While working in the fitness industry and looking to further his career, Eliot Hird found osteopathy was an obvious next step.  “I saw quite a few people with injuries throughout my time working in the fitness industry and those who regularly saw osteos as part of their injury management or regular routine were usually able to achieve their fitness and health goals.”

Eliot enjoys treating neck and shoulder issues as well as sporting injuries and the rehabilitation of those injuries, helping people get back to their sport or hobbies.

“I like treating issues with the neck because I often see a great response to treatment,” he says.

“Shoulders are interesting because they are a complex joint with many common presenting complaints.  I like the complex problem-solving aspect of these issues.”

Eliot believes everyone should be able to participate in the sport or activity that they enjoy and finds being able to help a patient get back to the activities that they enjoy through injury management or education is one of the more rewarding aspects of being a health professional.

“I want to be the osteo that people seek out when they have specific issues and one that people recommend to their family and friends when they are looking for treatment of their musculoskeletal injuries.”

Eliot enjoys being part of a team of health care professionals all working towards a common goal.

“The CSSM facilities have everything needed to provide patients the best quality care possible.”

Away from the clinic, Eliot enjoys training in the gym doing a mix of strength training, CrossFit and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. On the weekends, you’ll find this Essendon fan watching AFL and the UFC.

Jade was drawn to study osteopathy through her love of science, the complexity of the human body and her passion of wanting to help people.

For Jade, Osteopathy looks further than the specific site of injury and focuses on the whole person, allowing for meaningful and long lasting changes to occur.

Jade understands that seeking healthcare can be a scary and daunting process which is why she strives to make all patients feel comfortable, safe and validated. “I pride myself on my warm, approachable and empathetic nature I bring to treatment,” she says.

Jades approach is to work collaboratively with patients so that together they can set and work towards goals which are important to the patient.

“I love treating all walks of life and conditions but I am especially interested in chronic pain and workplace/study ergonomics.”

Jade uses a range of techniques including soft tissue, manipulation and mobilisation techniques. Along with this, Jade works with patients to create management plans tailored to the individual, empowering them through education and support.

Away from the clinic, Jade loves reading, travelling, going for walks, spending time at the beach and socialising with friends.

Practice Principal & Senior Osteopath

Travis is an Osteopath and the founder of CSSM.

Travis chose osteopathy because he has always liked the hands-on approach to treatment. “That, together with the high level of study and knowledge in areas such as anatomy and movement, which is inherent within the osteopathy program, really excited me.  I had already done four years of study in health before commencing osteopathy and I had the opportunity to do other things.  But I chose to pursue osteopathy, and another five years of study because of the ability of the skills I learnt to help people in a meaningful way.”

Travis enjoys treating most injuries of the “active” person.  “One of the biggest areas of interest is treating teenagers.  There is a perception that kids and teenagers are just little adults – this is a massive misconception. Growing athletes have a unique set of needs.  We are seeing a lot of kids and teens suffering significant injuries from a young age.”  Recent studies have shown that in Australia, the highest increase in knee reconstruction surgery has occurred in teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16. “The impact of that on their future is scary.”

After working at a few other clinics, Travis found that health care suffered from a lack of direction and, CSSM was born. “Osteopathy was a relatively small profession with just a few hundred of us in Australia.  I saw the opportunity to bring osteo to the masses.”

Ever since, Travis has been keen to make osteopathy accessible as a health service that can deliver a patient focussed approach to care, giving meaningful evidence-based treatment and management to patients.

“We started as a one man show, and have grown to a team of over 20.  As part of this growth and expansion we have added a team of other modalities such as physio, podiatry, myotherapy and Pilates to the clinic – a centre of excellence for the management of musculoskeletal injury.”

Travis describes CSSM as an extension of his family. “I am just as passionate about our team and the community we treat as I am about few other things.  Doing what we do and doing it well, is my biggest objective.”

The CSSM philosophy is to provide a level of care that exceeds the norm and ensures the best outcome for patients.  “Our standard appointment is what most other clinics call an extended appointment. It is a source of amusement to us when we see other clinics promote their guarantees of extended care.  From our perspective, you do not need to guarantee it, if it is what is ingrained in you.”

Just as families continue to grow, Travis hopes CSSM will too and continue to serve the community. “As a larger clinic, we are able to offer more specialised services to our patients, such as our running gait analysis and pre-pointe assessments.  We hope to continue to grow this suite of programs (golfers and cyclists stay tuned).  From there, we also hope to spread our reach to other locations when the opportunity presents itself.”

When he’s not working within the Practice, Travis looks forward to catching up on some much needed sleep. “CSSM is all-consuming but nothing is more important than watching my kids do their thing and celebrating their achievements. If I get the time, I do enjoy hitting the trails with some mountain biking and trail running through the Dandenong’s. I love the solitude of being out there working up a sweat, lost in my own thoughts.”

Julia Update –  As of March 2024, Julia has re-located to the UK to live.  For your ongoing care please book in with one of our Osteopathy team.  

Osteopathy provides me with the tools to make a difference – find the source and manage someone’s pain effectively.

“The principles of osteopathy really resonated with my own values and how I wanted to help people.”

“Osteopathy is all about the holistic approach to assessment, treatment and management. Finding the source of issues and focusing our management around this is key.”

Julia enjoys treating and managing headaches, neck pain and sporting injuries using an assortment of soft tissue, mobilisation and manipulation techniques.

When she’s not at the clinic, you’ll find Julia at the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club where she has worked since 2019 as a sports trainer, hanging out with friends or out for a run along the Yarra River.

Educated at the University of South Australia, Vaughan has gained a wide range of clinical experiences since completing his studies and moving to Melbourne in 1998. Sporting and family commitments helped to shape his core range of clinical interests.
Originally drawn to Podiatry after having his own knee pain cured by orthotic management, Vaughan values how much more enjoyment can be gained from sports when you have no pain associated with playing them. Likewise through watching his three children’s development, Vaughan is determined to minimise any pain associated within childhood development.

Vaughan’s philosophy regarding treatment is to address the cause of the pain biomechanically, and instill a treatment plan that will enhance every patient’s enjoyment of life’s endeavours.

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!

After multiple injuries and different rehab experiences, Julia Meeuwissen found a love and appreciation of myotherapy.

“I like that myotherapy has a holistic approach that empowers and supports people to take responsibility for their own rehabilitation journey and to gain more confidence, trust and respect for their body and its innate capacity to heal and recover.”

With an interest in the human body, anatomy and biomechanics, Julia enjoys treating tendinopathies, tension headaches, neck pain and TMD.

“I have had all of these issues myself so can empathise and share techniques that have helped me. I’d like to further investigate optimal load management strategies for tendinopathies and posture as well as mind-body connection for stress related tension headaches, neck pain and TMD.”

As a myotherapist, Julia hopes to empower patients to live an active and healthy life knowing that injuries can be overcome and aches and pains are part of the journey.

Julia was attracted to the multimodal aspect of CSSM where each practitioner can learn from other modalities to ensure the best outcome for each patient.

“I like CSSM’s philosophy including best practice, patient education and exercise as an integral part of treatment.”

When she’s not working, Julia enjoys going for multiple day hikes, camping, and going to the beach as well as reading fiction, putting on incense and listening to records, or walking her dog Zephyr.

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!”

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.