What Sets Dr. Martina Apart
Depth, Integration, and Clinical Range Rarely Found in Modern Integrative Medicine
With more than two decades of advanced training and hands-on clinical experience across multiple disciplines, Dr. Martina Sturm offers a level of integrative care that is both uncommon and deeply informed.
Her work bridges Eastern and Western medicine, acute and chronic care, metabolic and structural health, and high-performance athletics—allowing her to treat complex cases with clarity, precision, and compassion.
A Truly Multidisciplinary Clinical Foundation
Advanced Training in Eastern Medicine
Dr. Sturm’s clinical foundation is rooted in both classical and modern Chinese medicine, supported by extensive doctoral-level education and national board certification. Her training emphasizes pattern recognition, systems-based diagnosis, and individualized treatment—principles that continue to inform every aspect of her integrative care model.
Credentials include:
Doctorate in Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (DACM)
Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM)
Diplomate in Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist in California and Colorado
Post-Doctoral Functional Medicine Expertise
Building on her Eastern medicine training, Dr. Sturm pursued advanced functional medicine education to address complex, chronic, and multi-system conditions.
Functional Medicine University
School of Applied Functional Medicine
Clinical residency with an MD board-certified in Internal Medicine & Integrative Medicine
Advanced training in:
Detoxification and environmental illness
Chronic and post-infectious conditions
Gut and microbiome dysfunction
Hormone and metabolic health
Integrative oncology support
This allows her to evaluate root causes using systems biology rather than symptom suppression.
Emergency, Trauma & Western Medical Perspective
Before entering private practice, Dr. Sturm worked in high-acuity medical settings, giving her a rare understanding of both emergency care and chronic disease progression. This experience informs a grounded, safety-oriented approach to integrative medicine—especially for patients with complex or medically fragile presentations.
• Several years as an Emergency Medical Technician in the ER and Trauma Center at USC-County Hospital, as well as on the ambulance and in the field
• Firsthand experience with acute medical decision-making and clinical triage
• Deep understanding of Western diagnostics, pathology, and disease progression
This background allows Dr. Sturm to integrate functional and traditional medicine with appropriate medical discernment, ensuring care remains both comprehensive and clinically responsible.
Orthopedics, Movement Science & Rehabilitation
Dr. Sturm’s clinical lens extends beyond labs and symptoms to include biomechanics, neuromuscular function, and physical resilience.
Six years operating a therapeutic personal training practice
Hands-on experience in orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation
Training in therapeutic yoga and myofascial release
Advanced knowledge of functional movement, injury recovery, and performance optimization
This integration is especially valuable for patients with chronic pain, injury histories, or complex musculoskeletal patterns.
High-Level Athletic Background
As a lifelong athlete, Dr. Sturm understands performance and recovery from the inside out.
Former professional snowboarder, cyclist, and competitive triathlete
Team physician for the Chilean National Track Cycling Team
Specialized insight into:
Athletic performance optimization
Injury prevention and recovery
Nervous system regulation under physical stress
This perspective informs her work with both elite athletes and active individuals seeking longevity and resilience.
Global Integrative Medicine Experience
Dr. Sturm spent over a decade delivering integrative care internationally, treating patients from diverse cultural and medical backgrounds.
Twelve years practicing internationally as a resident acupuncturist on luxury cruise lines
Introduced tens of thousands of patients to acupuncture and integrative medicine
Led high-volume clinical practices serving patients from around the world
This experience sharpened her diagnostic efficiency, adaptability, and clinical intuition.
Deep Personal Experience With Healing
Dr. Sturm’s clinical philosophy is also shaped by lived experience.
After overcoming a life-threatening genetic liver condition, she developed a profound respect for the body’s innate capacity to heal when supported correctly. This journey continues to inform her compassion, discernment, and commitment to root-cause care.
Our Integrative Philosophy
Photo Credit: Briana Jane Photography
Dr. Martina Sturm is an integrative medicine practitioner who blends the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the precision of modern functional medicine to help patients heal at the deepest level. As one of a select number of practitioners in the United States to hold a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (DACM) from Pacific College of Health and Science—an ACAOM-accredited institution—she brings a highly advanced, multidisciplinary perspective to patient care.
Her philosophy is grounded in both classical medical systems and modern evidence-informed practice:
Identify root-cause imbalances, restore healthy physiology, rebalance the nervous system, and support the body’s innate capacity to repair and thrive.
Through comprehensive, personalized, and truly integrative care, Dr. Martina helps patients restore long-term health, vitality, and resilience.
What Dr. Martina Specializes In
Dr. Martina works extensively with patients who present with complex, layered conditions requiring a systems-based, multidisciplinary approach. Her areas of clinical focus include:
• Chronic illness and multi-system dysregulation
• Mold toxicity, environmental illness, and advanced detoxification support
• Gut health, microbiome restoration, and digestive disorders
• Metabolic dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, and mitochondrial repair
• Integrative oncology support and treatment-side-effect management
• Sports injuries, orthopedic pain, and performance optimization
• Neurological symptoms, migraines, neuropathic pain, and dysautonomia
• Stress-related imbalance, adrenal dysregulation, and nervous system dysfunction
Her Integrative Philosophy
Dr. Martina’s clinical approach integrates Eastern and Western medical frameworks to create a deeply individualized, root-cause healing experience. Care is guided by an understanding that symptoms are expressions of underlying physiological imbalance—not isolated problems to suppress.
Her work integrates:
• Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern diagnosis
• Advanced functional lab testing and systems biology
• Whole-person evaluation of lifestyle, stress, environment, and physiology
• Personalized treatment strategies aligned with each patient’s root causes
Depending on individual needs, care may include therapeutic nutrition, targeted nutraceuticals, herbal medicine, acupuncture, movement-based rehabilitation, lifestyle optimization, and other minimally invasive, evidence-informed therapies.
Her mission remains consistent across every case: identify and address the underlying drivers of illness so patients can rebuild resilience, restore function, and sustain long-term health.
Credentials & Training
Photo Credit: Briana Jane Photography
Doctorate & Accreditation
Pacific College of Health and Science
Accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM)
Post-Doctoral Functional Medicine Training
• Functional Medicine University
• School of Applied Functional Medicine
• Clinical residency with an Integrative / Internal Medicine MD
Academic Foundations
• Master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine — Emperor’s College
• Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology — UCLA
• Emphasis in Exercise Science and Nutrition
• Former Emergency Medical Technician — USC-County Hospital ER / Trauma Unit
Licensure & Certifications
• Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist — California and Colorado
• Former California state-designated Primary Care Provider
• Diplomate in Oriental Medicine — NCCAOM
• CCAOM Clean Needle Technique Certified
Additional Clinical & Professional Certifications
• Certified Personal Trainer — International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
• Sports Fitness Specialist — National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• Certified in Injection Therapy
• Yoga Teacher — YTT 200-hour
• Yoga Tune Up®
• Mold Literate Practitioner — Dr. Jill Crista
• Detoxification Certified Practitioner — Quicksilver Scientific
• Menopause Hormone Literacy and Quicksilver Hormone Replenishing System — Quicksilver Scientific
INTERNATIONAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Before founding Denver Sports & Holistic Medicine, Dr. Martina spent twelve years practicing internationally as a resident acupuncturist on major cruise lines. In this high-volume, fast-paced clinical environment, she treated patients from diverse cultural and medical backgrounds—many of whom were experiencing integrative medicine for the first time.
This experience required exceptional diagnostic efficiency, adaptability, and clinical precision. Dr. Martina developed and led thriving practices, delivering meaningful results within short timeframes while maintaining individualized, patient-centered care.
Personal Story
Overcoming Wilson’s Disease with Integrative Medicine
This personal story reflects how Dr. Martina’s own health crisis shaped her philosophy of care and deepened her commitment to integrative, root-cause medicine.
Photo Credit: Briana Jane Photography
How My Own Health Crisis Became My Calling
From an early age, I was fascinated by the human body and deeply believed in its innate capacity to heal when properly supported. I lived that philosophy as an athlete and health advocate, feeling strong, capable, and resilient.
That sense of certainty changed abruptly in my mid-twenties.
While working with a client, I was rushed to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain. After extensive testing, the medical team reported that my labs were “all over the map.” With no clear cause identified, exploratory surgery was recommended, and my appendix was removed as a precaution.
When I woke, the surgeon confirmed acute appendicitis — but then asked a question that would change everything:
“What’s wrong with your liver?”
He explained that my liver was enlarged, discolored, and showed signs of significant disease. For someone who had dedicated her life to health and athletic performance, the news was devastating.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Over the following months, I underwent comprehensive evaluation with UCLA liver specialists. I was ultimately diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, a rare genetic disorder affecting copper metabolism that can progressively damage the liver and other organs.
In hindsight, many symptoms had been present for years — digestive dysfunction, hormonal disruption, migraines, edema, and unexplained systemic stress — but I had normalized them and continued pushing forward, as many driven individuals do.
The conventional recommendation was long-term chelation therapy to manage copper levels, which I began immediately under medical supervision.
Choosing an Integrative Path
At the time, I was in my second year of Traditional Chinese Medicine training. What I was learning academically became deeply personal.
With the support of my physician, I incorporated acupuncture, herbal medicine, targeted nutrition, and lifestyle strategies alongside conventional care. We focused not on limitation, but on supporting the body’s regulatory systems and resilience.
Over time, the changes were profound. My symptoms eased, my energy returned, and for the first time, I understood what true health felt like.
Returning to Athletic Performance
As my health stabilized, I returned to endurance training and competition. My recovery and performance improved dramatically, eventually leading to a position on a professional cycling team, where I served as the designated sprinter.
Throughout ongoing medical monitoring, my physician repeatedly remarked on the strength of my recovery and overall stability. He attributed my progress to disciplined lifestyle choices, nutritional precision, avoidance of unnecessary stressors, and consistent integrative support.
Today, my laboratory markers remain stable, imaging shows no active disease progression, and my health continues to be closely and responsibly monitored.
The Lesson That Shaped My Work
This experience transformed my understanding of healing.
It reinforced that illness can be a powerful teacher, that the body is capable of remarkable recovery when supported appropriately, and that meaningful healing requires addressing root causes — not simply suppressing symptoms.
This journey did not just influence my career. It defined my purpose.
To help others restore function, rebuild resilience, and reclaim their health with clarity, integrity, and individualized care.
A Warm Invitation
Whether you're navigating chronic illness, recovering from injury, or seeking answers after years of not feeling like yourself…
Your body can heal. It simply needs the right support.
Request a free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Martina Sturm
and take the first step toward root-cause healing and whole-body wellness.