Hall of Fame
Dr. Saal has distinguished himself as a preeminent physician in the field of sports medicine. After graduating from Oneonta in 1971, Saal received a graduate degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed residencies at both Boston University in internal medicine and Stanford University concentrating in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He is board certified in both areas along with electrodiagnostic medicine. He also has a degree in Chinese Medicine, which he received at the same time he completed his residency.
Saal is Co-Founder of Sports, Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Associates (SOAR), which operates in the San Francisco Bay area. This medical group is responsible for treating Bay area teams at Stanford, Santa Clara, the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball, and the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. For 26 years they were the team physicians for the San Francisco 49ers, handpicked by then coach Bill Walsh. In 1984, he shared in the Super Bowl victory of the 49ers and received a championship ring.
Saal is the founding member and past president of the North American Spine Society (NASS) and the Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation (PASSOR).
Saal is also a medical technology entrepreneur and inventor. As a medical technology entrepreneur and inventor, Saal has developed techniques and medical equipment such as IDET (Spinal Disc Thermal Repair Device), COBRA Spinal injection System, Autocurette Disc Evacuation Device and a Polypvac Sinus Surgical Device. In 1999, Newsweek Magazine recognized him for his work as co-inventor for the new disc surgery technique, IDET (intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty).
