Spine Universe Author Biography

Dr. Vert Mooney passed away in October 2009. For more than 40 years, Dr. Mooney was highly respected by his peers as an orthopaedic surgeon and leader in orthopaedic research. Most of his work was considered ground-breaking, particularly in the area of restorative exercise and physical medicine.

Dr. Mooney received his Orthopedic Surgery training at the University of Pittsburgh between 1960 and 1964, after earning his Medical Doctorate in 1957 from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Mooney was Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1967 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.

He was named one of the 20 most distinguished Orthopedic Surgeons in the Town & Country Magazine Annual Survey in 1989. Among other academic positions, he was professor and Chairman of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas, Texas and Professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of California, San Diego.

He also served an appointment by Governor Pete Wilson to the California Industrial Medical Council and was integral in developing the functional capacity evaluation standards for the state. Dr. Mooney was the recipient of the 2008 Wiltse Lifetime Achievement Award in Lumbar Spine Research from the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine presented in Geneva, Switzerland. He was Medical Director and a founder of MDRS / Spine and Sport and the President of the Spine and Sport Foundation.

SpineUniverse articles from Vert Mooney, MD

• Low Back and Pelvic Pain Treated Nonsurgically with Progressive Resistance Exercise
  Progressive resistance exercise helps patients with low back and pelvic pain to reach their rehab goals by gradually challenging muscles to strengthen.
• Physical Therapist Education and Training
  Some physical therapists pursue advanced training and certification in areas such as geriatic, neurologic, orthopaedic, and sports care.
• Questions to Ask Your Physical Therapist
  Your 'how to' guide to prepare for your visit to a physical therapist.
• What Disorders Do Physical Therapists Treat?
  Physical therapy is often an integral part of the nonsurgical and postoperative care of patients with spinal disorders.
• What is a Physical Therapist?
  Physical therapists are medical professionals who treat people of all ages with health-related problems that limit physical function.
• What Treatments Do Physical Therapists Provide?
  Physical therapy blends many different types of treatments, some are passive, such as heat and cold treatment. Active therapies are those that involve the patient's participation, such as stretching and exercises.