I bring heart, determination, and play to our sessions.
My patients bring fear, hope, embarrassment, and courage — often sharing what's hard to say out loud.
I'm honored by that trust, and I meet their vulnerability with camaraderie.
We might laugh, we might cry. Either way, I'm with you.
Hi, I’m Dr. Natalia Martinez
Injuries, Detours and Dance floors
Miami, FL
I was born and raised in a Cuban household surrounded by a diverse Latino community — read: loud parties, salsa dancing, and Abuela’s cooking. I started my athletic career with soccer and picked up track and softball by the time I finished high school. Sports led to injuries, which led to physical therapy visits and my first introduction to this amazing field.
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New York City
I graduated from Columbia University, where I studied Environmental Biology and Sustainable Development. Rugby joined the mix and I collected a few more injuries in the process 😅.
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The Scenic Route
After college, I taught middle school science, worked on farms, and pursued a career in sustainability, with stops in Alaska, Portland, and New Zealand along the way. While in Portland, I experienced tremendous relief from pelvic floor PT, inspiring me to become a pelvic PT myself.
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North Carolina
I made my way south to Elon University, where I earned my Doctor of Physical Therapy and completed a rare rotation in pelvic health.
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California
After PT school, I headed back west and fell in love with California. I chose a position in Fresno to learn from women with decades of pelvic health experience, whose mentorship helped shape the investigative approach I use today. Plus plenty of music festivals and trips to the Sierras.
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Berkeley, CA
I put down roots in Berkeley and founded Duende Physical Therapy to provide the kind of care I believe in. Why Duende →
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Outside the clinic, I’m always in motion: flag football, weight lifting, hiking, kayaking, yoga, and dancing — ballroom, swing, Latin, tap, twerking. If there’s music, I’m in!
When one approach doesn't work, I want another worth trying. So I take courses, travel across the country to learn from experts, and spend weekends practicing hands-on techniques. See some of that training below:
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Mobilization of Visceral Fascia: The Gastrointestinal System, Herman and Wallace, Tampa, FL. 2026
Mobilization of Visceral Fascia: The Urinary System, Herman and Wallace, Tampa, FL. 2025
Visceral Functional Mobilization, Institute of Physical Art, Mountainview, CA. 2025
General Rehab Strategies for HSF/EDS, Heather Purdin and Patricia Stott, Medbridge, Inc. 2025
Understanding Endometriosis, Michelle Lyons, Medbridge, Inc. 2025
Orthopedic Connections to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Heather Rader, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Advanced Treatment of the Pediatric Pelvic Floor Patient, Dr. Carina Siracusa, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Treatment of the Pediatric Pelvic Floor, Dr. Carina Siracusa, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Pelvic Floor Treatment of Patients With Neurologic Disorders, Dr. Carina Siracusa, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Interdisciplinary Approach to Female Pelvic Pain: It Takes a Village, Cynthia E. Neville, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
The Coccyx and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Cynthia E. Neville, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Prostate Cancer Survivorship, Michelle Lyons, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Understanding Prolapse, Michelle Lyons, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
The Power of Self Efficacy Translated, Mike Studer and Rob Winningham, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Constipation and the Pelvic Floor, Cynthia E. Neville, Medbridge, Inc. 2024
Dysfunctional Breathing Part 1 & 2, Jacqueline Shakar, Medbridge, Inc. 2023
Rectal Course: Evaluation and Treatment, Nicole Cozean, Pelvic PT Rising, Inc. 2022
Essential Pelvic Strengthening: Not Your Mama's Kegels, Nicole Cozean, Pelvic PT Rising, Inc. 2022
Downtraining Masterclass, Nicole Cozean, Pelvic PT Rising, Inc. 2022
Pelvic PT Essentials, Nicole Cozean, Pelvic PT Rising, Inc. 2022
Functional Mobilization I, Institute of Physical Art, Anaheim, CA, 2022
Current Guidelines for Prenatal Fitness, Catherine Cram, Medbridge, Inc. 2020
Part A-C: Sex and Sexuality in Physical Therapy Practice, Talli Rosenbaum, Medbridge, Inc. 2020
Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Part 1: An Update for Clinicians, Alexis Wright, Medbridge, Inc. 2020
The “How-To” of Teaching Patients about Pain, Adriaan Louw, Medbridge, Inc. 2020
Pelvic Floor Level 1, Herman and Wallace, Washington, DC, 2019
CONFERENCES
APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Denver,CO 2020 and San Diego,CA 2023