“We strive to understand the role of contributing health risk factors and how we can apply this to a long-term health and wellness management strategy.”
Please read more about our individual specialties and interests below.
PT, DPT, MS, ATC, CHT, CYT
I received my BS/MS in Physical Therapy from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY while also achieving my Athletic Training Certification. After graduating, I was hired by a busy orthopedic office in the Washington, DC Metro area. There I worked closely with orthopedic surgeons and saw a variety of patients and orthopedic conditions, though I focused primarily on sports medicine and athletic rehabilitation in the pediatric and adult population. I worked as the athletic trainer for a high-level Gymnastics gym for 10 years managing their chronic and acute injuries. I also worked on-field with many other sports teams over the years dealing with minimal to catastrophic injury management.
During my 14 years in DC, I returned to school and received my transitional Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University. I also completed a specialized program for the Hand and Upper Extremity through Drexel University and passed my board certification to become a hand therapist.
Meanwhile, I continued to grow my interest in chronic illness and disease.
In 2017, my family relocated to the Denver Metro area, where I not only continued to work in all of my previous areas of focus, but also embarked on a mission to support those with chronic illness, especially Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and autoimmune disorders. During this time, I also worked in the early intervention pediatrics field.
In my physical therapy profession, I’m a certified Graston practitioner and level 2 functional dry needler, trained in visceral manipulation (VM1, VM2, VM3, VM4, LT1), visceral vascular manipulation (upper body and lower body), neural manipulation (NM1, NM2, NM3, NM4), Vagus Nerve and Autonomic Nervous System (VNANS), and Polyvagal Manual Therapy 1 through the Barral Institute, trained in Craniosacral Therapy (CS1, CS2) through the Upledger Institute, have completed a few fascial Counterstrai Courses (LV1 and F1) and I’m proficient in athletic, kinesio, and McConnell taping. I have studied through a functional medicine program for physical therapists associated with the IFM and completed my courses in herbalism. Over the years, I have also completed a number of meditation and mindfulness related certificates through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. My current continuation in education is through rehab techniques in autonomic dysfunction, neurological manual treatments, post concussive symptoms and rehabilitation, upper cervical rehabilitation proprioceptive strategies, vascular compressions and extracellular matrix health. I am currently enrolled in a PhD program for integrative medicine.
Like most with a chronic illness, I have a long and frustrating medical history, including a lengthy list of doctors who shrugged off my symptoms when they didn’t have a way to explain them.
I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and an autonomic dysfunction – postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). I have also been given a rap sheet of autoimmune disorders and diagnoses.
I’ve spent my professional career learning all I can from published research, along with personal experimentation and talking with other HSD/EDS focused practitioners. I thoroughly enjoy working with those with the same or similar conditions, helping them find what works for them as individuals with unique presentations.
Additionally, I work with people dealing with chronic systemic inflammation who are looking to change their lives, reduce medication, and return to good health using a more natural approach. My current passion lies in exploring detoxification strategies in those with connective tissue disorders to reduce the systemic inflammation that may drive failing health. Specifically, I commonly treat the trifecta of EDS/MCAS/POTS with underlying tick borne illnesses, mold exposure, environmental toxins, and/or chronic viral infections.
As a lifelong athlete, I also enjoy helping other athletes looking to improve their fitness level or break through barriers and plateaus, whether they’re recreational athletes or more serious athletes looking to naturally optimize their potential.
I remain active with running, tae kwon do, swimming, and yoga. When I have time (my active family includes two small children, three cats, and a dog), I’ll sneak in some cycling, archery, or rock climbing. I also enjoy drawing, painting, doing puzzles, and just listening to the sounds of nature.
Other Research and Collaborative Roles:
I help in hosting some modules for the North American EDS ECHO group for Allied Health Professionals and have (and do) participate in a number of other EDS ECHO groups as well. I am a member of the EDS International Consortium. I participate in virtual national groups looking to expand and understand diagnosis and treatment of upper cervical instability in the HSD/EDS population. I am a member of a few small groups currently working on research developing non-surgical treatment strategies for patients with spinal cord tethering, CSF leaks, and abdominal vascular compression syndromes.
MS, PTA, CSCS
I grew up around the Washington, DC Metro area and started my undergraduate work at the University of Maryland – College Park. While in school, I began working at a nearby sports orthopedic clinic, and this is where my passion for Health & Wellness blossomed. Working for some talented orthopedic surgeons and alongside many compassionate clinicians, my appetite for understanding the “why” behind athletic injuries grew. I practiced as a Physical Therapy Assistant for nearly 10 years and found a special niche working in the endurance sports community. Countless hours of research and hands-on implementation resulted in many great successes in terms of patient recovery, but there always seemed to be a missing component to the larger equation of health.
Growing up, I played just about every sport. In high school, however, I excelled at long-distance running. The outward success and inner peace that the sport brought me was unlike anything I had experienced. This fostered a love for the sport of running, which I continue to hold on to this day. It did not come without a price, though, and I have been equally as much a guinea pig for my treatment approaches as a provider. There is no replacement for personal experience with an injury mechanism, and my patients/clients will certainly attest to that!
My overanalyzing brain always wants to find out a “why.” Why is there pain? Why is there a pressure regulation issue? Why does the nervous system have difficulty finding balance? While these answers take time to find, the “how” is something I specialize in identifying right away. Through conversation and collaboration with my patients, I’m able to create a structured plan to help people reach their goals.
My detail-oriented approach to movement combines my deep knowledge of biomechanics with 25 years of experience working with patients. I specialize in meeting individuals where they are in their journey, with a particular interest in neurological and systemic inflammatory presentations. I have found that creating predictability for the nervous system can be a springboard to increased function.
Please note that our appointments are separate. Health & Wellness Coaching cannot be combined with Physical Therapy or Personal Training. If you would like to schedule both of these on the same day, they need to be scheduled accordingly and separately in our system.
Dr. Patty releases her schedule in 3-4 month blocks, and it usually fills up in a matter of minutes. She tends to open her schedule up around the school year calendar, and we inform our patients of the schedule release date via email. As It can be difficult to secure an appointment with Dr. Patty as a new patient, consider seeing Tom first to help sort out any initial support structure(s) that may be needed. If there is current availability in Dr. Patty or Tom’s schedule, appointments can made booked through the scheduling feature: click here.
We ask that our patients make and cancel their appointments only through this feature. Please do not call or email to reschedule your appointment. We do not have set phone or email hours, and we do our best to keep up with communication. Please do not email new questions. We advise our patients to save new questions for appointment times so a conversation can be had. If there is an emergency, please seek emergency medical care.
We thank you for your patience and understanding, as we focus on our patients.
Parking spots are available around the building and also just offsite, if needed – follow the signs. Our office is on the first floor, Suite 115, about halfway down the main hallway on the left (just past the bathrooms and water fountain). Please let yourself into the waiting room and take a seat!
We also see patients via tele appointments, if needed.
A Note About Accessibility: Please note that our office is located on the first floor and is wheelchair accessible. However, the bathroom located in our office building is not wheelchair accessible.
While our caseload is primarily HSD/EDS patients at about 95%, we do welcome those that are interested in our services. We specialize in treating the highly sensitive patient that may have had difficulty finding relief with other modalities. Dr. Patty also works with martial artists, yogis, and gymnasts, while Tom also works with endurance athletes and those looking to optimize performance.
Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to be a concierge service for our patients. Dr. Patty attempts to include all of the pertinent information for the patient to work on within the notes that are made available to the patient within a few days of the appointment. If there are questions regarding past appointments with information Dr. Patty has not included within the notes, our clients can reach out and let us know. Any questions that expand on appointment topics or include new information should be asked within a scheduled appointment session. We do not answer questions about pharmaceutical medication as this is outside the scope of our practice. Tom manages the emails that we receive at Elevation Wellness and will only be able to respond to emails once a week. Our email response days will typically be on Mondays.
Tom handles all of our upfront calls within the office. Many patients do want to talk with Dr. Patty first, but she is unable to comment on any personal health issues unless she has reviewed the patient’s full past medical history. Every patient is very different. Tom is able to answers questions to determine if the client is a good fit with our treatment approaches.
Not every patient needs every specialist and not every practitioner is the right fit. For this reason, Dr. Patty only makes referrals if the person is a current patient and there is a particular provider needed for a certain presentation. This is made on an individual basis.
This very much comes down to the individual. Typically the maximum Dr. Patty sees a patient for Physical Therapy sessions is 1x/week (and more likely 2x/month). The frequency for Health & Wellness Coaching is usually 1x/4-6weeks. Tom typically sees Personal Training clients 1x/3-4 weeks.
Dr. Patty has a relationship with Upright MRI of Centennial. She orders imaging for upright cervical and lumbar MRIs, occasionally thoracic. This does not guarantee payment of services for the patient. The patient must discuss coverage with their insurance company and Upright MRI of Centennial. This is only available to current patients for which the issue has been investigated with previous appointments.
Our system allows the patient to print out notes that they may bring to doctors’ appointments. We ask our patients to please take on this responsibility as they have full accessibility to their notes and we do not have an office staff to easily provide these services.
We ask that our patients ONLY use the on-line portal to make and cancel appointments. Please do not call the office to have us change or cancel an appointment. The system allows the patient to do this easily without calling in. We do have a strict cancelation policy. Please read more here.
Yes we do. This must start with a consultation to establish care as this is only for current patients within the office. Appointment fees apply along with a $75 per hour charge for work on the letter outside of appointment time. Typically time spent is between 3-7 hours depending on the depth of information needed.
We do our best to provide you with the best care possible. As this practice is our livelihood, we very much value our time with our clients and want to be available to whoever needs us. Because of this, we have a strict cancellation and no-show policy to keep our business going and make it easier for everyone to find available time on the schedule.
We absolutely understand that health and wellness may play a role in your ability to physically make it to the office, but please have a back-up plan or transportation set up for your appointment. We also highly encourage you to try telehealth appointments through phone or video conferencing to keep these appointments. Please cancel greater than 24 hours out from your appointment time if you feel there may be issues.
Our policy is as follows:
100% charge of the total appointment fee you had scheduled if you cancel less than 24 hours out from your appointment time, cancel the day of your appointment, or you “no-show” for your appointment.
Please note that cancellations can only be done through our scheduling system you made your appointment with and will not be accepted via e-mail.
Thank you for your understanding!
We are a cash-based practice, meaning we do not accept or work with insurance companies. There are many reasons for this, but most importantly, we do not contact or coordinate with our clients’ insurance companies, as we are extremely treatment-focused. Spending time with insurance companies takes away from time with our patients. Our providers are responsible for all aspects of the company and our priorities are quality treatment and providing up-to-date information to our clients. Financially, our small company is unable to devote time to the ins-and-outs of insurance communication, while still being able to maintain our level of quality.
Payment is only due at the completion of the session; you will not be charged before your session. We accept credit card and cash payments in full.
