A first in medical history
The first physical therapy specialist anywhere in the world to identify and define a new medical syndrome — a milestone that had belonged to other medical specialties throughout the history of medicine.
About the doctor
Dr. Ahmed Raffet El Sayed
د. أحمد رأفت السيد
Clinical kinesiologist & Professor of Clinical Biomechanics — Department of Biomechanics, Cairo University
The first physical therapy specialist in medical history to identify and define a new medical syndrome — and the first Egyptian and Arab scientist to describe a new spinal syndrome.
- Full Membership, Sigma Xi — 2026
- Ranked among the top ten clinical biomechanics scientists worldwide
- Research translated into ~11 languages
- Faculty member — Cairo University
Seeing patients at The Spine Center — First Settlement, New Cairo.
Sigma Xi 2026
2016
Ankle Spine Syndrome first introduced
11
languages
The original MRCAR paper was translated into
Top 10
Worldwide among clinical biomechanics scientists
1886
Sigma Xi founded — Full Membership granted in 2026
In the press
Local and international coverage
An Egyptian scientific achievement covered by media inside Egypt and beyond.
Tap any clipping to read it full size
Why Dr. Ahmed Raffet?
Why he is regarded as Egypt's leading name in non-surgical spine care
Not titles — achievements documented in the international scientific literature and in the press.
First Egyptian and Arab scientist to describe a spinal syndrome
The original descriptor of Ankle Spine Syndrome, also known as Raffet Syndrome II.
Creator of the MRCAR position
A groundbreaking non-surgical biomechanical concept designed to release compressed nerve roots in patients with disc herniation — introduced in 2025.
Documented international recognition
His original research article was translated into approximately eleven languages — including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and French — reflecting its global clinical impact.
Full Membership in Sigma Xi
Never granted on direct application. It requires formal scientific nomination, specialised peer review and an official vote by existing members of a society affiliated with more than 200 Nobel Laureates.
A teacher, not only a clinician
Through international conferences, scientific workshops and advanced medical courses he has transferred biomechanical science to thousands of physicians and physical therapists.
Scientific journey
Ten years from an idea to global recognition
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2016
The idea is born
Ankle Spine Syndrome is first introduced as a framework linking mechanical dysfunction in the lower limb to the symptoms it produces in the spine.
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August 2024
Formal publication
The syndrome is officially published in a leading international scientific journal — a historic milestone marking the formal entry of clinical biomechanics into spinal syndromic science.
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2025
The MRCAR position
Dr. Raffet introduces MRCAR, a non-surgical biomechanical concept to release compressed nerve roots in disc herniation. The original article is translated into roughly eleven languages.
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2026
Full Membership in Sigma Xi
Awarded "Full Membership" in Sigma Xi, one of the world's most prestigious and historic scientific honour societies.
The first contribution
Ankle Spine Syndrome — "Raffet Syndrome II"
When the source of your back pain is not in your back.
Conventional practice treats spinal pain as a local problem in the vertebrae or the disc. The framework introduced by Dr. Ahmed Raffet El Sayed starts somewhere else: the body is a single kinetic chain, and mechanical dysfunction at the ankle can change how load travels upward until its effect reaches the spine.
That conceptual framework — first introduced in 2016 and formally published in an international journal in August 2024 — marked the first formal entry of clinical biomechanics into spinal syndromic science, and carries its author's name: Raffet Syndrome II.
The second contribution
The MRCAR position — releasing the nerve root without surgery
Introduced in 2025; the original paper was translated into about eleven languages.
In disc herniation, the pain, numbness and weakness do not come from the disc itself but from the pressure it places on a nerve root. MRCAR is a biomechanical concept designed specifically to relieve that pressure and release the nerve root — with no scalpel and no general anaesthetic.
The innovation received unprecedented international recognition: the original research article was translated into approximately eleven languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and French, reflecting its clinical impact worldwide.
Non-surgical
A therapeutic concept built on positioning and biomechanics rather than surgical intervention.
Targets the nerve root
Designed to release the compressed nerve root — the true source of sciatic pain and numbness.
Internationally recognised
The original research is available in roughly eleven languages across continents.
Part of a full plan
Applied within a rehabilitation programme built on your assessment, never as a standalone procedure.
A global honour in the name of Egypt
Full Membership in Sigma Xi — 2026
Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi is among the oldest and most respected international scientific institutions dedicated to honouring researchers whose work has demonstrated substantive and influential contributions to science. Over nearly a century and a half it has counted among its members more than 200 Nobel Laureates.
"Full Membership" cannot be applied for — direct application is not permitted. It is granted through a rigorous, structured process that begins with formal scientific nomination, passes through specialised peer review, and ends with an official vote by existing members of the Society.
1
Formal scientific nomination
Direct application is not permitted — the path begins with nomination from within the scientific community.
2
Specialised peer review
Rigorous review of the originality of the research output and its real influence on the field.
3
Vote by existing members
A final decision by official vote of the Society's current members.
A recognition that places him among an exceptional cohort of internationally recognised scholars, underscoring the global acknowledgment of original and impactful scientific contribution.
Teaching & academia
Science that does not stay in the lab
Alongside his clinical and research work, Dr. Ahmed Raffet El Sayed is a faculty member at Cairo University and Professor of Clinical Biomechanics in the Department of Biomechanics.
Through international conferences, scientific workshops and advanced medical courses he has played a major role in transferring biomechanical science to thousands of physicians and physical therapists — bridging the gap between theoretical biomechanics and real-world clinical practice.
Cairo University
Faculty member and Professor of Clinical Biomechanics.
Thousands of practitioners
Training physicians and physical therapists through advanced courses and workshops.
International platforms
Contributions and lectures at international scientific conferences.
When to book
Conditions Dr. Ahmed Raffet sees
If your case is on this list, a clinical assessment is your next step.
- Lumbar or cervical disc herniation confirmed on imaging
- Chronic low back pain that has not responded to conventional treatment
- Sciatica: pain, numbness or tingling radiating down the leg
- Numbness or weakness in the arm or hand alongside neck pain
- You have been advised to have surgery and want a non-surgical second opinion
- Pain that keeps returning after every course of treatment ends
- Spinal canal narrowing and nerve root compression symptoms
- Postural deviation, scoliosis and misaligned body axes
- Recurrent ankle or foot injuries accompanied by back pain
- Chronic neck pain with headache or dizziness
Your journey
What the first visit looks like
Listening and history taking
Before any device or exercise: your full story — when the pain started, how it changes, and what you have already tried.
Full biomechanical examination
Clinical assessment of the whole kinetic chain — spine, pelvis, lower limb and gait — alongside reading your imaging.
A clear diagnosis and a written plan
You leave knowing exactly what is causing your pain, what the treatment steps are, how long it takes and what to expect.
Delivery and documented follow-up
A rehabilitation programme under direct supervision, with progress measured session by session and the plan adjusted as needed.
FAQ
What patients ask before booking
Can disc herniation really be treated without surgery?
A large proportion of disc herniation cases respond to a precise rehabilitation programme without surgical intervention — this is the centre of Dr. Ahmed Raffet's research and clinical work, and the reason he developed the MRCAR position to release the compressed nerve root. The decision is never made from symptoms alone: whether non-surgical care suits your case is determined after a full clinical assessment and a reading of your imaging.
What makes an assessment with Dr. Ahmed Raffet different?
The assessment does not stop at the site of pain. As a Professor of Clinical Biomechanics he reads the body as a single kinetic chain — from the ankle and foot upward to the pelvis and spine. That perspective is precisely what led him to describe Ankle Spine Syndrome, and it explains many cases of recurring pain that returns after every course of treatment.
I have been advised to have surgery — is a second opinion worth it?
Yes. Surgery is an option, not a fate. A second opinion from a specialist in clinical biomechanics tells you whether a non-surgical path suits your case — or confirms that surgery is the right decision, so you can go ahead with confidence.
What is Raffet Syndrome II?
It is the other name for Ankle Spine Syndrome, first introduced by Dr. Ahmed Raffet El Sayed in 2016 and formally published in an international scientific journal in August 2024. With that publication he became the first Egyptian and Arab scientist to describe a new spinal syndrome, and the first physical therapy specialist in medical history to define a new medical syndrome.
How many sessions will I need, and when will I feel better?
There is no single number; the count is set after assessment based on the nature of your condition, how long you have had it and the degree of nerve compression. What we commit to is that you leave the first visit with a clear plan that has a beginning, an end and progress indicators measured session by session — not open-ended treatment.
How do I book an appointment?
Fill in the booking form on this page and we will call you to confirm, or contact us directly by phone or WhatsApp. The centre is in First Settlement, New Cairo.
Your pain deserves a diagnosis from the doctor who wrote the reference
Book your clinical assessment with Dr. Ahmed Raffet El Sayed and find out exactly what is causing your pain — and the plan that ends it.
Book with Dr. Ahmed Raffet
Book with Dr. Ahmed Raffet
Leave your details and we will call you to confirm the appointment.
The information on this page is educational and introductory and is not a substitute for medical consultation or clinical examination. Whether any treatment approach suits your case is determined after assessment at the centre.