May 2011 eNewsletter
A Note from CCM Leadership
We have a saying at the Centers for Complementary Medicine that
healing begins in the waiting area. So, when you walk into
Complementary Medicine at Kaiser Permanente (KP) you will see a
different look and feel, less clinical and, hopefully, more healing
than you may expect.
Complementary Medicine opened its doors almost eight years
ago! Since then we have grown to four locations including
Westminster, Lakewood, and Midtown - in addition to our first
location at Smoky Hill. We love being able to provide
complementary care, sometimes called integrative care, to
both Kaiser Permanente members and non-members alike. All
without a referral, too. The services offered in
Complementary Medicine include acupuncture, chiropractic, massage
therapy, and lots of classes - yoga, chi gong, tai chi, and
meditation. We also offer a variety of nutrition classes -
think Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Good Fats/Bad Fats.
Being part of a large health maintenance organization has its
advantages. We are part of the KP family, so affiliated with
a trusted brand. We use an evidence-based medicine approach
to care and chart visits into the KP electronic medical record so
that your PCP can check out the progress you are making using
acupuncture (for example) to complement your allopathic
care. We have an MD who provides clinical oversight and all
chiropractors and acupuncturists are credentialed by CPMG, the
physician side of KP.
Finally, we can provide you with the tools that help you to
THRIVE!
I welcome your comments and encourage you to come and visit
us. Come and see why we feel the Centers for Complementary
Medicine are the best solution for integrative health care.
Yours in Health and Healing,
Melissa Glassey
What's Going on in the World of
Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
April showers have brought out the May flowers, and all the
allergies that come with them. Allergy season is in full swing,
leaving you sneezing and reaching for the tissue. Did you know that
Acupuncture can help with your seasonal suffering?
Read more...
A Word from our
Providers
Getting to the core of the
problem
One of the most common questions I get from patients with back
pain is which exercises they should be doing to keep their backs
healthy. From crunches to full sit-ups, lunges to squats,
everyone has a different idea of what works best. In a
time when statistics show close to 85% of the population will
experience back pain over the course of their lives, it
doesn't surprise me that there is so much conflicting information
floating around. By now, most of us are aware of the
fact that keeping your core muscles strong is important to maintain
a healthy back, but what does that really mean?
When we talk about the core muscles, we're focusing on the
structures that make up the abdomen. The main function of our core
is to keep our torsos balanced and stable with daily activities
letting the bigger muscle groups in the arms and legs do the
majority of the movement. The big three that we usually focus
on are the Transverse Abdominus which wraps around the mid-section
like a girdle, the Rectus Abdominus which runs vertically in the
middle of the stomach, and the Obliques which flank either
side. We've all seen the infomercials with the great cartoon
renderings of how well the latest and greatest product can target
each of these areas (in just minutes a day!) but when were talking
about exercises for our backs, will that really cut it?
In the simplest form, the answer is no. It's not that
having a strong mid-section is a bad thing, but just focusing on
core-specific exercises leaves out all of the other muscles above
and below your back that are connected to the chain. I always
try to stick to the rule of three when it comes to home exercises
for my patients. By that I mean no more than three exercises
at a time; because, let's be honest, when you leave your
appointment with a 5 page handout of work to do it gets the same
attention that our geometry homework of old - forgotten at the
bottom of the pile.
We can get the best results with the most efficiency by focusing
on exercises that use body weight as the resistance and incorporate
multiple muscle groups. We're not leaving the core muscles
behind; we're just trying to add other groups into the same
exercise. For example, standing body weight squats are a
great starting point to work on the muscles in the hips and thighs,
but adding in an element of instability, like standing on a folded
up towel or cushion will force our bodies to also activate the
muscles in our core to keep us balanced. The same
principle can apply to an exercise like overhead shoulder presses
(with or without added weight) while standing on an uneven
surface.
By combining the work of multiple muscle groups and challenging
our balance, we can get the best results to gain strength and
ultimately protect our backs from the unpredictable nature of our
daily activities. The next time you head out to exercise,
keep your back in mind and put those multi-tasking skills to
work!
Meghan Dukes, DC, MSPT
Chiropractic Physician
Come see us at the Kaiser
Permanente Colfax Marathon!
This year Kaiser Permanente is the title sponsor for the 2011
Colfax Marathon, taking place the weekend of May 15th. We will be
at the Thrive Village to provide more information and to answer
questions about the Centers for Complementary Medicine, so stop by
and see us! Visit the Kaiser
Permanente Colfax Marathon website for more information about
all the events.
Upcoming Classes and
Programs
Find alternative ways to achieve a healthy life with our
Mind-Body program. Class descriptions are below. See the class
schedule.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Improve
your ability to manage the physical and psychological symptoms
associated with chronic illness, chronic pain, anxiety, depression,
and stress-related conditions using meditation and stress reduction
techniques.
Beginning Yoga: Learn the basics of yoga. Feel
free to take this class more than once.
Senior Yoga: Recommended for seniors new to
yoga who wish to enhance their strength, flexibility, and
balance.
Yoga for Stress Reduction: Use yoga to help
avoid, manage, and release stress in the mind and body.
Movement and Balance with Tai Chi: Learn
movements to increase your balance and stability. All levels are
welcome.
"Nutrition and Inflammation" / "Diet and
Inflammation": How do foods affect inflammation in your
body? Find out what you can do about inflammation naturally through
diet changes and natural supplements.
We are moving!
Our Midtown I Medical Office location will be moving just two
blocks West into a new space the weekend of July 8th.
Our new address will be:
1960 Ogden St, Suite 100
Denver, CO 80218
We will provide more details on our website as they become
available. Thank you for your consideration during our
transition.
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