By Doug Hare EBS STAFF
BIG
SKY –Dr. Kaley Burns has already
started treating patients but the official Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting
ceremony for Big Sky Natural Health will take place on Thursday, Dec. 12 from
5–7 p.m. The office is located next to Engel & Völkers in the same building
occupied by The Cave Spirits and Gifts.
Naturopathic medicine is part of the
quickly growing natural health industry, as an increasing number of patients
seek a more non-invasive approach to their healthcare than offered by
traditional hospitals. “There is this
trend of finding a more natural way to manage your health than just with
pharmaceuticals. I take a more supportive, underlying-cause standpoint that
offers patients a different perspective,” Dr. Burns said. “Educated patients
are empowered patients. I can make recommendations all day, but it’s really us
working together that will best support their health.”
Burns
received her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the National University of
Health Sciences in Chicago, Illinois, one of only five naturopathic medical
schools in the U.S. She
specializes in regenerative injection therapies including Prolotherapy (Prolo),
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), and Stem Cell Therapy as well as IV nutrient
therapy.
The
Minnesota-native previously practiced as a licensed Naturopathic Physician in
an integrative family practice in Manchester, Connecticut. Having spent time
working at Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic in Billings, Montana she was eager
to return to the Treasure State as an associate. While continuing to obtain
advanced training and application of regenerative and intravenous injection
therapy at YNC, Dr. Burns was drawn to the natural splendor of the Big Sky
area, where she hopes to offer a unique clinical experience to the community.
After
graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison intent on pursuing a career
in physical therapy, Burns’ own battles with health issues would change the
trajectory of her career path and later inform how she approaches life as a
health professional. “I was in the process
of training for Ironman and had gotten pretty sick and nobody could figure out
why. I was seeing my primary care physician, a gastroenterologist, a
neurologist and a bunch of different people,” Burns said. “Everyone seemed to
want to give me another medication, and medication for that medication. My mom
suggested that I see a naturopath and I gave her this look like I had no idea
what she was talking about.”
Fortunately,
Burns did see a naturopathic doctor, and within a few weeks of various therapies
and diet changes, her health returned. That experience is what she credits as
having opened her eyes to the possibility of studying the burgeoning field of
naturopathy and helping others in similar situations. Burns has since been able
to return to doing the things she enjoys most: endurance events, cross-country
skiing, paddle boarding and exploring new hiking trails with her dog. Big Sky’s
newest small business owner looks forward to testing herself in The Rut, an
annual, grueling endurance race on Lone Mountain.
“I’m
looking forward to joining the community here. People have been very welcoming
and excited about what we’re going to be doing up here,” Burns said. “It’s
great to be in a place where people really value their health. There’s a lot of
active people around here who enjoy being outside. They seem to not only care
about existing conditions but also prevention and staying healthy and trying to
perform at their peak level.”
Burns
knows a thing or two about performing at a high level and recovering from
injury. Not only has she shaved over an hour off of her Ironman race times, she
has also climbed a mountain—Mt Kilmanjaro to be exact. Almost 40 years to the
day that her mom summited the highest peak in Africa, Burns also made it to the
top of the iconic dormant volcano only a few weeks after breaking her ankle
while hiking deep in the Beartooth Mountains.
Dr.
Burns is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians,
American Medical Women’s Association and the secretary of the Montana
Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
