Dr Peter Pedersen

There is an overwhelming choice of health care services in South East Queensland. Literally thousands of practitioners providing all manner of treatment from specialist medical to weirdly esoteric. If you can imagine it, somebody does it.

Whilst our practice is one of many, we have the distinction of being the first "holistic" practice on the Gold Coast. Our original location in "Trust House" (Surfers' Paradise) was established in 1980. We think that makes us the oldest practice in the region, but we really don't want to shout about that particular distinction.

We were also the first to offer the spectrum of chiropractic/osteopathy, natural health and medical services in the one practice. That really is something to talk about...

Did we face some hostility from the already established practices? Sure, just a tad.

The Gold Coast was not quite ready for such innovations.

"Go back to Sydney!"

"It'll never work up here."

"We already have enough doctors" etc.

But...the public had other ideas.

Such was the demand for our "new" holistic approach that we established a school,

"The Academy of Natural Therapies"

and for several years we provided quality, low cost education in natural health.

When the school became too large for us to manage, it was sold to Osteopath Dr Ross Mack, who took it to great strengths before handing the reins to T.A.F.E., where the college resides today.

In June 1981 we conducted the first "Health Expo" in Queensland, in the grounds of the Surfers' Paradise T.A.F.E. campus. Two days of free talks & demonstrations, herbs, vegetarian food, Tai Chi, Polarity Energy Balancing, Applied Kinesiology, Chinese Medicine, Orthomolecular Nutrition (whatever happened to Dr William Vayda?), and a dozen other "new and radical" natural health displays. The Gold Coast was a bit behind the rest of Australia back then. As the premier holiday location in the country, the emphasis was on shopping, sun, surf, sex and lookin' good. Some things never change!

If you remember the "Gold Coast Health Expo" or were a patient or student in those early days, we would love to hear from you.

Over the years our practice team has grown and changed; practitioners maturing and venturing into their own clinics, pursuing further study, retiring or just going separate ways. The core has evolved, time and experience are great teachers, but always with the same philosophy that your health matters.

Since 1985, we have been located in the geographic centre of the Gold Coast, near the Nerang Rail Station.

Our patients from Brisbane get to us in 45 minutes on the M1 motorway (take exit 71). The train takes 55 minutes and you get to sit back and look at the scenery. From the south, the Pacific Highway becomes the M1 just a few kilometres south of our turnoff. Look for the signage directing you to Nerang Station. The exit is the same number, 71.

Your Health Matters is a group practice, with several "specialists" working in their chosen field.

Our emphasis is the physical; prevention still takes second place to crisis care, not because we want it to, but more people come to us injured than well. We are interested in structural biomechanics, from the feet up, and we have an osteopath who can assess foot pronation and heat mould orthotics for immediate use.

We are definitely more structurally oriented than metaphysical, although we do have a naturopath on site. (Monique Menard).

We lean to the scientific rather than the spiritual...our Reiki practitioner also has a Bachelor of Science degree. We refer most patients for X-ray if they have a spinal condition. (Not just a one-off sore back, an actual condition.) If your condition is not suited to our care, we will refer you to the most appropriate practitioner.

East meets West with a combination of Osteopathy & Chiropractic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Myotherapy & Massage, Applied Kinesiology & Pilates. We teach postural therapy in the style of Alexander and have created a whole body stretching routine with bits borrowed from Tai Chi, Yoga and the stretching guru, Anderson.

If you happen to be on the beautiful Gold Coast, in sunny Queensland, you may need to visit our practice for health care. Our web site gives you information about the services we provide and the help that we can offer. We frequently care for visitors to the region, especially those who require ongoing treatment for a pre-existing condition.

Please ask your regular practitioner for your "listings" or a brief case history so that we can duplicate previous care if you so require. Or perhaps give our methods a look-see, you might just like what we do!

Visiting doctors are especially welcome to call in for treatment or just a chat.