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Book Clinic appointments at CSSM 7 days per week. Camberwell, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Osteopathy
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‘It's our level of care that sets us apart’ - Lisa Thomson, Senior Partner
Click on the links below to learn about the CSSM team.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Vaughan remains available for:
Appointments can be made Online or by calling the clinic on 03 9889 1078
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.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Ella remains available for:
Ella has always been interested in the human body and the biomechanics of movement. “I really enjoy physical activity and sports, and I love being able to help people recover from injury or pain so they can also continue to do what they love.”
Ella has a keen interest in sports injuries, running injuries, neurological conditions such as stroke, and post-surgery rehabilitation. Prior to joining CSSM, Ella worked in an acute hospital in Sydney where she further developed her interest in neurological physiotherapy. “I am fascinated by the nervous system and how it interacts with the musculoskeletal system and the entire body.”
Tailoring exercise and rehabilitation programs to suit each client and their goals is central to Ella’s approach to physiotherapy. She has a strong focus on educating her clients to help them understand their condition and encourage them to take an active role in their treatment, and to help prevent further injuries. “I love working with people who are really motivated to return to sport or a certain activity.”
Working with such a close team of practitioners at CSSM, Ella says the team consults and learns from each other to provide the most appropriate care for clients.
Away from the clinic, Ella enjoys running, playing netball, basketball and tennis, getting out of the city to the farm and catching up with friends and family.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Nicole remains available for:
Nicole always knew she wanted to work in health care.
“I was involved in competitive dancing and acrobatic gymnastics from a very young age and was injured quite often growing up. I found that I had the best outcomes when seeing an osteopath. My osteopath gave me the confidence and education I needed to help me get back into training much quicker, and improve my performance.”
“I also noticed that other family members who were suffering from a range of conditions including chronic lower back pain found amazing results from osteopaths, which really improved the quality of their life.”
An RMIT graduate with Distinction in December 2019, Nicole is also a qualified pilates instructor and has previously worked at the RMIT health clinic and Coburg and Manningham football clubs as a sports trainer.
“I love that as osteopaths, we can help our patients to overcome challenges, achieve their goals and return to the activities they love doing the most. I also love that we help our patients understand their pain through education, therefore empowering and motivating them to take the steps necessary to become healthier and happier.”
With an interest in treating athletes, Nicole enjoys helping her clients get back into training and competing post injury as well as treating the lower limb, including lower back and pelvic pain.
“I would love to learn more about injury prevention and improving sporting performance especially in dancers and gymnasts in the future, and I am also interested in learning more about pre/post-natal treatment, and how I can incorporate pilates into the rehabilitation and management of these patients.”
As part of a multidisciplinary clinic, Nicole is looking forward to developing as an osteopath. “I love that we can consult with one another to help patients achieve better outcomes and allow them to reach their goals quicker.”
On weekends, you’ll find Nicole at Inverloch where she enjoys spending time at the beach with friends and family. She loves taking pilates classes and playing tennis as well as taking her pet groodle called Bear on long walks. In the future, Nicole hopes to continue her love of travelling with a visit to South Africa.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Peter remains available for:
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 is a strength and conditioning enthusiast with a unique understanding of the demands of high level competition and performance. Having previously worked within the National Premier League Victoria (soccer) as well as part of the medical team for Futsal Victoria at their National Championships, he has a passion for treating all aspects of musculoskeletal or sporting pain with a particular interest in shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.
He is also a great advocate for the involvement of children and adolescents in sport, helping them develop healthy habits as they grow.
“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.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Monique remains available for:
An enthusiastic sportsperson, Monique played soccer for 16 years at premier league division as a goal keeper but has now traded in her gloves for her love of Pilates. As a nationally qualified Myotherapist, Remedial Massage Therapist and Pilates instructor; Monique understands the importance of both injury prevention and rehabilitation from a practitioner and patient point of view. ” I love trying to understand how the human body moves and works and I love helping people experience over-all good health and well-being.”
Combining assessment with evidence based treatment plans to strengthen the body using exercises, Monique is able to formulate the right approach to overcome a range of ailments including acute injuries, chronic pain management and general maintenance.
As a myotherapist, Monique is often asked how it differs to remedial massage. Most people know that remedial massage is one component in a myotherapist’s training, however fewer people realise that myotherapists are Independent Allied Health Practitioners, who treat many of the same conditions regularly seen in community settings by osteopaths and physiotherapists. “Myotherapists, like remedial massage therapists, are highly skilled in the use of massage to reduce tension and pain in the body’s muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia. However, this is where a remedial therapists skills stop. Myotherapists also utilise a wide range of additional manual therapy techniques including. joint mobilisation, muscle energy techniques, myofascial manipulation and release, positional release techniques and assisted PNF stretching.”
Monique understands that treatment doesn’t have to be about ‘no pain no gain’ – massage doesn’t have to be painful to work well. “So much of helping an individual can be achieved just through touch but I also like that we have multiple methods in our tool box to help our clients correct movement imbalances and treat musculoskeletal function problems.”
Monique has a special interest in the management and rehabilitation of hypermobility, chronic pain and pelvic dysfunctions. She enjoys treating clients of all ages and athletic ability, especially elite athletes, weekend warriors and kids who are honing their skills on their way to elite level performance.
Clinical Pilates is one of Monique’s secret weapons to help all her clients return to their activities of daily living and sport.
She is also passionate about the use of dry needling to assist with local muscular pain and improving function through trigger points. Using a fine filament needle inserted into the center of a myofascial trigger point, blood pools around the needle triggering the contracted muscle fibers to relax by providing those fibers with fresh oxygen and nutrients, as well as by flushing away any additional acidic chemicals. This, in turn, leads to the decompression of the local blood and nerve supply. “I use dry needling to aid in releasing myofascial trigger points (muscle knots in any part of the body) that’s often too painful for the client to release using manual therapy techniques.”
When not working, Monique likes to hone her Pilates skills, spend time with her long fur child Hugo (the dachshund) and watching EPL at 2am with her partner.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Sally remains available for:
Sally’s interest in physiotherapy began at a young age. Growing fast and with a large training load as a junior athlete meant that she was exposed to the profession early. “I admired my physio’s passion and knowledge and how they were able to keep me performing at my best.”
With a love of all sports including soccer, Sally studied at Charles Sturt University in Albury before moving to Melbourne to play for Collingwood in the VFLW in 2019.
“It’s a great showcase of women’s athletic ability and strength and it’s a game which requires a wide range of athletic abilities. I loved soccer but now I get to tackle too which is fun! A lot of people think that women’s bodies aren’t designed for contact sports like football, but every day hundreds of women and girls show that they are strong, athletic and capable. I love being a part of that.”
“I think women’s football is only going to continue to grow and get bigger, and with that will come increased skill. There’s been such a massive boom already, I don’t see that slowing down.”
Channeling her philosophy in sport to her patients, Sally’s goal is to help every person reach their goals and return to doing what they love. “I love seeing people of all ages and backgrounds become the fittest, strongest and healthiest versions of themselves”.
Sally enjoys all aspects of physiotherapy but has a particular interest in the musculoskeletal side of the profession most and this interest has directed her career so far.
Having previously worked in the disability industry, Sally found it extremely rewarding to help empower people with disabilities to reach their goals.
Away from the clinic, she enjoys playing sport, travelling and spending time with family and friends.
During the COVID-19 restrictions Alicia remains available for:
Alicia graduated from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Health Science and Masters of Podiatric Practice. These qualifications, together with an extensive history in sporting footwear retail, underpin Alicia’s comprehensive knowledge of feet and footwear. This has given her a broad experience in determining the best footwear choices for each patient.
Alicia firmly believes that healthy feet equal a healthy life. As a podiatrist, she has an understanding of the vast range of musculoskeletal injuries that occur in the foot and leg as well as the most appropriate and effective treatment approaches for each individual patient. By assessing the cause of pain and designing a treatment plan to prevent future problems, Alicia is motivated to improve every patients’ quality of life.
When not at CSSM, Alicia works in Monash Health, in an acute podiatry setting with a clinical focus on wound assessment and treatment as well as managing lower limb diabetic complications.
Whilst knowledgeable in all types of podiatric care, Alicia has a particular interest in sport related injuries and the relationship between foot mechanics and performance or injury.
An active sporting background developed a passion for biomechanics, giving Alicia the understanding of how injury can impact performance and the importance of an individualised treatment and rehabilitation program.
In her down time, Alicia can be found pounding the footpaths training for her next running adventure or playing Aussie Rules, netball or punching out a Pilates class with her friends. You won’t find her standing still!
During the COVID-19 restrictions Emily remains available for:
Emily has always been interested in the human body and leading an active lifestyle. “In learning about the different types of manual therapy, I really liked the concept of treating the person as a whole through osteopathy and aiming to solve the cause of someone’s pain or problem rather than just offering short term, symptomatic relief.”
Patient education and advice, in addition to hands-on treatment, is key to Emily’s treatment approach.
Emily is particularly interested in treating headaches/migraines, neck pain and pre/post-natal care using dry needling, Pilates and pain management strategies.
“Headaches including migraines are such a common and often debilitating condition and I’ve always found treating these conditions particularly satisfying as patients have often tried many different approaches with limited success prior to seeing an osteopath. I find the holistic and multi-faceted approach of osteopathy really well suited to treating these complaints.”
Emily has undertaken extensive training in dry needling. “I find it to be a very effective technique particularly for more complex cases and when other treatment modalities have been unsuccessful. I use this in conjunction with other forms of manual therapy as part of a treatment and very rarely in isolation.”
Since becoming a mother, Emily’s interest in pre and post-natal care has increased. “I understand the importance of not just pain relief during pregnancy but in optimising health and wellbeing during pregnancy for the best chance of an optimal birth and recovery.”
Having worked alongside experienced practitioners of many modalities, Emily has a broad understanding of the limitations of manual therapy and when referral and co-management may be necessary in order to achieve the best patient outcomes. In addition to manual therapy, Emily incorporates exercise prescription, postural and lifestyle advice into her management strategies, having undertaken further studies in Clinical Pilates and Nutritional Medicine.
In the future, Emily hopes to undertake further study in pain management strategies. “There’s growing numbers of patients dealing with persistent pain. These complaints form a significant part of our patient load and it is an area of research that I believe warrants further understanding.”
Away from CSSM, Emily enjoys being outdoors, spending time with her young family, drinking coffee and most recently, baking cakes!
During the COVID-19 restrictions Kim remains available for:
After 15 years of intensive dance training and working as on osteopath, Kim was looking for a pro-active way to help people manage their conditions. “Pilates was the perfect fit.”
Rather than “treat” conditions, Kim says Pilates improves movement and helps to relieve pain. “I work to help people overcome their back and neck pain, manage restrictions with arthritis, rehabilitate joint injuries, improve balance, build strength and increase bone mass in osteoporosis. I also love keeping people strong throughout their pregnancies and beyond.”
According to Kim, clients are surprised at how easily a problem area can be identified. “We have elite athletes coming in who are very strong and fit but have pain or an injury. We can find a muscle not doing its job properly and they are surprised at how quickly that muscle tires and how we can progress exercises to keep Pilates continually challenging.”
“I love that my clients are very pro-active leading to great, long term results. There is a huge variety in the people and conditions I see, keeping each class interesting. I also love getting to know people and hearing about their lives.”
Kim has first-hand knowledge in the role pilates can play in pre and post-natal health but also has extensive experience treating and rehabilitating AFL and dance injuries.
Away from the clinic, Kim enjoys spending time with her three boys and getting involved in sports, activities, camping, and bushwalking. She also loves walking her dogs.
(03) 9889 1078
Open 7 days