Today we’d like to introduce you to David Kim.
David, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always been intrigued by the human body and biomechanics. I played many sports growing up and ended up committing to baseball for most of my youth. I participated as an athlete at Peak Performance Project under Dr. Marcus Elliot, a Harvard-trained physician applying sports science in the care of professional athletes. I learned that efficiency and utilization of your body as a whole are vital in becoming a better athlete. I learned to recognize, acknowledge, and adjust my faults on a consistent basis. This mindset carried over into my eventual interest in powerlifting; the same rules applied. I went on to manage a YouTube channel centered around optimal weightlifting mechanics and injury prevention.
The lessons learned in athletics and critical thinking required at UCLA shaped part of my mindset. However, those are only pieces of the pie. After I graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy, the true learning occurred. I realized the poor state of healthcare in the United States, and I promised myself I would change how things are run once I had adequate clinical experience. As a truth seeker with a vision to help clients address chronic pain and athletes excel in their respective sport, Hyena Rehab & Performance was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I treated every day as an opportunity to become the best therapist I could be. Every patient became a data point in my arsenal of knowledge that I could refer to when coming across similar issues. I began my career treating the site of symptoms and graduated to treating the body as a whole, which paid off massively. I began seeing clients out of my apartment while working for an employer and eventually took the leap to fully work for myself. When your back is against the wall, things tend to happen quickly and seemingly coincidentally. In reality, “getting lucky” occurs when work meets passion and efficiency.
I believe failure is the means to success. All business owners run into similar issues such as juggling legalities, admin, and delivering the service/product itself. If you truly love what you do and have the drive to achieve your goals, you will make sure to cover all ground. You will become comfortable with discomfort and welcome failure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Hyena Rehab & Performance offers physical therapy, performance training, and sports massage services. We practice out of Movement Society in the Arts District, Los Angeles, CA.
I am a doctor of physical therapy and owner of Hyena Rehab & Performance. My clinical experience lies in the orthopedic setting ranging from patients with total knee replacements and rotator cuff repairs to weekend warriors and athletes. I incorporate manual therapy, corrective exercises, and neuromuscular re-education to help my clients tackle chronic pain. Unlike many practitioners who treat the symptoms that may be byproducts of deeper issues, I seek to address the root causes. I have an online presence (@doctodpk) to remotely help others live biomechanically-balanced lives.
Insurance-based clinics get paid per service, not per positive outcome. Many of these clinics triple- and sometimes quadruple-book patients with the purpose of racking up units to bill. Insurance companies do not dictate our care, so we are able to provide one-on-one head-to-toe assessments designed to produce lasting results.
We also help athletes train at their highest level to excel in their specific sport and offer rehab-inspired massage treatment designed to decrease myofascial tension and improve circulation.
Carolynne is a former professional ballet dancer turned certified massage therapist. She began her massage journey intuitively massaging her father’s hands as a child and now is adept at treating both humans and animals. She experienced multiple injuries as a dancer in France including ankle stress fractures, shoulder and hip dislocations, and spinal pain. In addition to her career experience, these adversities have led her to understand recovery at an elite level. Carolynne utilizes each stroke with intention and incorporates trigger point therapy and cupping in a holistic manner to improve soft tissue extensibility and joint range of motion.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The internet is your best friend. The accessibility of information is vast. Your vicinity has a limited amount of specialists. That being said, be careful who and where you get your information from.
I keep up with practitioners who embody what they preach. I have criteria regarding who I follow on social media. I have cultivated connections with like-minded individuals, some of which I interviewed during the pandemic. Create and post meaningful and unique content. You never know who will see it and reach out!
In my industry, networking is easy. The facility I practice out of has a large network.. I unintentionally network every time I treat a patient. I have worked with celebrities, healthcare practitioners, lawyers, business owners, etc. You never know who you will work with.
Treat every interaction as an opportunity. Consistently put yourself out there.
Pricing:
- Rehab – $225 (55-min; Packages Available)
- Performance – $195 (60-min; Group Training Available)
- Sports Massage – $195 (60-min; Other Time Frame Available)
Contact Info:
- Website: hyenarehab.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/doctordpk/
Image Credits
Lindsay Kreighbaum
