Carlee Mellow

Dancer, Educator, Yoga Lover

Prior to becoming a Physiotherapist, I enjoyed a successful career as a Contemporary Dancer for over 20 years. My love of movement and hands-on approach to treatment has proven to be a winning combination that gets people out of pain and moving optimally. I have a keen interest in the neuro-myofascial system and its role in transmitting force, tissue resilience, postural compensation and pain. I use myofascial release techniques to balance and align the system coupled with breath and movement training. I have a special interest in hip conditions and work with many people to relieve their back and neck pain.

I am a guest lecturer for Melbourne University, at the Victorian College of the Arts, School of Dance. I teach both undergraduate and postgraduate students in Dance Medicine, Anatomy, Somatic practices and Contemporary Technique. For the past 20 years I have also taught Yoga, with my clients ranging from practitioners in their 70s to elite professional dancers. As a Physio, I enjoy combining my years of dance and yoga expertise with my clinical knowledge, to ensure my clients are getting a practice that is effective and safe for them if recovering from injury and managing pain. Once recovered, I love challenging them, making them sweat and getting them to think more deeply about how and why they move, as a way to build strong and sustainable patterns in their body and mind.

As a Dance Physio I have the privilege of working with professional dancers from Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Dance Company and Stephanie Lake Dance Company as well as street dancers and acrobats, rehabilitating them from acute injuries, managing their recovery after surgery, right through to preparing them for high performance events. We focus on movement analysis, biomechanical repatterning and load management to ensure a successful recovery and to prevent future injuries, a process I use across the board with all of my clients. Helping people to understand why they are in pain, identifying and training any imbalances and supporting them to move again with confidence and freedom is extremely rewarding.

As a lecturer over the years at Melbourne University, University of New South Wales and the Australian College of Physical Education, my passion for education remains strong. My teaching philosophy is all about teaching people how to teach themselves. I really believe that by educating my patients to have a deeper understanding of their condition/injury, and how to listen to their body, they feel empowered and motivated to manage their rehabilitation more independently. This makes treatment more effective and meaningful for the individual, and has a greater long-term impact.

When I’m not at work, you’ll probably find me at an arts performance, in a dance or yoga class, eating Mexican food (without coriander!) with my partner and two girls, or spending some quiet time with my dog, Luna.

QUALIFICATIONS, COURSES & SEMINARS

• Master of Physiotherapy
• Bachelor of Dance
• Advanced Diploma of Yoga Teaching 500hrs
• Applied anatomy and biomechanics in yoga
• Advanced sequencing in yoga
• Annie Carpenter Smart Flow (Yoga)
• APPI Clinical Mat Work Pilates
• Fascia and Pain Science (Tom Myers and Eric Owens)