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.

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.”

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.

Andrew has always had an interest in the lower limb anatomy of the foot and ankle. “Our feet are the foundation of our entire body, so keeping them healthy and functional is vital to our overall health.”

While enjoying all aspects of podiatry, Andrew has a keen interest in sports and biomechanical assessments and the specialised biomechanics gait analysis.

“I like that you can specialise in any area of choice from podiatrics, sports-medicine to biomechanics and musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation throug to care for the ageing population to improve people’s quality of life.”

In the clinic, Andrew often sees years of overuse, tight-fitting shoes and even genetics leading to injuries and disorders that can significantly impact day-to-day life.

“Aside from some foot issues becoming incredibly painful, they can also make you more susceptible to other injuries.  It alters your body’s natural biomechanics resulting in compensations that can lead to ankle, hip and lower back issues. Take a little time each week to check and take care of your feet will make a difference in the long term and reduces the risk of developing something serious in the future.”

Andrew uses a range of techniques and the most up to date technology to treat his patients. “I have a keen interest in sports and biomechanical assessments, and the specialised biomechanics gait analysis software located at CSSM definitely caught my attention. Being surrounded by experienced practitioners from all disciplines will also allow me to gain further knowledge and bounce ideas off others.”

When he’s not working, you’ll find Andrew at the gym, at a Collingwood match, playing basketball or enjoying a music event with friends.

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!

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.

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.”

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.

Hugh Feary has always been interested in how the body works, sport and strength training. Physio was the perfect fit. 

“It’s also a great combination of problem solving and working with people.” 

Hugh has previously worked in GP clinics and private practice as well as a variety of local sporting teams including the Fremantle Dockers in the AFLW. 

“I love the challenge of appropriately reintegrating people back into sport as fast as possible while minimising the risk of re-injury.” 

Spending a lot of time strength training in the gym, Hugh enjoys helping others who have any niggles or injuries to modify their program to keep them moving. 

“I enjoy empowering people with the information and the tools they need to manage their own health and get back to the things they love to do.” 

Away from the clinic, Hugh enjoys music – particularly cello, drums and guitar as well as reading and strength training. 

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!”