Prof. Dr. Şule Arslan

Prof. Dr. Şule Arslan is a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist at Acibadem Bakirkoy Hospital in İstanbul. She has more than 37 years in medicine and works within the hospital’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation unit, with subspecialty interests in spine health, treatment of lymphedema and pediatric rehabilitation. Her practice centers on the assessment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pain, spine conditions, joint injuries and selected neurological conditions.

Dr. Arslan graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1995 and completed her specialty training at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2000; she completed Algology training in 2011. In 2001 she was a Research Scholar and Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria Department of Medicine Section of Rheumatology. Her academic career at Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation progressed from Assistant Associate Professor (2001) to Associate Professor (2003) and Professor (2009–2011). At the same faculty she served as Head of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2001–2011), Vice Dean (2002–2011) and Chair of the Medical and Surgical Drug Research Ethics Committee (2002–2008). She joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2013. She is a member of the Turkish Medical Rehabilitation Institution Association, the Hand Diseases and Rehabilitation Association and the Association of Turkish Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist Physicians.

Clinical focus

Dr. Arslan’s areas of expertise include low back, neck and back pain, disc herniation, piriformis syndrome, chronic muscle pain and fibromyalgia. She treats frozen shoulder syndrome and knee and joint injuries, and her work covers sports medicine and sports traumatology. Her practice also includes lipedema treatment, treatment of lymphedema, Parkinson’s rehabilitation and pediatric rehabilitation. The approach in each case is a rehabilitation-focused evaluation followed by a care plan discussed with the patient.

Her published research, written with co-authors, includes studies on the efficacy of supervised physiotherapy for adhesive capsulitis, serum vitamin D status and bone mineral density in fibromyalgia, the diagnostic utility of electromyography and imaging in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, bone mineral density and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis, cumulative corticosteroid doses and osteoporosis in multiple sclerosis patients, and pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis.

How Dr. Arslan works with international patients

Dr. Arslan consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory results, operative notes 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 situation before traveling or as part of follow-up.