spinalmedicine is an online health resource for professionals and patients who are interested in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as physiatry. Physiatrists are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of all types of disabilities. These include disabilities resulting from stroke, head and spinal cord injury, neuro-muscular diseases, and a variety of occupational and sports-related injuries. The main goal of physiatrists is to help each patient achieve his or her highest possible level of functionality, independence, and quality of life.

Currently, spinalmedicine is maintained and supervised by Dr. Sherman Nam Tran, a graduate of Harvard Medical School and former resident at Stanford University PM&R (see sidebar for more information on Dr. Tran). The primary purpose of this web site is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge in PM&R and to serve as a resource for health care professionals as well as the general public. The main features of this site are:

1. Articles: presents articles written by Dr. Tran and other contributors dealing with various topics in PM&R. These articles tend to be geared toward the professional audience although patients may also benefit from them. In the future, there may also be articles written specifically with a lay audience in mind.
   
2. Ask Dr. Tran: gives patients a chance to ask Dr. Tran PM&R-related questions. Answers to selected questions will be posted here.
   
3. Forums: provides discussion boards for interactive exchange of ideas and information. Discussion boards are free, unmoderated, and open to everyone.
   
4. Resources: links to related web sites and pointers to other valuable resources.

Contact information

Those living in the Bay Area can contact Dr. Tran or schedule an appointment through his main practice at:

If you have a technical problem with the site (broken links, problem registering, etc.), please contact the webmaster or post a message to the site feedback board.

Privacy Notice

• Notice of Privacy Practices
• Noticia de Practica de Privacidad

Copyright and disclaimer

All contents are copyright by Dr. Sherman Nam Tran, except where noted. This service is provided for educational purposes only. In replying to the questions, Dr. Tran consults sources believed to be reliable and tries to provide information that is complete and in accord to accepted standards at the time of posting. However, he cannot warrant that this information is in every respect accurate or complete, and he is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from its use. In addition, he reserves the right not to answer certain questions for medical or legal reasons. The information provided here is intended to help spur discussion with your own physician. It is not intended to diagnose, treat diseases or problems, or provide a second opinion. Please consult a health care professional for medical assistance.