Scott Isaacs, ND, DC
Thank you for visiting! I’d like to share with you how I got to be a naturopathic doctor and a chiropractor.
I grew up in Littleton, Colorado, and often went to the mountains to enjoy skiing, camping, and hiking. But when I was about 5 years old, I suddenly developed asthma and allergies to just about anything you’d imagine that was related to a barn: horses, cats, hay, chickens…you get the picture. In fact, I suffered a particularly traumatic asthma attack after going to the National Western Stock Show one year. That ended my trips there! Even the circus became off-limits. And forget about riding horses.
So I started medication to help me breathe more easily. The trouble was, it made me awfully jittery – especially the inhalers. I felt like the side effects of the medications were worse than simply having trouble breathing. It didn’t make a difference that my lung capacity was a fraction of what it should have been. So I often “forgot” to take my medication, which frustrated my parents to no end.
By high school, I had “outgrown” my asthma, but issues with my lungs hadn’t ended. Every winter, I’d catch a cold, then suffer a bout of bronchitis that would last for months. Steroids were my mainstay, but again, the side effects weren’t all that great, including rapid weight gain (10 pounds in 2 weeks!) and some pretty intense mood swings.
But when I went away to college, I had friends who claimed to beat even their most severe colds with echinacea, goldenseal, and garlic. The idea fascinated me! Did that mean that simple herbs and even the right foods could help me heal from colds? I gave them a try, and found that they could! With the help of echinacea and licorice tea, my cold duration was cut in half, and I didn’t suffer any bronchitis for the first time in years!
One of my college instructors noticed my growing passion for natural methods of healing, and recommended that I attend an herbal conference in Iowa the summer after I graduated. The conference was wonderful, and my fascination with natural medicine exploded. Not long after that, one of my friends mentioned naturopathic medicine over lunch, and I began to explore. Suddenly, it all made sense. The idea of treating illnesses using only natural methods, using the simplest and most gentle methods first, and avoiding the use of pharmaceutical drugs except as a last resort, truly felt like the best possible medicine. So instead of using my Russian and environmental studies degree to work on the environmental conundrum in the former Soviet Union, I threw myself into preparing for naturopathic school.
I attended the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon for four years. It was, in many ways, a typical medical school. My classmates and I studied anatomy, physiology, biochemistry…all the basic sciences that medical students study. We learned the art and science of clinical diagnosis, performed physical exams, interpreted lab tests, and even learned about pharmaceutical drugs. We saw a wide range of patients in various clinics scattered across Portland. And we took four days of board exams, which we were required to pass before we could receive a license to practice.
Naturopathic school was a wonderful anomaly – it’s not often that students go to medical school and graduate in better health than when they began, but that’s exactly what happened. We learned about treatments such as homeopathy, hydrotherapy, nutrition, spinal manipulation, and botanical medicine. But we were also encouraged to employ the treatments on ourselves and each other, and experience how profoundly healing they could be.
In particular, I discovered an affinity for spinal and extremity manipulation. So after I graduated, I moved to Chicago, and found myself in the backyard of National University of Health Sciences. I realized that this would be a perfect opportunity for me to hone my skills in physical medicine, and learn more about how chiropractic could help people.
In my spare time, I enjoy experimenting wildly in the kitchen; usually my experiments end up edible, and sometimes delicious! I also love to sing, and have been involved with many choirs in the Denver area. I enjoy biking and swimming, and have participated in a few triathlons over the years. And as befits a Colorado native, I still love skiing and hiking in one of the most beautiful states in the nation.
I truly love getting to know patients and working with them to help them carve out the best health possible…naturally. Each person who comes in for a visit is unique and has a fascinating history that has contributed to their health or disease state. I work not only to confirm and address a diagnosis, but more importantly, to figure out what may have been the original cause. I offer support, encouragement, and tools to create health and not just eliminate disease. When you come to see me, you can expect to take an active role in determining your health…perhaps more active than you have been before.
The treatments I use are simple but profound, and address the cause of disease, eliminating the obstacles that stand in the way of a cure. But aside from the specialized treatment that I offer, healing often occurs in the form of laughter, understanding, guidance, and occasionally tears…and sometimes this healing results in the most profound benefit. You can prepare yourself for one of the most rewarding journeys of your life!
I look forward to meeting with you! My best wishes for health and happiness.
Dr. Scott
