Mr Salman Fitri (left) receiving one of three awards presented to him at the SME Excellence Business Awards Ceremony 2024, recognizing his dedication and outstanding contributions to the field of Alternative Medicine.
Pain has a way of demanding attention — but for Mr Salman Fitri, it also became the foundation of a business.
Long before osteopathy became his professional focus, Salman was a patient searching for relief. Years of recurring back pain, inconsistent treatment outcomes, and unanswered questions pushed him to look beyond conventional solutions. What followed was not just recovery, but insight — insight that eventually shaped a business built on lived experience, structured learning, and a clear value proposition: helping people move and function better through non-invasive, hands-on care. Today, as he pursues a Doctorate in Osteopathy, Salman is building a growing osteopathy practice in Singapore — one informed as much by entrepreneurial thinking as it is by clinical training.
When Experience Reveals a Market Gap
In 2011, while travelling in Yunnan, China, Salman experienced a turning point. Suffering from a slip disc, he encountered a local healer who alleviated his pain using manual techniques alone. The relief was immediate. Years later, another encounter reinforced this perspective when Professor Dr Rano Izhar Rahmat, who has been featured for his work in acupuncture and integrative approaches to pain management, treated Salman’s sciatic pain using just five acupuncture needles. The outcome succeeded where previous treatments had not. For Salman, these experiences highlighted something important not just clinically, but commercially: there was demand for effective, hands-on care that people could understand, trust, and return to.
From Curiosity to Capability
Rather than stopping at curiosity, Salman approached healing the way an entrepreneur approaches a business idea — by learning deeply and broadly.
He began by observing his mother, a postnatal therapist with over 30 years of experience, gaining early exposure to traditional Malay healing practices. He then built a foundation in physical conditioning and movement under Mr Kevin Chiak, former Mr Singapore, and his first fitness mentor Mr Ricky Wong.
Over time, Salman invested in learning across multiple disciplines, including:
- Sports massage
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
- Ayurveda
- Acupuncture
- Naturopathy
- Manual therapy techniques
Each discipline added a layer to his understanding of how the body responds to stress, movement, and recovery — knowledge that would later inform how he structured his services.
Setbacks That Sharpened the Business Model
Not all experiences delivered results. After undergoing 45 chiropractic sessions without resolving his back pain, Salman reached a point of reflection.
Rather than discouraging him, this setback brought clarity. He identified a gap — not just in treatment outcomes, but in how care was structured, communicated, and delivered consistently. He recognised the divide between Eastern intuitive practices and Western clinical systems and realised that credibility, consistency, and education were critical if such services were to be trusted at scale.
This insight led him to formalise his training at the London College of Osteopathy Health Sciences, equipping him with structured clinical knowledge to support a more sustainable and professional practice.
Why Osteopathy Became the Business Foundation
Osteopathy focuses on how the body’s structure influences function and movement. In practical terms, this means helping clients improve mobility, manage discomfort, and restore balance through manual techniques.
For Salman, osteopathy offered three clear business advantages:
- Clear positioning: non-invasive, hands-on care grounded in anatomy
- Client understanding: a framework that helps clients understand why treatment works
- Scalability through systems: structured assessments, treatment plans, and outcomes
Rather than offering fragmented services, osteopathy became the core around which Salman could build a coherent and credible practice.
Mr Salman (2nd from left) with three of his employees in front of The Muscle Remedy clinic. Their playful poses capture the camaraderie and strong team dynamic fostered under his leadership.
Building a Practice, Not Just a Profession
Salman’s journey reflects a broader trend among service-based entrepreneurs: turning personal experience into a structured business.
By combining lived experience, formal education, and practical systems, he has positioned his practice around:
- Consistency and accountability
- Client education and trust
- Continuous learning and improvement
His approach demonstrates that in wellness-related businesses, credibility and clarity are as important as technical skill.
Building Scale and Credibility
Now in its fifth year of operations, The Muscle Remedy has treated over 8,000 patients with musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. As part of its continued growth, the practice recently launched Functional Gait Remedy (FGR) — a service focused on restoring core human biomechanics such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, and movement efficiency.
Beyond clinical services, the business is expanding its healthcare ecosystem across corporate wellness, product innovation, and elderly care, while preparing to establish The Muscle Remedy Healthcare Group in Malaysia within the next 12 months.
The practice has also gained industry recognition as one of Singapore’s fastest-emerging healthcare providers, receiving the Golden Bull Award 2023 (Emerging SME) and the Spirit of Enterprise 2024 – Neo Start-up Award, underscoring its growth trajectory and business fundamentals.
From Pain to Enterprise
What began as personal pain evolved into a professional pursuit — and ultimately, a purpose-driven enterprise.
Mr Salman Fitri’s journey illustrates how adversity, when paired with discipline and entrepreneurial thinking, can be transformed into a sustainable business. As Singapore’s business and wellness landscapes continue to evolve, his story invites reflection on how complementary practices — when responsibly trained, ethically practised, and clearly positioned — may coexist alongside conventional care in service of the wider community.
Article Note & Source Credit
This article is adapted from an original feature published by VRITIMES Singapore and rewritten for SMCCI’s blog for informational and editorial purposes.
Osteopathy is currently not a regulated healthcare profession under Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH). The perspectives shared reflect Mr Salman Fitri’s personal journey and do not constitute medical advice or an endorsement of osteopathy as a regulated medical practice in Singapore. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance and refer to official MOH sources for information on recognised healthcare services.
Key Business Takeaways for Entrepreneurs
- Solve a problem you deeply understand
Salman’s business was built on lived experience — giving him clarity on customer pain points and expectations. - Turn insight into structure
Formal training and systems helped transform informal knowledge into a credible, professional service offering. - Position clearly, not broadly
By anchoring his practice around osteopathy, Salman avoided fragmented services and built a strong, recognisable value proposition. - Credibility drives sustainability
In service-based businesses, trust, consistency, and education are key to long-term growth. - Adversity can be an advantage
Setbacks became learning points that refined both the business model and client experience.
Member Case Study: Turning Pain into a Purpose-Driven Practice
When traditional treatments failed to resolve his back pain, Mr Salman Fitri began exploring hands-on, non-invasive approaches to recovery. What started as a personal journey evolved into a professional pursuit — and eventually, a growing osteopathy practice in Singapore.
By combining lived experience, formal education, and structured systems, Salman transformed personal insight into a clear business offering focused on movement, function, and client understanding.
His story highlights how entrepreneurs can convert real-world problems into sustainable service models — grounded in credibility, clarity, and continuous learning.