Orthopaedic physiotherapy and rehabilitation, with surgery and acute care under one roof.
Caring for patients from across Melbourne — post-op rehab, hand therapy referrals, and long-standing joint and spinal pain. GP referral welcome but not required to start with the physio team.
Physio-led care, with the surgical team next door.
East Coast Orthopaedic Physiotherapy — ECO Physio — is a specialist physio and rehab practice on the Mornington Peninsula and in southeast Melbourne. Founded by orthopaedic surgeon Mr Santosh Jacob, it has grown around the rehab team, with in-house surgery, acute care and onsite hand therapy alongside.
Patient-centred and evidence-based, with close coordination between physiotherapists, surgeons, physicians, GPs, anaesthetists and orthotists — so care stays continuous from first assessment through to full rehabilitation.
Wheelchair-accessible, on-site parking, and direct public-transport access at the main Frankston rooms.
Continuity of Care
From initial consultation to final rehabilitation session, our specialists collaborate directly on your recovery.
Specialist Expertise
Comprehensive care capabilities
ECO Physio leads on physiotherapy and rehabilitation, with surgery and acute care alongside — so every phase of recovery is managed by a specialist.
Sports surgery & arthroscopy
Hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow. State-of-the-art operative and non-operative techniques.
Joint replacement
Patient-specific guides, computer navigation and robotic-assisted hip, knee, and shoulder replacement.
Acute trauma
Fracture and dislocation management for children, adults and the elderly; ACL injuries, dislocated shoulders.
Chronic conditions
Ethical, evidence-based management of long-standing musculoskeletal problems with no one-size-fits-all approach.
Every practitioner brings deep sub-specialist expertise to the clinic, collaborating closely to ensure patients receive continuous, aligned care.
Dr Kevin Phang
Acute Care Physician
A passionate emergency physician with a special interest in acute fracture management, follow-up and ongoing care. Kevin regularly manages acute fractures and joint dislocations in the emergency department and works closely with Santosh to deliver best-practice non-operative pathways. Special interest in image-guided biologic therapy to facilitate recovery.
Graduated from Monash University in 2018 with honours. Has worked across local sports clubs (basketball, netball, AFL), travelling sports teams (netball, cycling), private clinics and community rehab-in-the-home for people recovering from major injuries and operations. Loves problem-solving with patients to make sure life can keep going around an injury.
Sports InjuriesPost-Op RehabCommunity Rehab
Pat Young
Physiotherapist
A physiotherapist in the bayside region since 2006, with experience across private practice and hospital settings after graduating from the University of Melbourne. Worked extensively with several AFL football teams including the Carlton Football Club. Firm believer in hands-on treatment combined with appropriate rehabilitation exercises.
Elite SportAFL RehabManual Therapy
Taylor Ly
Physiotherapist
Graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) in 2022. Tailored exercise and manual therapy combined with deep listening to each patient's goals. Experience across local sporting teams (football, netball, basketball), strength-and-conditioning environments and NDIS community care. Currently training for an Ironman 70.3 triathlon.
Strength & ConditioningNDISEndurance Athletes
PT
Peter Thomas
Physiotherapist
Has been providing musculoskeletal physiotherapy to the bayside and southern suburbs for over 25 years. Founded Cheltenham Physiotherapy Clinic in 1987, followed by City Baths Sports Medicine Clinic and Pilates Bayside, with an emphasis on spinal and sports-injury management. Has worked with AFL teams at the elite level.
Graduated from La Trobe University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Health Science and Masters of Physiotherapy. Drawing on his own sporting background, Dylan worked with the North Melbourne Football Club for several years. Special interest in sports injuries, ACL repairs, post-operative rehabilitation and golf injuries — a firm believer that the combination of manual therapy and exercise prescription is the best way to achieve his clients' goals. Outside the clinic you'll find Dylan on the golf course or spending time with his family.
Trained at Christian Medical College Vellore, graduating in 2005, and has practised as a Consultant ever since. Subsequent fellowships took him to three of the world's leading arthroplasty and arthroscopy centres — Adelaide in 2006, Sydney in 2008 and Melbourne in 2014 — before his admission as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2018.
Notable Work
Consultant to Olympic and international athletes — including the Indian national hockey team and the Indian badminton squad — and a volunteer medical visitor to the Canberra Raiders.
“Gentle, compassionate communication with patients and their families.”
Areas of Interest
Orthopaedic sports medicine
Trauma
Shoulder arthroscopy & arthroplasty
Hip arthroscopy & arthroplasty
Knee arthroscopy & arthroplasty
Ankle arthroscopy & arthroplasty
Languages Spoken
Hindi
Tamil
Malayalam
Some Bengali
Member of
Seven leading orthopaedic and arthroscopy societies — Australia and internationally.
Hover, focus or tap a logo to read what each society is and why it matters for orthopaedic care.
Research & Publications
Mr Jacob remains actively involved in clinical research, peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, regularly contributing to international meetings of the societies above.
Our Support Team
The people who keep care running smoothly.
Behind every clinician is a small administration team coordinating appointments, hospital bookings, referrals and paperwork — so your visit is calm, organised and on time.
JH
Jacinta Henderson
Senior Receptionist
Front-office lead and the friendly first voice patients hear. Keeps the practice in shape and care running smoothly across the Mornington Peninsula, bayside Melbourne, Phillip Island and Gippsland.
KK
Kyle Kendrick
Practice Manager
Practice manager for whom nothing is impossible. Coordinates orthopaedic care across Melbourne and for patients travelling from interstate and overseas seeking the team's expertise.
SS
Sam Smith
Administration Support
Administration support — keeps the well-oiled machine rolling so clinicians can stay focused on patient care.
ECO Physio Programs
Rehabilitation under the same roof
ECO Physio leads day-to-day care, working in step with the surgical and acute-care teams. Two dedicated programs run from our Frankston rooms — ECO Physiotherapy and Kingston Hand Therapy.
ECO Physiotherapy
In-house rehabilitation team
A team of physios working alongside the surgical and acute-care teams. Pre-habilitation, post-operative rehab, sports performance, NDIS, and strength & conditioning — coordinated directly with the treating specialist.
· Pre & post-op rehab
· Sports injury recovery
· Strength & conditioning
· NDIS-registered
Kingston Hand Therapy
Specialist hand & upper-limb care
ECO Hand Therapy is delivered onsite at the Frankston rooms by Kingston Hand Therapy — specialist treatment of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder, including post-operative splinting, tendon and nerve injury rehabilitation, and conservative arthritis management.
· Custom splinting
· Tendon & nerve rehab
· Post-fracture recovery
· Arthritis management
ECO Physiotherapy
A team built around your recovery
ECO Physiotherapy is a group of highly trained, vastly experienced physios who have come together to optimise patient outcomes. We bring our collective expertise to every patient — driven by a passion for orthopaedic and sports rehabilitation, and a desire to enhance recovery and maximise function.
Conditions we treat
Pre & post-surgical rehab
Complete care from diagnosis through hospital stay, discharge and return to function — with the rehab team in step with the treating surgeon at every stage.
Sports injuries
Extensive experience with recreational and high-performance athletes across AFL, soccer, basketball, cricket and athletics — accurate diagnosis and evidence-based treatment to expedite a safe return to sport.
Back & neck pain
Assess, diagnose and treat the cause of spinal pain. Through education and exercise, most patients reduce pain, minimise recurrence and become independent of ongoing therapy.
The hand therapists at Kingston Hand Therapy are qualified Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists with advanced postgraduate upper-limb education and training. Tom and Dave are both Accredited Hand Therapists awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association — recognised as expert in hand and upper-limb rehabilitation. They diagnose, assess and treat injuries to fingers, hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders caused by work, sport, recreation or motor accidents.
Conditions we treat
Fractures
Distal radius, scaphoid and other carpal bone fractures — including custom-made circumferential thermoplastic wrist splints as an alternative to plaster of Paris.
Sports injuries — fingers, hand & wrist
Finger fractures from ball sports, ranging from simple to complex cases requiring surgical correction and long-term rehabilitation to manage stiffness, swelling and rotation.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
The most common condition affecting the hand in the western world, caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist — conservative management and post-surgical rehab.
Osteoarthritis — fingers, hand & wrist
Gradual wearing of cartilage that causes joint deterioration. Tailored programs to protect joints, manage pain and preserve function from the fourth decade onward.
De Quervain's tenosynovitis
Pain and swelling in the thumb and wrist from inflammation of the thumb tendons — common in new mothers and with repetitive manual handling.
East Coast Orthopaedic Physiotherapy is a specialist private practice and is not a bulk-billing clinic.
Current consultation fees are provided by the rooms and confirmed prior to each appointment; a method of payment is required at the time of booking.
Surgical fees are structured to AMA guidelines, with gap charges voluntarily capped to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Quoted fees cover the surgeon's fee only — hospital, anaesthetic, surgical-assistant, radiology, pathology and pharmacy charges are billed separately and may be partly or fully covered by private health insurance. Patients are encouraged to confirm their cover with their fund prior to admission.
Flexibility is offered on compassionate grounds at the practice's discretion.
What patients say
In their own words.
Real reviews from patients on Google — gathered from Mr Santosh Jacob and the team at East Coast Orthopaedics. Tap any card to read the full review.
