Kaiser Permanente is excited to announce its newest Center for Complementary Medicine (CCM) location right here in Colorado Springs, which opened in May 2017. The mission of the CCM is to improve lives by restoring mind and body health; and the vision is to integrate complementary medicine into the health care system to improve clinical outcomes. There are nine Kaiser Permanente CCM locations throughout Colorado offering a variety of services, including chiropractic, therapeutic massage, acupuncture and mind-body classes. The Colorado Springs location will focus on chiropractic care.

CCM is open to everyone, you do not have to be a Kaiser Permanente member to receive chiropractic treatment. Whether or not you are a member, you will receive the same high-quality care. If you are a patient of a Kaiser Permanente physician, CCM is part of Kaiser Permanente's integrated delivery system, which means you will continue to receive coordinated care from your entire Kaiser Permanente team. Your complementary medicine practitioner will be able to access your electronic medical record if youre a Kaiser Permanente member to learn your health history and communicate with your primary care physician and any specialists you may be working with.

Patrick Noel, DC, is a chiropractor with Kaiser Permanentes CCM. I was an athlete in college, and a sports injury to my shoulder was what inspired me to get into chiropractic, said Noel, who has been practicing for nearly 20 years. I tried several different approaches to remedy the issue, which didnt work, and finally went to a chiropractor in town. I was healed almost immediately and back at it again on the field.

For the first five years of his career, Noel focused almost exclusively on sports medicine. He then shifted his focus workers compensation for about 10 years. He now sees a wide range of patients at Kaiser Permanentes Briargate Offices as a general chiropractor.

I would say about 80-percent of my patients come in with back problems, neck problems or headaches though some do have sports-related injuries like tennis elbow, knee tendonitis, sprained ankles or something of that nature, Noel said. I believe most back or neck problems are cumulative, meaning the spine becomes tighter and tighter over time before revealing the problem. My job is to restore its function and get the body to heal itself.

A visit with Noel often begins with a consult and then a massage using a tool that relaxes the patients muscles and stimulates blood flow. He then moves onto manual manipulation to get the affected joints moving. He often introduces patients to different exercises they can perform at home to continue the healing momentum. Some patients may even benefit from taking a supplement that can aid in the healing process. Most patients will come twice a week for up to 2-8 weeks, depending on the severity of the issue.

Chiropractic was founded back in 1895 not on pain relief, but on staying healthy, Noel said. The founder of chiropractic, D.D. Palmer, concluded that the worse shape your spine is in, the unhealthier you will be.

Most patients feel significantly better when leaving the office though the relief may be temporary at first since it takes time to condition the joints and muscles to stay loose. Some unexpected benefits of chiropractic may include improved breathing capacity, improved digestion and better balance. In fact, students have been able to show that adjusting a patients neck increases peripheral vision temporarily because of nerves being stimulated.

I get the opportunity to treat a lot of patients, and I get to even help some avoid more aggressive procedures, said Noel. Chiropractors are often the last resort before a surgical consult, and at times we are able to prevent many back and other surgeries.

Chiropractic was founded on the bodys innate ability to heal, combating stress and inflammation that usually prohibits this healing process. Instead of masking symptoms, chiropractic seeks to fix the mechanical issue, allowing the immune system, organs, muscles and joints to be restored to health.

My job is to prevent arthritis in patients, when possible. If I can keep the bones moving, I can keep them from calcifying and degenerating. I dont fix anything, I restore the body so that it can heal itself, he said.

Part of what attracted Noel to Kaiser Permanente is its focus on preventative medicine and the vision of integrating alternative medicine into mainstream allopathic medicine.

There is a terrific need in this area, and here Kaiser Permanente does a great job at intertwining holistic medicine and western medicine, leading the way to a more preventative, patient-centered care model, he said.

Patrick Noel, DC, is currently accepting new patients. The Kaiser Permanente Center for Complimentary Medicine is open to the public you do not have to be a Kaiser Permanente member to receive treatment.

- Patrick Noel, DC, is a chiropractor practicing at the Kaiser Permanentes Briargate Medical Offices located at 4105 Briargate Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. To learn more about howthey can help your family thrive, visit kp.orgor call 1-888-681-7878.

To learn more about Kaiser Permanente health care and insurance coverage to help your family thrive, visit kp.orgor call 1-888-681-7878.

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Patrick Noel, DC: Restoring the body's innate ability to heal through chiropractic care - Colorado Springs Gazette