Through a severe motorcycle accident Tim Hartman lost the mobilty in his spine and neck but is now quickly recovering through physiotherapy. Eli Meixler
When Tim Hartman, an American tourist, crashed his motorbike in Kep he was left with two broken ribs, whiplash, a concussion and a hyperextended shoulder. After the shock wore off, he saw few viable options for recovering in Cambodia and thought of returning to the US to heal.
“That is when an Australian nurse in Sihanoukville referred me to Physiotherapy Phnom Penh,” said Hartman. “Before coming here I couldn’t turn my head to the side, or use my shoulder. Luckily, for my head, I was wearing a helmet,” he said.
Still bandaged, Hartman sat in the lobby of Physiotherapy Phnom Penh II—the clinics new office which officially opens today—on Monivong Boulevard, a block north of The Royal Raffles Hotel.
“If it wasn’t for Dr Dick, I wouldn’t be making progress and wouldn’t be able to continue on my journey,” he said, describing how after a few treatments that mobilized his spine, his neck is healed and a full range of motion has returned to his shoulder.
Dr Dick van der Poel, the lead practitioner out of a group of four Dutch-certified staff and one part-time British, first opened Physiotherapy Phnom Penh near the Russian Market in 2010. Since then, his practice has grown first through word-of-mouth, and now by referrals from some of the capital’s largest hospitals and established clinics.
“We help people get back on their feet again,” said Dick. He went on to describe how in a country that lacks western style facilities, he bridges the gap between the emergency room and full rehabilitation by focusing on the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system is what actually binds the body together and includes everything from bones to muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and joints. It is what makes the body move and function, and it is also what is most prone to injury.
Full article can be found at : http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-plus/physiotherapy-phnom-penh-opens-second-clinic