Joshua Rubinstein, ND
It is often the simple things that matter most. Living with a complicated health problem can be overwhelming. There’s a lot of information, a lot of opinions, and it gets hard to know what actually matters and what to do first. When you’re working through something like that, it helps to have a doctor who can help you simplify it. That’s what naturopathic medicine does.
Naturopathic primary care medicine addresses the root causes contributing to your current health in two different yet complementary ways. The first is scientific: a careful, precise and systematic inquiry into what is actually driving a disease process in your body, so that treatment is aimed at the underlying cause or causes and not just the symptoms. The second is simpler, and just as important – the foundations that everything else rests on: Eating in a way that supports you. Moving your body regularly. Learning to handle the stress in your life with some grace. Sleeping well. Building the habits that help you feel happy and fulfilled. These are ordinary things, but they’re where lasting health actually takes root. In our visits I take time to understand how each of these is going for you, and then we work on them together, building your unique version of better health one step at a time.
One of the things I value most about naturopathic medicine is how many tools it gives me to do that with. I work with nutrition and lifestyle. I work with herbal medicines, homeopathy, and supplements. I also prescribe medications when they’re the right choice, and I do so without hesitation. And there is also surgery when warranted. Having all of these options means I’m never forced into a one-size-fits-all plan. I can tailor treatment to you, help you find what actually works for your body and your life, and adjust as we go.
A lot of my practice is men’s health, and a lot of men’s health is really about men wanting to live their best life no matter what their age. The men I see want to know how to have the energy to get through their day, how to keep their sex life alive as they age, how to keep their back strong and their mind sharp, and what to do about prostate changes, blood sugar, blood pressure, or the anxiety and low mood that can show up in midlife. Underneath all of it is a question I end up asking almost everyone: how do you want to feel at 75, and what do you want to still be doing at 80? When I think about that, I think about my Uncle Fred. Somewhere in his fifties he decided to take his diet and exercise seriously. He played pickleball with friends, moved most days, ate reasonably, and left room for the occasional truly excellent dark chocolate. He’s in his eighties now, and he’s definitely slower than he used to be, but it’s clear that the care he took of himself in his 50s and 60s has paid off.
I also do a lot of work with pain. I look at how the way you use your body is shaping the pain you feel, and I treat the pain with a very gentle form of indirect manipulation: rather than pushing into the tight spot, I move the tissue toward ease and let your body do the releasing. That works best combined with a few focused exercises you do at home, so you’re part of the treatment rather than just receiving it.
I also taught minor surgery for fifteen years and still perform procedures like skin biopsies and removal of cysts and lipomas, which lets me take care of a lot of things right here in the office.
I came to this medicine because I wanted to work with people. I was a biology major headed for a research career, and the more time I spent in the lab, the clearer it became that I didn’t want to spend my life there. What I wanted was to sit down with someone, understand what was really going on, and help them. More than twenty years later, that is still the part of the work I love most. If you’re looking for a doctor who will take the time to understand you and give you real options, I’d be glad to meet you.
Background
Dr Rubinstein earned his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in 2004 and was awarded Bastyr’s Teaching Fellowship, which led to twenty-one years instructing naturopathic medical students in the classroom and in Bastyr’s teaching clinic, including fifteen years teaching the minor surgery course. At Bastyr he also served as clinical sciences chair and faculty senator, and he contributed a chapter to the Naturopathic Foundations Textbook. He then served as Associate Dean of Clinical Education for the naturopathic medical doctoral program at the University of Western States, and he continues to mentor future naturopathic doctors to help meet the growing need for holistic primary care. He trained in functional indirect manipulation in the lineage of Ed Stiles, studying with Patricia Kortekaas and Joe Keeney.
His clinical interests include men’s health, chronic pain and fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions, and dermatology. Dr Rubinstein is a father of three and has seen naturopathic medicine help his own children as well as his patients. He is a strong advocate for naturopathic physicians in primary care and hopes to see more integrative roles and residency opportunities for the profession.
