About Jeffery A. Saal, MD

Jeffery A. Saal, MD, is board-certified physiatrist at SOAR Spine and Orthopedics in Redwood City, California. 

Dr. Saal completed his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1971, where, just recently, he was inducted into their sports hall of fame. After graduation, he went to the Tulane University School of Medicine, where he received his medical degree in 1975. 

Dr. Saal completed two residency programs, one in Internal Medicine at Boston University and a second residency program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford. He currently holds board certifications in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He, along with Michael Dillingham, MD, founded Sports, Orthopedic, and Rehabilitation Medicine Associates (SOAR), the medical group responsible for treating the San Francisco 49ers, Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and many other Bay Area teams. Dr. Saal is also a former Associate Clinical Professor at Stanford University, and the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Saal is a founding member and past president of the North American Spine Society (NASS), and is one of few select members of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS). Additionally, Dr. Saal founded the Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports, and Occupational Rehabilitation (PASSOR). This association emphasizes nonsurgical and minimally invasive approaches to the practice of musculoskeletal medicine. 

Dr. Saal is widely held to be the father of interventional physiatry. He and his brother have taught thousands of physicians worldwide in interventional procedures. Dr. Saal, along with his brother Joel co-developed the IDET technology and procedure for treating degenerative painful discs. He and his brother hold many patents on medical devices. They recently developed a new catheter-based injection system for treating spinal disorders.

Dr. Saal has lectured internationally and published books, book chapters, and original research in spine care, disc disorders, and sports medicine. He is a member of the editorial boards for many journals, including SPINE. Dr. Saal has served as a visiting professor at several medical schools throughout the country.

Dr. Saal’s research and publications have revolutionized the care of painful spinal disorders. With his brother, Joel Saal, MD, their research in biochemical mediators of pain and nonsurgical therapy have been at the forefront of spinal medicine. 

Dr. Saal has presented his research studies at international conferences worldwide. Along with his brother, the team was the first to describe and scientifically publish their exercise program of specific stabilization exercises to treat painful spinal disorders. Their exercise program has led to the popular growth of “core” training that is used in gyms worldwide.