Take control of your health, Oriental Medicine practitioner says

By Sierra Trujillo

With a father who has made herbal liniments for over 30 years and a mother who was a nurse, “Tera” Luke Tomogiro Matsuda, owner of Matsuda Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in Price, says the combination was a perfect transition into his practice of oriental medicine today.
“I think this mix of my dad practicing martial arts and making these herbal liniments and that medical background was a perfect set-up for the way that I practice medicine now.”
While the business Matsuda Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is fairly new, it opened in October of 2014, Matsuda’s family has been in business in Price for over 50 years with Quality Cleaners. After graduating from Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, NM with a Master of Science degree in Oriental Medicine, Matsuda and his wife knew that they wanted to return home to build their business.
“When I graduated from school, my wife and I knew that we wanted to come home and serve our community, where we have roots,” said Matsuda. “One of the best parts about my job is I’m helping my teachers from elementary school, my teachers from high school, all of the friends of my family, people that we’ve had these connection with for generations.”
Matsuda practices traditional Chinese medicine, the oldest continuously practiced medicine in the world with over 2,000 years of clinically tested practices. However, the practice is not just acupuncture; Chinese medicine is the original holistic medicine.
“Holistic means we look at all parts of you. There’s no difference between a counselor, somebody who’s working with your emotions, and somebody who’s practicing medicine,” explained Matsuda. “By working on the body, we can help people’s emotions. By working with people’s emotions, we can help heal their body. There’s no separation between the mind, body and spirit.”
Along with practicing traditional medicine, Matsuda also practices functional medicine, which involves lab testing, examining hormonal levels, the bacteria, the flora of someone’s gut, looking at neurotransmitters and some genetic things and also testing hair for food sensitivities, micronutrient deficiencies and heavy metal toxicity.
“I prescribe herbs, lifestyle adjustments, that means certain diets, certain exercise routines that are appropriate for that person where they’re at, meditation, and mindfulness techniques to help the person’s body heal,” said Matsuda.
In contrast to going to a doctor’s office, where the process is “you have symptoms, you get a diagnosis, and then you get a prescription or you get surgery, and that’s most the time it,” Matsuda focuses on preventative medicine, helping people avoid those illnesses or heal from one they already have.
“I’m not saying don’t go to your doctor, but I’m saying people need to take control of their health and be in the driver’s seat of making proactive decisions to help themselves out and not just rely on the hero doctor to save you when you’re falling apart,” said Matsuda.
Along with the new year comes new goals for Matsuda and his team, which include helping 20 people reverse their Type 2 diabetes, 10 people with their autoimmune disorders and 10 people with chronic digestive disorders.
“The great thing about living in a small town and practicing medicine here is that those people, I’m going to be a coach and somebody who’s going to help them through the hurdles that are in the way of them being healthy for the rest of their lives,” said Matsuda. “It’s a hands-on experience of me looking at what your body needs and then treating you with acupuncture or manual therapy, also using herbs or different supplements to give the body what it needs to be healthy.”
This year, Matsuda will be hosting “Wellness Wednesday” clinics, some of which have already focused regarding reversing Type 2 diabetes, and information of thyroid diseases, autoimmune diseases and chronic digestive diseases. For information regarding the “Wellness Wednesday” clinics, as well as more information about Matsuda Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, follow the business on Facebook.