I started Peninsula Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy, a dedicated Pelvic Health Physiotherapy practice in 2010 having arrived in Victoria from Western Australia. It was one of those situations where Iactually moved having secured a Pelvic Health Physiotherapy position in a Practice in the city: but it wasn’t to be….. Everything about that position was not right for me and I found myself at home, wondering where I would turn. I will be honest, it was a slightly bleak moment in my life. 

But in these low moments, we pull ourselves up and I started to look for something new. I saw an advertisement for a practice needing a “Women’s Health Physiotherapist”. That led me to meet Michelle Blake, Director and Head Physiotherapist at “The Sports Injury Clinic” in Frankston. They did indeed want a Physiotherapist dedicated to Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherapy but I would need to be my own business, working within their business: and so Peninsula Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy was born. On reflection that was a challenge. But I think it demonstrated Michelle and Pippa’s high level of integrity in recognizing that Pelvic Health Physiotherapy requires a very special set of skills and knowledge base that comes with specific post graduate training and experience. They wanted someone with that knowledge to provide a quality service, rather than try and do it themselves. 

Michelle Blake was a dynamic Physiotherapist with a long career history in Frankston. She had the Physiotherapy knowledge and her business partner, Pippa Hanson, the business knowledge. Pippa Hanson still heads “The Sports Injury Clinic” admirably. 

Michelle Blake believed in the concept of multidisciplinary care, where individual practitioners have their expertise but refer to the broader team when special needs require. Sadly, Michelle died in 2016 from cancer but her legacy lives on at “TSIC” in Frankston. 

We have worked out of our rooms at “The Sports Injury Clinic” now for 10 years. 2020 marked the 10 year anniversary of Peninsula Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy. However, July 2020 also marked the height of COVID lockdown so there was no party as planned. 

I genuinely feel immensely lucky to have found such a harmonious workplace where I really believe the concept of “multidisciplinary care” has been put into action seamlessly. We have: 

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy where the practitioners all have their own special areas of sporting interest. 

Exercise Physiology based out of a large gym upstairs offering exercise therapy and rehab. Myotherapy and massage offering soft tissue therapy. 

Podiatry offering all aspects of foot care and injury management. 

Pilates run from a large studio upstairs with Pilates Practitioners and Physios working together. Sports Medicine with Dr Tim March. 

Dietician, Melinda Braithwaite with whom we work closely for those with gut disorders.

And ofcourse, Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy offering help for all problems to do with bladder, bowel, gynaecology, prostate, pregnancy and pelvic or sexual pain. 

We all feel comfortable referring to other practitioners when we know this will enhance and improve outcomes. It is great to have all the disciplines under one roof. But when I sometimes reflect that it might not seem obvious to have Pelvic Health Physiotherapy at a Sports Clinic (although we know the clinic is so much more than just sports focused), I remember an elderly client who said to me one day: “well it all depends on the sport you’ve been practising”. Indeed!