Prof. Dr. Meltem Vural

Prof. Dr. Meltem Vural is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul. She works in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation unit, with subspecialty focus on Spine Health and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation – Pain Management. Dr. Vural has more than 25 years in medicine and joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2023.

She graduated from Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine in 2001 and worked as a general practitioner at Antalya Merkez No. 6 Health Center before completing her specialty training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2007. She then served as a specialist doctor at Bolu Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital (2009–2010) and at İstanbul Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital (2010–2013), and as chief assistant at İstanbul Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital (2013–2014). Dr. Vural became an associate professor in 2014 and, from 2014 to 2023, was the founder of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic and education coordinator at İstanbul Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital. She was a faculty member at Health Sciences University Hamidiye Faculty of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from 2017 to 2023, was appointed professor in 2020, and directed the Health Sciences University Hamidiye Health Sciences Institute from 2017 to 2019. She holds the European Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Fellowship Certificate (2012) and the European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Senior Fellowship Certificate (2022), served as a board member of the Turkish Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Association in 2019, and is a member of the İstanbul Medical Chamber, Turkish Rheumatism Research and Combat Association, Türkiye Lenfödem Association, Manual Medicine Association and Türkiye Osteoporoz Association. Her published work includes studies on lymphedema after mastectomy, cervicogenic dizziness in patients with neck pain, personality profiles in fibromyalgia syndrome, dry needling for temporomandibular myofascial pain, and quality of life in spinal cord injury.

Clinical focus

Dr. Vural evaluates and treats musculoskeletal and neurological conditions in which pain, mobility and daily function are affected. Her areas of expertise include spine health, including lumbar hypolordosis and cervical hypolordosis, and pain management for chronic muscle pain and fibromyalgia. She also provides lymphedema treatment and lipedema treatment.

Her practice further covers sports medicine and sports traumatology, rehabilitation of knee and joint injuries, frozen shoulder syndrome, and Parkinson rehabilitation. The rehabilitation plan is adapted to the individual patient’s diagnosis, symptoms and functional goals, and may be revised over the course of treatment.

How Dr. Vural works with international patients

Dr. Vural consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. The Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory results and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination, and a discussion of the available options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before traveling.