Rapha Physiotherapy's Potong Pasir clinic, at #01-22 The Venue Shoppes on Tai Thong Crescent, takes its name seriously: 'Rapha' is Hebrew for 'to restore', 'to make healthful' and 'to make whole' — a stated commitment to every patient who walks through the door. The team's belief is simple: no one should be slowed down in life or kept from their goals by aches, pains or roadblocks, and physiotherapy can turn those roadblocks into stepping stones.
The clinical depth here is unusual for a neighbourhood clinic. Director and Chief Physiotherapist Dr Avalyn Heng brings more than 15 years of restructured hospital experience — from intensive care to stroke rehabilitation — plus a USA-trained Master's degree, a special interest in vestibular rehabilitation, and time on the medical team for Team Singapore at the 2015 ASEAN ParaGames. Clinic Director Dr Hanniel Lim holds a doctorate in physical therapy and a master's in clinical musculoskeletal physiotherapy, completed a UK clinical fellowship in musculoskeletal pain management, and combines neuroscience education, manual therapy, dry needling and therapeutic exercise. Senior Physiotherapist Ms Jewel Wee adds an Australian Master's in Advanced Clinical Physiotherapy and is a certified Reformer and Mat Pilates instructor.
Services span musculoskeletal rehabilitation for back pain, frozen shoulder, sciatica and sports injuries; post-surgical recovery after knee and hip replacements and ligament reconstruction; neurological rehabilitation for stroke and Parkinson's; geriatric falls prevention; vestibular therapy for dizziness and concussion; men's pelvic health; and home physiotherapy for those who cannot easily travel. Treatment is evidence-based, with prescribed 'homework' exercises so progress continues between sessions. Appointments can be made by call or WhatsApp at 8113 4164, by email, or through the online booking portal.
Rapha Physiotherapy's Potong Pasir clinic occupies unit #01-22 of The Venue Shoppes on Tai Thong Crescent, serving the Potong Pasir and Toa Payoh neighbourhoods. The name says everything about the clinic's philosophy: in Hebrew, 'Rapha' means 'to restore', 'to make healthful', 'to make whole'. The team's stated commitment is to empower patients with healthful, better living — because, in their words, no one should be slowed down in life or kept away from their goals by aches and pains. Roadblocks, they like to say, can become stepping stones.
For a neighbourhood clinic, the clinical depth on offer is remarkable. Director and Chief Physiotherapist Dr Avalyn Heng spent more than 15 years in the restructured hospital system, treating everyone from intensive care patients to stroke survivors learning to walk again, along with people managing Parkinson's, geriatric falls and musculoskeletal injuries. A scholarship took her to the USA in 2014 for a Master's degree, where she developed a strong interest in vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness and concussion. She was selected for the medical team supporting Team Singapore at the 8th ASEAN ParaGames in 2015, and she still teaches — mentoring therapists towards full registration and travelling to Laos and Sri Lanka on teaching trips organised by SingHealth and the Singapore International Foundation.
Clinic Director and Senior Principal Physiotherapist Dr Hanniel Lim brings more than a decade of experience with complex musculoskeletal pain. He holds a postgraduate master's in clinical musculoskeletal physiotherapy and a doctorate in physical therapy, and in 2019 was awarded the MOH-Health Manpower Development Plan Award for a clinical fellowship in musculoskeletal pain management with Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust in the UK. His treatment blends neuroscience education, hands-on mobilisation and manipulation, dry needling and therapeutic exercise, and his research has appeared in internationally renowned journals. Patients notice. Rica, a sports enthusiast, credits Hanniel with detecting her issues 'almost immediately with minimal information' — from runner's knee to swimmer's shoulder to a wrist hurt in a bike fall — and with the treatment and prescribed 'homework' exercises, she 'recovered rather fast'.
Rounding out the team is Senior Physiotherapist Ms Jewel Wee, who holds a Master's in Advanced Clinical Physiotherapy (Musculoskeletal) from Australia and has a strong background in musculoskeletal and orthopaedic inpatient rehabilitation. She treats everything from sports injuries to chronic pain and geriatric syndromes, publishes research of her own, and is a certified Reformer and Mat Pilates instructor with a warm, fun-loving approach to making rehab effective and enjoyable.
The clinic's rehabilitation programmes cover an unusually wide span. Musculoskeletal care addresses headaches, neck and back pain, disc herniation and sciatica, spinal stenosis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, hip and knee pain and plantar fasciitis. Post-surgical rehabilitation focuses on expeditious, successful recovery after operations such as total knee and hip replacements, knee ligament reconstruction and post-fracture care. Neurological rehabilitation leverages the science of neuroplasticity for stroke and movement strategies for Parkinson's, improving everything from sit-to-stand to walking — and even running for motivated stroke survivors, a particular interest of Dr Avalyn's from her ParaGames experience. Geriatric rehabilitation is tailored for older adults, targeting falls prevention, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and frailty so patients can live out their golden years actively.
One of the clinic's most distinctive strengths is dizziness and concussion rehabilitation. Specialised vestibular therapy manages symptoms arising from the inner ear — BPPV, neuritis and Meniere's disease — as well as concussion-related dizziness, headache and neck pain, helping patients return to normal activities and sport.
For patients who find it hard to leave home — because of dizziness, frailty or pain — Rapha offers home physiotherapy: 'Let us travel to you instead,' the team invites. The clinic also provides a dedicated men's health service covering men's pelvic health conditions, an area of special interest for Dr Hanniel.
Everything at Rapha is delivered with evidence-based treatment approaches by experienced therapists, and the tone is personal rather than transactional: expect patient explanations, your questions answered, and exercises to continue at home so progress does not stop when the session ends.
Practically, the Potong Pasir clinic is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, and Saturday, 9am to 1pm. Appointments can be made by calling or WhatsApping 8113 4164, emailing [email protected], or booking online through the clinic's website. If you are unsure whether physiotherapy can help your condition, the team invites you to reach out — they will be happy to assist. As their motto puts it: Celebrate Life with Rapha.