Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Care
Letโs figure out whatโs going onโand what to do about it.
Pelvic Health
Pelvic pain, leakage, constipation, prolapse, and sexual function
Pregnancy & Postpartum
Birth preparation, postpartum recovery, diastasis recti, and return to exercise.
Orthopedics & Sports
Joint, muscle, and tendon issues, and return-to-sport rehabilitation.
See everything I treat:
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Birth preparation
Post partum rehabilitation
Post partum return to running rehabilitation
C-section scar and pain management
Pelvic pain (non-menstrual)
Urinary incontinence (leakage)
Sensation of incomplete bladder emptying
Difficulty emptying bladder
Post-void urge (feeling urge to urinate very soon after urinating)
Post-void dribbling
Pain/burning with urination
Urinary urgency
Urinary frequency/overactive bladder
Nocturia (waking up at night to urinate)
Bladder pain syndrome(BPS)/interstitial cystitis(IC)/chronic prostatitis
UTI-like symptoms
Fecal incontinence
Dyssynergia
Fecal smearing
Constipation
Bowel urgency
Rectal balloon training
Rectal pain
Anal pain
Proctalgia fugax
Penile pain
Testicular/scrotal pain
Dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
Vaginismus (partner โhitting a wallโ during sex)
Vulvodynia (vulvar pain)
Vestibulodynia
Pain with tampon insertion or pelvic exams
Pudendal neuralgia
Perineal pain
Pubic symphysis pain
Round ligament pain
Diastasis recti
Prolapse (vaginal bulging/pressure, cystocele, rectocele, uterine)
Vaginal spasms
Abdominal pain
Surgical scar management
Pre- and Post-operative care for gender affirming surgery (top surgery, bottom surgery)
Trans/non binary health
Post-mastectomy
Post-vaginoplasty
Pain from GERD/acid reflux and IBS
Vaginal stenosis/post radiation care
Sexual dysfunction
Pain with arousal
Pain with orgasm
Pre- and post-prostatectomy
Clogged ducts
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Orthopedic pain- neck, back, sacroiliac joint (SI joint), hip, glute, thigh, knee (meniscus, ACL, patellofemoral pain), Achilles, ankle, shoulder, elbow, wrist, groin
Cervical radiculopathy
Lumbar radiculopathy (including sciatica)
Tension headaches
Temporal mandibular joint (TMJ)
Whiplash
Tennis elbow
Golferโs elbow
Mommy thumb
De quervains
Return-to-sport
Plantar fasciitis
Chronic and acute ankle sprains
Tendonitis/Tendinopathy
Labral tear
Muscle strain
Hypermobility
Concussion recovery
*Orthopedic post-operative patients on a case by case basis
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What brings your symptoms on? What changes them? What might we be missing? Iโm tenacious about understanding whatโs driving your symptoms. I trial a treatment and track how your body responds. If something isnโt helping, I investigate why and switch gears. If we need input from another provider, Iโll recommend it and help make sense of what we learn.
Your experience is essential data in that process. You bring knowledge of your body that I canโt get from an exam alone. We compare observations, test ideas, and use what we learn together to guide the next step.
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Trusting someone with your body and your story can take courage โ I don't take that lightly. I'll explain what I'm recommending and why, so you can decide what feels right for you. We'll go at your pace, and you're always in charge of what happens in the room. You can ask questions, decline any part of treatment, or change your mind at any time.
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PTs can begin treating pelvic health patients after a single introductory weekend course. ยน Pelvic health education in PT school can amount to just 1โ2 hours within other courses. ยฒ My training included a multi-month pelvic health clinical rotation, where I gained hands-on experience before graduating. Elon University also offered pelvic anatomy dissections with a pelvic health specialist outside the regular curriculum.
After graduation, I sought extensive mentorship from women with decades of pelvic health experience. Since 2019, Iโve continued taking courses in pelvic health, advanced manual therapy, and the connections between pelvic and orthopedic conditionsโwell beyond the minimum required for licensure. I continue refining my techniques in practice groups and collaborating with a national network of clinicians on complex cases.
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I build your program around your activities, schedule, energy, and resourcesโdown to individual exercises that mimic the demands of your sport or job. Iโll cue the same movement five different ways until we find what clicks for you. If something isnโt working in your body or your day, we adjust it together.
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"Good enough" isn't good enough unless you say so. If you can run again but you still canโt sprint for soccer, we're not done. Whether you want to get back to CrossFit or lift your kids without your back giving out, you tell me when PT is done- not insurance and not an MD's prescription. We'll get where we're going and we'll map out the path there together.
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I've been a PT patient. So many times. I've had great PTs who inspired me to be the provider I am today and who helped guide this body back from injury after injury. But I've also had providers who left me alone in a room with a biofeedback machine, never checking whether I was actually relaxing my pelvic floor. Who gave me weeks of the same beginner exercises, never progressing to what I needed for rugby: sprinting, cutting, contact. I needed to be able to explode, not just walk in a straight line.
I know what it's like to wonder whether your body will ever be able to perform again, or if your favorite activities are gone forever. I want you to feel heard when you bring those fears into the room, and to know I'm taking them to heart โ and working to get you back.
I've received the spectrum of care, and I know what end I want to be on.
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I left teaching, but Iโll never stop being an educator. If you're game, I'll teach you as much about your condition as I know โ not just so you can consent to the plan, but so you can be the co-architect. I want you to see the connection between what weโre doing and what you want your body to be able to do.
Progress isnโt always linear, and flare-ups can happen despite prevention efforts. Youโll leave sessions with hands-on self-treatment techniques, strategies for managing symptoms, and guidance on when to advance your exercises or ease back.
As you become more skilled at managing your condition, weโll gradually phase me out. You wonโt be kept in treatment longer than itโs helpingโbut Iโll stick with you while it is. My goal is that you understand your body, know how to help yourself, and feel confident putting those skills to use.
Why work with Dr. Natalia Martinez
Duende Physical Therapy
1911 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA
Serving the Bay Area: Richmond, Albany, El Cerrito, Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, Walnut Creek, Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Alameda, San Francisco