Injured Kiwi rider Damon Rees says he is on the mend and will begin hyperbaric chamber sessions soon after his big crash at Silverstone last month.
Rees broke his humerus, four ribs, fractured his vertebrae and bruised his lungs in a crash during qualifying for a national Superstock race.
He has since undergone surgery, primarily on his humerus, which was broken in multiple places. The surgery took over four and a half hours.
Rees also required a blood transfusion in the week following the crash.
In the last few weeks, Rees has completed “several sessions” of laser therapy to improve the healing rate of his bones.
Rees will start hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) sessions soon.
HBOT boosts the body’s self-healing process by providing the human body with ample oxygen levels to maximize the efficiency of recovery.
The treatment has patients sit in a chamber pressurized to three times the oxygen level in the Earth’s atmosphere.
It is used by some of the most prominent athletes worldwide, such as Connor McDavid and LeBron James. Shane van Gisbergen also used HBOT when he fractured his collarbone earlier this year.
Rees will not be returning to New Zealand this summer. He will stay in the UK with his partner Talia.
“It is far more accessible to get the specialist treatment I need to make sure I recover well and right,” he said.
“This injury has to be one of the worst I’ve experienced, so I want to ensure I put everything into my recovery, and of course, the comeback.”
Rees injuries mean he has withdrawn from the rest of the 2021 season. He is 23rd in the standings with one round remaining.
His best result this year was a seventh place in Snetterton.
“I am gutted that the season has ended the way it has, but we will make the comeback greater than the setback.”
Main Image: Michael Wincott