Dr. Craig Mortensen
This is MY story… And I’m stickin’ to it.
I was born and raised as a California boy. Growing up, my father was a Doctor of Chiropractic, so I always knew I wanted to go into alternative healthcare. It was part of who our family was. I just never knew the extent to which I would get into it.
Let’s fast forward a few years. Around the age of 13 or 14, I began to experience random, very severe stomach pains. They would get so bad that sometimes, I would be doubled over in pain for a couple of days at a time. My entire body would end up in spasms and render me immobile because I was so dehydrated from throwing up and dry heaving uncontrollably.
I would then be rushed to the Emergency Room where I would be pumped full of fluids through IV and given all kinds of pain killers. The first time this happened, we thought it was just a fluke. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. "Must have eaten something bad,” they said.
Low and behold, six months later, it happened again… and then again. See a pattern?
I went to every type of medical doctor, internist, GI doctor, and specialist that there was and had all different kinds of tests in which I was poked, prodded, or violated. It was a terrible experience.
The end result was that they told my mother that my intestines were inflamed.
NO $#!t Sherlock! was all I could think. I was about 14 or 15 at this time, and I was terrified I would have to deal with these “episodes” for the rest of my life. Let me tell you, I have never experienced pain like that before and I never want to again. I would not wish that on my worst enemy.
Being fed up with the medical system and being that we were an “alternative” family, my mom took me to see a natural doctor. Thus began my long journey into what would become Functional Medicine.
The doctor that I saw put me on a long and hard program that eventually FIXED my intestinal problems and restored me to health. I can’t remember the last time I have had a stomach episode and I don’t want to.
Good riddance!
My education and journey into Integrative and Functional Medicine
Immediately after graduating from Valencia High School, I began attending college. While going through school, I worked fast and furious on getting all my prerequisite classes done so I could become a Chiropractic Physician and practice alternative medicine. I was never good with needles anyway.
During college I majored in pre-med and biochemistry. I received a scholarship from Fullerton College for my academics, and also received an award and scholarship from Chapman University and the American Chemical Society for my work in Organic Chemistry.
When I transferred to Southern California university of Health Sciences, I had a cumulative GPA of 3.98 (I got a C in pottery class!). While at SCUHS I excelled in all my classes, and particularly enjoyed all of the classes in alternative medicine and natural healing (I received almost 5,000 hours of alternative healing training in school). I graduated in 2001 as the youngest doctor in the school and was my class Valedictorian with a GPA of 3.98. My Valedictorian speech was a tear jerker! ;-) I also received three scholarships from the Chiropractic Physician Board for my academic achievements
After graduating, I immediately began practicing with my father. My practice was a combination of Alternative and Natural Medicine and some Chiropractic. After about 10-12 years of practice, I suffered a shoulder injury and had to have surgery. Around this same time I discovered and began studying Functional Medicine.
I have dedicated myself solely to helping patients and anyone I can, achieve better health through the natural healing methods of Functional Healthcare.
I have completed countless hours of training and certification courses. I am certified by the IFM (Institute of Functional Medicine) and FMU (Functional Medicine University). I have completed many other training courses and I am always looking to learn more. I have honestly lost count of how many courses and classes I have done.
It was Albert Einstein that said,
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.”
Contact Dr. Craig for a consultation today.