Dr. Dilara Nur Kara

A 72-year-old retired shipyard welder from a working-class neighborhood presented with severe, progressive cervical myelopathy that had been misdiagnosed as normal aging. Dr. Kara discovered he had been sleeping in a recliner for years due to his wife's sleep apnea machine noise, creating chronic neck flexion. She designed a comprehensive rehabilitation plan involving cervical traction, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, and collaborated with a sleep specialist for his wife. The patient regained hand function and balance after 6 months, allowing him to resume his hobby of building miniature ships.

A 19-year-old nationally-ranked rhythmic gymnast from an affluent family suffered a catastrophic L5 pars fracture during an international competition. Multiple surgeons recommended spinal fusion ending her career. Dr. Kara developed an unconventional non-surgical protocol combining antigravity treadmill therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation, and a proprioception retraining program using motion capture technology. After 9 months of intensive rehabilitation, the athlete returned to competition and won a bronze medal at the European Championships 18 months post-injury.

A 34-year-old Syrian refugee and former mathematics teacher, now working as a dishwasher, presented with complex regional pain syndrome type I in her dominant hand following a kitchen burn injury. She spoke minimal Turkish and had untreated PTSD. Dr. Kara created a culturally-sensitive rehabilitation program incorporating mirror therapy, graded motor imagery, and partnered with a refugee support organization for translation and psychological support. The patient regained 80% hand function after 4 months and began tutoring refugee children in mathematics.

A 58-year-old female novelist from an upper-middle-class background developed severe writer's cramp (dystonia) that threatened her career. She had failed multiple botulinum toxin injections elsewhere. Dr. Kara pioneered a multimodal approach combining sensory retraining with textured writing instruments, constraint-induced movement therapy for her non-dominant hand, and biofeedback using electromyography. After 5 months, the patient completed her novel using a hybrid handwriting-keyboard method she developed during therapy.