Physiotherapist Grace Rutter believes patients should feel supported whilst being provided tailored education and a comprehensive management plan based upon their rehabilitation and lifestyle goals.

“I have grown up surrounded by family that have been living with chronic pain for multiples years and have seen how impactful it can be to someone’s life.”

Grace has a particular interest in neck injuries (including neck related headache), sporting injuries, women’s health, knee rehabilitation, as well as running injuries.

“I love being able to have the opportunity to help people do what they love, no matter their stage of life. My aim is to help people feel empowered about their rehabilitation journey to achieve their goals.”

With an additional degree in sports and exercise science, Grace also worked with various high performance athletes including the Port Melbourne VFL club

Grace has experience working in acute hospitals (cardio/ musculoskeletal/neuro), subacute settings (geriatric evaluation and management), and women’s health (acute, private, continence clinic), She has also had experience working in private practice.

Away from the clinic, you’ll find Grace on the driving range, playing netball or out for dinner with friends. When time permits, she also loves to cook and hanging out with her pet Corgi Henry.

CSSM physio Katie Maxted is born and bred in Adelaide but we won’t hold that against her!

Katie has always led an active lifestyle and grew up dancing, fascinated by biomechanics and how the body moves.

“I enjoy supporting individuals throughout their lifespan to feel liberated, comfortable, and proud of their bodies, whilst empowering them to achieve both their health and personal goals.”

Having worked in both private practice and inpatient care, Katie is passionate about post surgical orthopaedic rehab and return to sport injuries as well as pre and post natal clinical pilates. As part of a large team at CSSM, Katie says it’s the can-do attitude of the practitioners that motivates her.

“What I’m passionate about, is taking the time to really get to know the individual, their goals, interests, and expectations, and collaboratively developing a treatment plan that enables them to achieve these factors.”

Away from the clinic, you’ll find Katie on a Pilates reformer, a bike at spin class, or enjoying the sunshine on a casual weekend run.

“I love trialling new food places – so I am always open for restaurant recommendations.”

You’ve come to the right town Katie!

As a physiotherapist, Peter relishes the opportunity to help his clients return to the things that mean the most to them, whether that’s sport, work or family. “A strong and healthy body maintains a healthy mind, which allows us to perform and work to the best of our ability.”

Peter promotes an active approach to rehab and has a passion for treating sports injuries such as new and recurrent muscle strains and injuries of the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.

With a unique understanding of the demands of high level competition, Peter has worked with Melbourne Victory FC Academy as well as with the A League Men’s team. He is currently the Head Physiotherapist for Bentleigh Greens Soccer Club in the National Premier League Victoria competition and also part of the Football Victoria program as a physiotherapist for their state and representative teams.

Peter is also a great advocate for the involvement of children and adolescents in sport, helping them develop healthy habits as they grow. He has a particular clinical interest in working with adolescent athletes.

“It’s so important to stay at the forefront of the industry in terms of latest techniques, advancements, patient care and rehabilitation and use this information to continue to play a key role in patients’ recovery.”

Peter has valuable experience in pre- and post-operative care and has developed expertise in using Clinical Pilates to facilitate optimal recovery and performance.

“The challenge of pre and post-surgery and the journey between physiotherapist and patient to integrate them back into daily activity or sport in an even better condition than before their injury is what drives me.”

Whether it’s an acute injury or simply wanting to optimise performance, Peter has the expertise to diagnose and prescribe a program to get you back on track to achieving your goals. His unique combination of physiotherapy and high level coaching skills is a valuable asset in both the prevention and rehabilitation of injury – particularly in the areas of sports performance in the younger athlete.

Away from CSSM, Peter has developed a keen interest in golf, enjoys attending sports events, training in the gym and keeping up with the latest research and advancements within the physiotherapy industry.

Physiotherapist

Dance Program Coordinator

Myotherapy Team Lead

17 years of dance training, 12 years of tennis and 7 years of competitive rock climbing fueled Kelsey’s interest in sport and associated injuries. “I’d always been interested in health and fitness and Physiotherapy was a great transition from Personal training into the treatment and rehabilitation of a lot of the issues I saw in the gym. It came with a stronger understanding of the human body.”

While sport is her passion, Kelsey believes that creating solid foundations of strength and rehabilitation are key components in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, whether you work in an office or as an elite athlete. “Having participated in a fair few sports over the years it’s given me a better understanding of the demands the body can be put through, the movements required to succeed and the difficult task of taking time away from the sport you love when injured.”

Kelsey employs a hands-on approach when treating muscular pains and joint dysfunction, complementing treatment outcomes with modalities such as cupping, dry needling, trigger point therapy, and taping. “Shoulder joint issues really fascinate me because they can be unpredictable and complex. I really enjoy the process of breaking down why the injury has occurred in the first place and rehabilitating the joint structures.”

Away from work, Kelsey is an avid participator in rock climbing and has competed in both state and national events. “I can also be a great couch potato when I need some down time and enjoy meeting up with friends.”

Eden was initially drawn to clinical myotherapy as a way to help her mother after a serious car accident which firmly set her focus on those in chronic pain as well as injury recovery.

“I like to educate my clients and guide them in their wellbeing. I enjoy connecting with people from all walks of life, different cultures and different fitness levels,” she says.

Eden particularly enjoys treating issues she has experienced herself including headaches, TMJ (temporomandibular joint pain in your jaw) and neck pain. “I know from personal experience that hands on work of the jaw and skull can be instantly relieving in cases of headache and jaw pain.”

Specialising in TMJ, dry needling and Pilates, Eden uses a variety of techniques including deep tissue work, joint mobilisation and exercise to treat her patients.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine majoring in immunopharmacology, Eden firmly believes you never stop learning. “CSSM focuses on professional development for its practitioners, which allows us to grow further in our careers.”

When she’s not treating patients, you’ll find this self-confessed foodie watching UFC and boxing with her family. “I love dogs, especially Staffies and love to travel.”

Daniel Skaer was drawn to study Osteopathy through his personal experiences with sporting injuries, a fascination with the science behind the human body and a passion for helping people achieve quality of life.

“The complexity in the human body won’t adapt to change unless you create a change,” he says. “Treating injuries for their causing agents can become a preventative rather than a band-aid approach.”

Daniel is a strong believer in Osteopathy’s philosophy of treating the body as a whole, rather than simply treating the dysfunctional region. “No two patients are the same, which is why it’s so important to work with each patient to create a tailored management plan, empowering them through education and support.”

He prides himself on his ability to communicate and comfort every individual that may find seeking an Osteopath daunting as well as educating patients to help them achieve their goals.

Daniel has a specific interest in chronic pain management, hypermobility dysfunctions and structural strength assistance and uses a range of techniques including soft tissue, manipulation and mobilisation techniques.

Daniel hopes to continue to develop his skillset and contribute to research. He is also currently completing a Diploma in Equine Osteopathy with the London College of Animal Osteopathy.

Away from the clinic, Daniel loves running, going to the gym, travelling, going for walks, working with equine athletes and spending time with friends and family.

CSSM Podiatrist Paula Alarcon become interested in Podiatry after an ACL reconstruction. “I visited a Podiatrist who helped me stabilise my knee after I had noticed the changes that orthotics made in my running cycle when I went back into sports.”

“I have always led an active lifestyle and grew up with sports and dancing, interested on how the body moves and my passion of wanting to help people.”

Paula’s sporting background has provided her with a particular interest in the recovery and management of foot and ankle injuries.

“Our feet are what keep us moving every day, they are the wheels in our daily journey, and they work very hard all year around. Therefore, prevention and proper management of foot problems are essential for our mobility, comfort and health.”

Joining CSSM, Paula says she enjoys being able to work with a great variety of health professionals allowing patients to have a more holistic approach as well as contributing to her own learning process by exchanging opinions and ideas from other practitioners.

While Paula believes Podiatry enables her to choose her own pathway from rehabilitation of the foot and ankle, biomechanics, running gait analysis to skin conditions, she hopes to specialise in the rehabilitation of injuries and sports Podiatry.

A true believer that movement is medicine, Paula is an elite Ultimate Frisbee player having participated in the under 24’s championships world cup with the Colombian team in 2018 held in Perth and the under 24’s Australian team in 2019 held in Heidelberg, Germany. Away from the clinic you will likely find Paula training with her Ultimate frisbee team called Spicy Chilly!

If she has any time left, Paula also enjoys going for hikes on the weekends or going to the beach as well as Salsa dancing thanks to her Latino background.

Studying dancing led to Tahlia Austin’s interest in Osteopathy. “The aches and pains that often led to dancers either pushing their bodies to the extreme or sitting out of dance practice drew me to learn more about the complexities of the human body and pursue my passion of helping people overcome their injuries.”

Tahlia has an holistic approach to treatment, treating the body as a whole and working alongside her patients to achieve optimal health outcomes. “To put it simply, I love Osteopathy because I love helping people achieve both their health and personal goals!”

Throughout her career, Tahlia has worked in a variety of settings including VAFA Premier League football teams, which has given her exposure to a wide variety of acute sporting injuries and from that, the ability to accurately diagnosis and apply effective evidence-based care. “I enjoyed sharing my knowledge on rehabilitation advice and working closely with athletes to get them back onto the field.”

While Tahlia enjoys treating patients from all ages and walks of life, she has developed a passion for working with pain – both acute and chronic. In particular; low back, neck pain and sports related injuries.

“I love working at CSSM as we have built a great team environment, and all strive to provide the best service of care for all our patients.”

Away from the clinic, you’ll find Tahlia outdoors with friends, most likely walking a few laps around the Tan over the weekend. You’ll also find her fuelling her Italian food addiction by going to restaurants around Richmond and South Yarra.

Senior physiotherapist Caroline Szafranski was drawn to physio during her four years spent living in the United States on a tennis scholarship at Arkansas State University. “I was training six days a week and spending a bit of time in the medical rooms!”