Dr. Craig Mortensen, IFM Certified Integrative & Functional Medicine Doctor | Premier IFM Orange County
Founder & Functional Medicine Physician
Dr. Craig Mortensen
Dr. Mortensen grew up in a family rooted in alternative healthcare — his father was a Doctor of Chiropractic — so a different way of thinking about health was always part of his foundation. But it was his own health crisis as a teenager that truly shaped the physician he would become.
Beginning around age 13, he began experiencing episodes of severe, debilitating abdominal pain that would leave him completely incapacitated for days at a time. He was rushed to the ER repeatedly, put through every test available, seen by internists and GI specialists — and every time, he left without a real answer. The best conventional medicine could offer was "your intestines are inflamed." No cause. No solution. Just pain management.
Fed up and desperate for real answers, his family turned to a natural medicine doctor. That doctor put him on a comprehensive, targeted program — and it worked. His episodes resolved completely. That experience didn't just change his health; it changed the entire direction of his life and career.
"I know what it feels like to be sick, to be dismissed, and to finally find something that actually works. That is the experience I want every patient at Premier IFM to have."
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 also trained at FMU (Functional Medicine University) and additional courses with the Kharrazian institute and may A4M courses. 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.