About Us
Gill Smith
Women's Health Physiotherapist and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist
Post Graduate Certificate Continence and Pelvic Floor Muscle Rehabilitation (Melb Uni) (2009)
Post Graduate Diploma in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (LaTrobe Uni) (1997)
Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy (La Trobe Uni) (1987)
Level 4 Pilates DMA certified
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Lecturer at Filex Fitness Industry Convention ( April 2014) – “Tips & Tricks to optimise pelvic floor function”
Lecturer at Victorian Maternal Health Nurses Conference (2014) - "Pelvic Floor Health"
Gillian for the past seventeen years has run Physio/Pilates/Women's Health clinics in bayside suburbs. In 2013 she constructed a purpose built Women’s Health clinic in Edithvale close to the beach. The studio consists of three consulting rooms and a large Pilates and Functional Fitness studio which converts to an educational venue for Pelvic Floor Fitness workshops.
Gillian has a special focus on the link that exists in women who suffer from bladder leakage and low back pain, an inseparable condition. Over a decade Gillian has been using the real-time ultrasound for assessment and client biofeedback rehabilitation. Many people are visual learners, seeing their muscles working on the screen and connecting to these muscles correctly brings about immediate positive outcomes. Gillian uses the real-time ultrasound on all muscle groups of the body and is very skilled in its use. She will rehabilitate shoulder, knee, hip, back, neck and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction with real time ultrasound biofeedback sessions.
Gillian has two postgraduate qualifications in Physiotherapy. In 1997 she spent a year studying musculoskeletal medicine. She refined her skills in assessing a musculoskeletal condition and developed advanced clinical reasoning skills to form a sound diagnosis and consequent treat plan unique to that client. In 2009 she undertook six month postgraduate training in Continence and Pelvic Floor Muscle Rehabilitation which taught her how to assess and rehabilitate issues associated with the bladder, bowel and pelvic organs due to dysfunction with the pelvic floor muscles.
Gillian integrates clinical expertise with evidence-based research, in the assessment and management of movement disorders associated with Musculoskeletal and Women’s Health issues.
Gillian is passionate about Women’s Health and keenly continues to advance her knowledge in this field of study. She is a great advocate for lifelong learning. Gillian is also a mother and appreciates the challenges of work life balance. This topic is often spoken about by the women in our fun, nurturing group exercise classes. Innovative Physio is developing into a community of women who are motivated to keep their mind connected to their functional fitness.
Gillian is the founder of Pelvic Floor Fitness, an educational product promoting awareness, knowledge and practical know how regards optimising pelvic floor function in the rehabilitation and fitness industry.
The objective of this program is for allied health practitioners and fitness instructors to be empowered gaining assessment skills determining whether clients are correctly recruiting pelvic floor muscles. This is a critical movement pattern for safe and effective exercise especially working with women, pregnant and post-natal. Pelvic Floor Fitness promotes pelvic floor safe exercise for women.
Rebecca Gardner
Diploma in Professional Pilates Instruction
Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology
Qualified Allied Health Assistant to a Physiotherapist
Rebecca has a performance/producer background of 20 years including running a theatre in a Health Education company called the Dear Marias for 10 years. The company provided information, education, and performance for community, NESB women, prisoner women, and remote dwelling women, on vital women’s health issues such as the need for cervical and breast screening, menopause, stress, dementia care and the need for exercise. The company attracted over $400,000 over the 10 years to 2002 from many philanthropic organisations in Victoria. They worked in tandem with key women’s health organisation including WHISE (Women’s Health in the Southeast), and numerous community health organisations around Victoria.
Her journey changed after the birth of her second child in 2002, and led her to becoming a teacher of Pilates. She started teaching at community level, and then in clinics working in tandem with physios and chiropractors. 8 years ago, she set up her own clinic (PainFit Integrated Health Centre), and has in the last 4 years merged with another local clinic (Innovative Physio). The businesses of 7 women (Physio, clinical and studio Pilates practitioner Osteopath, Podiatrist and Myotherapists) now work collaboratively under the umbrella of Edithvale Allied Health Centre. This is how Rebecca met Gill Smith and was she encouraged to study to become a physio health assistant. They both have a mutual interest in women’s health and have been working with clients under the Gill’s guidance to help local women with key functional health issues.