Dr. Ecem Yurdadoğan

As a 72-year-old with advanced spinal stenosis, I'd lost hope of walking without pain. Dr. Ecem didn't just prescribe exercises—she spent an hour mapping my home layout to create a personalized mobility plan. Her 'kitchen counter ballet' routine sounds silly but transformed my daily life. At Ankara Hospital Acibadem, she coordinated with neurology in a way I've never seen—actual teamwork. Six months later, I'm gardening again. She treats the person, not just the MRI.

Our 8-year-old daughter developed complex regional pain syndrome after a playground fall—she couldn't bear weight on her left foot. Multiple doctors dismissed it as 'attention-seeking.' Dr. Yurdadoğan approached her like a partner, using cartoon diagrams to explain nerve pathways. She created a game-based rehabilitation program with rewards tracked on a colorful chart. The physical medicine strategies were brilliant, but her psychological insight was miraculous. Our child went from wheelchair to soccer practice in 12 weeks.

I arrived at Acibadem Ankara via ambulance after a motorcycle accident—multiple fractures, suspected nerve damage. Dr. Ecem conducted my initial assessment in the ER at midnight. What stunned me was her immediate focus on preventing long-term disability rather than just stabilizing me. She inserted herself into the surgical planning meeting uninvited to advocate for incision placements that would optimize future rehabilitation. During my inpatient rehab, she modified my protocol daily based on microscopic progress I couldn't even perceive. She fights for recovery margins others don't see.

As a professional pianist with focal dystonia in my right hand, my career was ending. Dr. Yurdadoğan approached this not as a musculoskeletal problem but as a 'sensorimotor conversation breakdown.' She collaborated with a music professor to analyze my technique, then designed rehabilitation that felt like rewiring my brain's relationship with the keyboard. The biofeedback sessions using EMG at the hospital were unlike any conventional therapy. She didn't promise a cure but gave me back artistic expression through adaptive techniques. Now I perform modified repertoire—a compromise she helped me grieve and then embrace.