Practitioner Profiles
Dr Emila O'Connor - Osteopath
BSc(ClinSc) MHSc(Osteo)
Emila is the founder and managing director of Finesse Osteopathy, which originated in Warracknabeal in February 2015. After over 2 years of providing quality healthcare to those in the Wimmera Mallee, Emila has now moved along with her partner Ryan to Tatura. Emila grew up in Shepparton, and will now be living and working in Tatura where her father John grew up, and where grandparents Frank and Rosie Howley spent most of their lives.
Emila is the principal Osteopath at Finesse Osteopathy in Tatura. Emila graduated from Victoria University with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Clinical Science) and a Masters of Health Science (Osteopathy).
Prior to opening Finesse Osteopathy in Warracknabeal she worked in numerous well-established and reputable Osteopathic clinics throughout Melbourne. Here, she increased her knowledge and further developed her skills alongside some of the most respected Osteopaths in her field.
Focusing on neck and back pain (spinal pain and headaches), Emila provides effective treatment and management for both acute and chronic conditions.
Being a health and fitness enthusiast herself, she enjoys providing quality treatment for all sports injuries and providing further rehabilitation and management of these conditions.
She also has a passion for women’s health, primarily in helping alleviate pain during pregnancy.
Emila is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is a current member of Osteopathy Australia.
Dr Ashleigh Tunchon- Osteopath
BSc/BAppSc (Osteo)
Ashleigh completed her Bachelor of Applied Science / Bachelor of Health Sciences (Osteopathy) at RMIT.
Ashleigh has recently joined the team at Finesse Osteopathy in Tatura.
Ashleigh is a local AFL umpire and was a national level swimmer as a teen, this found her using allied health professions on multiple occasions.
Through her involvement with both swimming and football, she was drawn to a profession where she could provide ongoing health support to those in the industry.
After completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) majoring in molecular biology, she found that although enjoyed the research aspect of science, this was not enough to satisfy her will to assist others.
This is where Osteopathy came into the picture. Having a love of science, her love for anatomy came afterwards when it came to light that there were people who did not have access to this type of healthcare.
She uses a wide variety of hands -on techniques, including dry-needling, to achieve the best outcome. As an osteopath, Ashleigh feels it is important to provide each patient with all relevent information for them to make a clear and concise decision about their own healthcare.
Ashleigh is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is a current member of Osteopathy Australia.
Dr Daniel Puglia- Osteopath
BSc/BAppSc (Osteo)
Daniel completed his Bachelor of Applied Science/ Bachelor of Health Sciences (Osteopathy) at RMIT University.
Being a big believer in health and fitness Daniel knows that movement is one of the best things for the body and takes a holistic approach to treating, in addition to making sure his patients understand their condition and what might be causing it. He provides exercises his patients can do at home or the gym to improve their quality of life.
Previously, Daniel has been working as an Osteopath in Melbourne as part of a group fitness gym, this enabled Daniel to expand his knowledge on rehab and allowed him access to the gym facilities to educate his patients about exercises and stretches they can do to promote recovery.
Daniel has worked as a sports trainer at multiple football clubs including the Coburg Lions in the VFL where he worked on optimizing player performance. In 2017, he participated in the SALT Health Solutions program which saw him go to India for a month and work in hospitals in Mumbai and Goa treating post-operative and non-surgical patients, alongside orthopaedic surgeons that specialize in knees.
Daniel has a keen interest in swimming and swimming related injuries. He himself enjoys open water events and triathlons. He has been a swim teacher and a surf lifesaver at the Williamstown beach.
Daniel is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) and is a current member of Osteopathy Australia
Dr Steven Zarka
Steven graduated from Victoria University with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Clinical Science) and a Masters of Health Science (Osteopathy)
Steven has a strong passion for tailoring a holistic treatment plan that is specific to the patients complaint. His passion developed through a combination of injuries that he incurred from playing sports, and the fascinating principles that form the backbone of Osteopathy.
Steven has been working as a mobile massage therapist since 2018 and worked as a sports trainer for 2 years with the Victorian Football League (VFL) umpires. At the VFL he shadowed sports physiotherapists and assisted in the rehabilitation of elite athletes. This experience exposed him to the management of acute and chronic injuries in a high performance setting.
Steven strives to understand and manage the source of the patients complaint in order to help people return to the activities that are important to them through providing support, education and empathy.
Steven enjoys staying active at the gym, spending time with family and friends and continually strives to expand his knowledge by keeping up to date with the latest research.