Why Naturopathic Medicine?

I am a naturopathic doctor (ND) with specialized training in neurology as it relates to improving human performance. When I say "human performance," I mean in the sense of how each of us, budding athletes to seasoned grandmothers, moves through and interacts with our world – sport, recreation, or leisure.

For example, ask yourself:

On one end of the spectrum…

Are you able to move in your body in ways that allow you to do what you need day in and day out? To do what you WANT day in and day out?

Do you experience limits in your ability to interact with your world due to pain, fatigue/energy issues, etc..?

Or, on the other end of the spectrum…

Do you feel like you're "this close" to reaching a new goal, but need a boost and aren't sure where to start?

Are you able to move through your world with ease, but need guidance in training for your upcoming season or event?

These are the questions that excite me! I love helping people reach new health and movement potential in ways that allow them to better interact with their lives. From playing with children to just "not feeling so stiff" after a day at work to feeling more in control on the rink, court, or field – it all excites me!

Why geek out over this?

Growing up, I was an athletic little bugger. My brother and I were always outside working on becoming the next "greats" at something (BMX, roller hockey, tree-house making, etc..). Throughout middle and high school, I was involved in ice hockey, track/cross country, football, and snowboarding. Ice hockey was by far my favorite, enriching over 13 years of my early life (and continues to do so today). I even played ice hockey in college for Northern Arizona University (ACHA).

Bottom line: I was active – so was my mom. She was the picture of "freakishly fit." (In her prime, she would have embarrassed me and my “collegiate hockey prime.”) And in about two years after falling sick, she was unable to move from her bed to the bathroom without help. For years, I watched my "10-mile run to destress" mother need help with menial movement tasks that we take for granted each day. In October of 2006 she was given four weeks to live and was told to get her affairs in order.

Rest easy, though; my mom is alive and well today – moving happily and freely! In 2006, she had spent time (the longest two weeks of my adolescent life) at an integrative hospital outside of the United States. On her return, she had color in her cheeks that my brother and I hadn’t seen in a long time. Her medical team had referred her to a naturopathic physician in Arizona saying that he would be the best person to continue to manage her case. This guy was a real life Dr. House in my eyes. He was handling the case that Mayo Clinic couldn’t figure out, that numerous MDs across the US couldn’t figure out, and that a couple medical universities gave up on. “Who the hell is this guy? I want to be him.” One day I picked up his business card and Googled him. That was the day, at 14 years old, I decided I was going to go to Bastyr University to become a naturopathic doctor.

This whole experience woke me up to two things:

(1) Without our health, we can't do or be anything.

(2) Without movement, we can't truly be healthy (see #1).

Healthy movement and a healthy life are so interconnected it's silly.

(This isn't written in stone. There are otherwise healthy individuals dealing with varying degrees of paralysis or other conditions, and there are otherwise mobile people dealing with varying degrees of health.)

Grossly, the concept is valid:

Healthy movement = Healthy Body/Mind = Healthy Life.

Educational Journey

Inspired by that experience of my mother’s health challenges, I earned my Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Science with a heavy emphasis on human physiology, exercise physiology, and biochemistry at Northern Arizona University. There I also received my personal training certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and my Nutrition Coaching certification through Precision Nutrition. With that background, I have spent time over the years coaching individuals in-person and virtually to help them reach their health and fitness goals.

With my ultimate goal then (and now) being to help people achieve truly healthy lives, I ventured off to Bastyr University for my doctorate in naturopathic medicine. (We're the rigorously trained gurus in natural, evidence-based primary care. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.)

During my time at Bastyr, I received additional movement training from Dr. Edythe Heus in Revolution in Motion, fascial manipulation work from Stecco Fascial Manipulation, (pending examination) board certification from the Carrick Institute in Clinical Neuroscience, and much more.

Today I integrate these modalities to provide an individualized and whole-person approach to integrative healthcare today.

That was a long-winded way to say:

My ultimate goal is to help the world feel, live, and move better one visit at a time!

With gratitude,

Mark Heisig, ND