Dr. Esra Er

As a 78-year-old with advanced Parkinson's, I'd lost hope of ever feeding myself again. Dr. Esra Er didn't just see tremors—she saw specific muscle groups. Her rehabilitation plan involved rhythmic auditory stimulation therapy combined with weighted utensils she designed with the occupational therapist. After three months, I celebrated my birthday by cutting my own cake. Her approach wasn't about curing Parkinson's but reclaiming dignity in daily living. At Acibadem Maslak, she created a multidisciplinary team that treated me like a person, not a diagnosis.

Our 8-year-old daughter developed complex regional pain syndrome after a seemingly minor ankle sprain. The pain was so severe she refused to walk. Dr. Er approached her like a puzzle to solve gently. Instead of starting with physical therapy, she used mirror box therapy and incorporated storytelling where our daughter 'sent healing magic' to her reflected foot. Within weeks, she was bear-weight bearing. Dr. Er's child-friendly pain neuroscience education used cartoon neurons to explain pain signals. She transformed fear into curiosity—a true pediatric rehabilitation artist.

I arrived at Acibadem Maslak via ambulance after a motorcycle accident left me with brachial plexus injury—my right arm completely paralyzed. Dr. Er coordinated my care from ICU through rehabilitation. What stood out was her 'pre-hab' approach: even before surgery, she started electrical stimulation to prevent muscle atrophy. Post-surgery, her novel combination of robotic exoskeleton training and task-specific mirror therapy created new neural pathways. Nine months later, I can write my name and lift a coffee cup—small victories she celebrated like major triumphs. Her emergency-to-recovery continuum saved my arm's functionality.

As a professional violinist with focal dystonia, my career was ending—my fingers would cramp uncontrollably during performances. Most doctors offered only Botox injections. Dr. Er designed a sensorimotor retraining program using silent practice (imagined playing) combined with constraint-induced therapy on my non-dominant hand. She collaborated with a neurologist for medication timing around performances. The breakthrough came when she had me practice underwater for altered sensory feedback. I returned to the stage after six months. She understands that for artists, rehabilitation isn't just about movement—it's about reclaiming expression.