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.

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.

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.

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.”