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About Max

Max Bellaiche trained at university for seven years because he wanted to spend his working life solving the problem of pain that doesn't fit a label — chronic tendinopathy, the runner whose knee won't settle, the patient who's been told there's "nothing wrong" but still can't sleep on their side. He now consults across three Sydney clinics — Sydney Osteopathic Medicine (CBD), Harley Place Health (Bondi Junction), and Rozelle Osteopaths (Leichhardt) — in English or French.

Clinical philosophy

Three principles shape Max's clinical work:

1. Pain is a load-tolerance problem, not a damage report. Most musculoskeletal pain — tendinopathy, mechanical neck pain, non-specific low back pain — is the tissue communicating that the current load is greater than its capacity. Management focuses on the gap, not on imagined damage.
2. Progressive loading beats rest for most tendons. The Cook & Purdam continuum, Kongsgaard's heavy slow resistance protocol, and current return-to-sport frameworks all point the same direction: the tendon adapts to load applied in the right dose at the right time. Rest alone doesn't rebuild capacity.
3. The patient owns the process. Clinical conversations are collaborative. You'll understand what's been found, why it likely behaves the way it does, and what the plan is. If something doesn't fit, the plan is revised.

What Max does not do

Some things are outside what an osteopath can or should offer. Knowing when to refer is part of clinical work.

• Diagnosis of red-flag pathology — significant trauma, fracture suspicion, neurological deficit, suspected serious systemic illness. These go to your GP or emergency department; Max will tell you and refer if these appear.
• Long-term pain medication management — opioid tapering and multi-modal medication plans are pain medicine and GP territory. Max may write to your GP with relevant clinical context but does not prescribe.
• Specialist medical scope — rheumatological diagnosis, orthopaedic surgery, paediatric specialist concerns. Onward referral when indicated.
• Promises about outcomes. No osteopath can guarantee results. What you'll get is an evidence-grounded plan, honest review of progress, and a recommendation when something isn't working as expected.

Training

Max completed seven years of university training before starting clinical practice:

• Bachelor of Science (Physiology) — University of Sydney, three years. Foundational understanding of how the human body functions across systems.
• Bachelor of Clinical Science (Osteopathy) and Master of Osteopathic Medicine — Southern Cross University (Gold Coast), four and a half years. Clinical science, anatomy, neuroscience, and musculoskeletal examination, followed by postgraduate clinical training in osteopathic assessment, manual therapy, and management of musculoskeletal presentations across the lifespan.

Max is registered with AHPRA under the Osteopathy Board of Australia (registration number OST0004003860) and is a member of Osteopathy Australia. Registration can be verified at any time through the AHPRA register.

Clinical focus

Max's clinical work centres on three areas:

• Tendinopathy and load management — a particular interest in Achilles, patellar, and plantar presentations. Assessment is framed around the current understanding of tendon pathology; management uses progressive loading as the central principle, with manual therapy, dry needling, and shockwave therapy (ESWT) used where clinically indicated.
• Sports osteopathy — recreational runners, cyclists, and weight-trainers. Care includes activity-specific assessment and a structured return-to-sport process built around graduated load and symptom monitoring.
• Persistent and recurrent musculoskeletal pain — assessment within a contemporary biopsychosocial framework, with management plans developed collaboratively with each patient.

How Max works

A typical initial assessment includes a detailed history, a clinical examination relevant to the presentation, and a discussion of what's been found and what comes next. Treatment may begin in the first session if clinically appropriate, or may follow further imaging or referral if needed. Read what a first visit involves →

Treatment plans typically include hands-on osteopathy, with dry needling or shockwave therapy where clinically indicated. Where exercise prescription or graduated loading is appropriate, Max draws on his physiology background to build a programme that fits with your activity level and goals.

Languages

Max is bilingual. Consultations are available in fluent English or native French — useful for patients who think about their body and symptoms in French, or who simply prefer the comfort of their first language during a clinical conversation.

Where to find Max

Max consults across three Sydney clinics:

• Bondi Junction — Harley Place Health, Level 8, Suite 809, 251 Oxford Street
• Leichhardt — Rozelle Osteopaths, 33 Tebbutt Street
• Sydney CBD — Sydney Osteopathic Medicine, Level 8, Suite 808, 109 Pitt Street

All three clinics offer the same standard of care.

Max Bellaiche · AHPRA OST0004003860 · Master of Osteopathic Medicine
Educational content, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 000.