010 PeoPle, Places & Products
wards from Europe, funding himself by doing physio
locum work in Australia and the UK. His travel
included doing aid work in Romanian orphanages in
association with Médecins Sans Frontières.
Back in Melbourne he worked in Dance Medi-
cine Australia, one of the first places in Australia
to teach the Pilates technique. “It was such a
fantastic job to work with world class danc-
ers and musicians. At this point top level sports
professionals like footballers were starting to be
interested in Pilates for rehabilitation.”
Reeling from his mother’s death from can-
cer and still suffering his own post viral chronic
fatigue, he was encouraged by friends to move
north to the Northern Rivers region of NSW for
a locum job. In Byron Bay he was lucky enough
to study tai chi and shiatsu under Roger Cot-
greave. With regular acupuncture, Chinese herbs
and a healthy lifestyle (including lots of surfing,
The answer is that he makes no
distinction between the two any more.
Apart from the usual sports injuries,
Matthew
sore backs and necks, he treats a huge
range of conditions from children’s ear
aches to the hot flushes of menopause.
RadfoRd
capoeira and music), he finally regained health
after ten years of exhaustion. After four years, he
M
atthew is my Traditional Chinese decided it was time to return to Melbourne and
Medicine practitioner. He’s also a the ‘real world’.
physiotherapist. I used to think I saw It was then he finally decided to follow his
him just for TCM but his Western knowledge passion and went back to university to do a
weaves seamlessly around his Eastern comprehen- medicine didn’t have anything to offer him in Chinese medicine degree. He did his intern year
sion. His explanations of my ailments are therefore terms of treatment and recovery. at Nanjing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital
multifaceted, and, what’s more, include a good When he finished school he wanted to go to where they would treat up to 60 people a day in
amount of philosophy too (the reasons behind China to study TCM but his parents convinced the acupuncture department.
things). him to study a more recognised course. He chose People often ask Matthew if he does more
Matthew wanted to be a doctor when he was physiotherapy, as he felt it was a more natural physio or Chinese medicine. The answer is that he
eight and from about 12 years old he wanted approach to health. makes no distinction between the two any more.
to learn acupuncture and so he studied Chinese At Warrnambool Hospital he worked through Apart from the usual sports injuries, sore backs
language all through secondary school. His first all the rotations of intensive care, medical and and necks, he treats a huge range of conditions
exposure to alternative medicine was through surgical wards as a new graduate. “I realised I was from children’s ear aches to the hot flushes of
his Great Uncle Rob, who taught him reflexology thrown in the deep end on my first job on the first menopause.
when he was just 15. He always seemed to have day at the hospital. I had to teach a post-natal “Every day I feel so grateful working with
an innate understanding and intuition about heal- class. Imagine a 21-year-old bloke walking into a patients because TCM provides such an elegant
ing and the body. room full of women in their dressing gowns and and effective way of looking at health.”
As a teenager he became fascinated with Tao- trying to teach them pelvic floor exercises!” Since 2006 Matthew has been in his
ist philosophy which underpins Chinese medical While at Warrnambool he set up his first private present clinic at 201 Banksia Street, Ivanhoe, VIC,
theory. Then, in year 11, he contracted glandu- practice – a young man with a mission. Then the 03 9441 0088.
lar fever and couldn’t get out of bed for three pull of overseas travel got too much and he spent
months. He was disappointed to find Western the next five years travelling backwards and for- By Elizabeth Stephens
Ripple issue 001 / 2009
News
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