreciated superpowers. Here’s how to deal with it.

Today is Earth Day. To celebrate, Integrative Osteopathy is joining Bike Fort Collins as a business member to promote more bikes and safe streets in our community. Join me in spending less time in the car, more time on your bike or feet or skateboard, and please wear a helmet to protect your beautiful brain cells.

Surprising Trends in Bicycle Accidents - Bike Fort Collins Surprising Trends in Bicycle Accidents by bikefc | Apr 21, 2021 | Bicycle Advocacy, Bicycle Friendly Business, Contributors, More Bikes, Safe Streets | 0 comments Guest Writer – Sara Steiben, Hadfield Stieben Doutt, LLC Whether you are bicycling for pleasure or for transportation, the last thing y...

Just a little read worth your time. PLEASE wear a mask, stay home as much as possible, and wash your hands. So many patients with COVID...

Vitamin D Insufficiency May Account for Almost Nine of Ten COVID-19 Deaths: Time to Act. Comment on: “Vitamin D Deficiency and Outcome of COVID-19 Patients”. Nutrients 2020, 12, 2757 Evidence from observational studies is accumulating, suggesting that the majority of deaths due to SARS-CoV-2 infections are statistically attributable to vitamin D insufficiency and could potentially be prevented by vitamin D supplementation [...]

How good is the good news of the COVID vaccines?

Oh boy, aren’t we all relieved to hear all the experts gushing that the COVID vaccines are > 90% efficacious. Don’t you just feel like you can almost hear the superheroes’ capes flapping in the breeze as the credits roll!

While this is good news, how good it is depends on what your definition of “is” is. Just what IS efficacious?

Let’s cut to the chase and start with what it ISN’T. It ISN’T prevention of COVID nor is it prevention of transmission of COVID. So it doesn’t mean you can take off your mask and have a house party.

Efficacy in this case is the prevention of SYMPTOMS of COVID. So why is this cause for celebration? Well, no symptoms means no hospitalization and no dying… at least for a lot less people.

What we don’t know is whether prevention of symptoms in vaccinated people means asymptomatic spreading. WEAR YOUR MASK. The way the studies are being conducted, we don’t have any clue who is infected except those with symptoms because only those with symptoms are tested.

How about safety? Well, a lack of adverse reactions is a lack of adverse reactions, so that’s good. We do know everything about COVID and probably the vaccine acts differently in different age groups. Most of the study participants are between the ages of 16 and 55 – all in Pfizer’s study and all but about 8000 in Moderna’s. Moderna DID include about 8000 participants over 65 so we will have at least some idea about side effects in these people.

Just remember when the news is reporting that the vaccine is efficacious in stopping COVID it isn’t. It’s efficacious in stopping symptoms. Which, by the way, is the same for the flu vaccine. It doesn’t necessarily stop you from getting the flu, it stops you from getting the flu as badly and it’s often 50% efficacious or less. So, 90% is indeed good news.

After an athlete has COVID they should not necessarily jump right back into play. Serious cardiac and lung effects could cause ongoing issues. Research is just beginning to come out. Athletes should be aware they may feel ok but not be ready to play.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2772399?fbclid=IwAR3_MYuVxZb3GEFBp8S-NiSa7a2GX9jTI3Zw6pzswF8rD0YKn_JkxW3iV24

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Athletic Heart

Fall PSA

Time to make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector on your bedroom floor. Combo smoke/CO detectors on the ceiling are not adequate. CO is a heavy gas that sinks to the floor. By the time a ceiling alarm goes off, it's too late.

They seem expensive but your life is worth far more than they cost.

This study details the effectiveness of a number of kinds of masks. As we go into ski season this winter, keep in mind that they found fleece is virtually useless as a mask. So that balaclava won't protect anyone. Buffs aren't much better. Take a look.

Low-cost measurement of facemask efficacy for filtering expelled droplets during speech Mandates for mask use in public during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, worsened by global shortage of commercial supplies, have led to widespread use of homemade masks and mask alternatives. It is assumed that wearing such masks reduces the likelihood for an infected person to spread the disease, but....

Applies to kids on the spectrum as well.

Study: ADHD, Diet, Exercise, Screen Time All Directly or Indirectly Impact Sleep A child with ADHD is more likely to experience sleep problems, in part because ADHD symptoms influence diet and physical activity — two factors that directly impact sleep. This finding comes from a new study that also shows how screen time impacts exercise, which in turn impacts sleep. Understandi...