About Me
I’m a rehabilitation physician at MetroHealth and Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. I specialize in spinal cord injury medicine and care for people living with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, and long COVID. My goal is to help patients manage complex conditions and improve their quality of life.
I also have a special interest in osteoporosis related to disability. In my clinic, patients can receive comprehensive evaluations for bone health, including lab testing, diagnostic imaging, and treatment options—all coordinated through our connected testing suites. I’ve published research on this topic and wrote Osteoporosis Rehabilitation: A Practical Approach, a book now available in multiple languages and academic libraries worldwide.
Since 2020, I’ve also cared for individuals with long COVID, helping them manage symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, weakness, and breathing difficulties. I’ve coauthored national guidance statements to support clinicians in treating these complex cases.
Outside of medicine, I volunteer with U.S. Figure Skating and serve as an alumni interviewer for Harvard University. I’m proud to be part of your care team and committed to helping you move forward with strength and confidence.
Functional outcomes of acute spinal cord injury
Pharmacologic intervention for osteoporosis following spinal cord injury and related conditions of immobility
Secondary effects of Long COVID in persons with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and related neurologic disorders
Functional interventions and rehabilitation of persons with Long COVID
Selected bibliography (see PubMed for full list)
Manuscripts and book chapters
- Oleson CV, Marino RJ. Responsiveness and concurrent validity of the revised Capabilities of Upper Extremity Questionnaire (CUE-Q) in patients with acute tetraplegia. Spinal Cord 2014;52(8):625-628.
- Oleson CV, Marino RJ, Leiby BE, Ditunno JF. Influence of age alone, and age combined with pinprick, on recovery of walking function in motor complete, sensory incomplete spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2016;97(10):1635-41.
- Oleson CV, Flanders AE. Predicting outcomes following traumatic spinal cord injury. In Kirshblum S and Lin VW, Spinal Cord Medicine, 3rd ed. Jan. 2019. Springer Publishing Company, Demos Medical: New York, NY.
- Oleson CV, Marino RJ, Formal CS, Modlesky CM, Leiby BE. The effect of zoledronic acid on attenuation of bone loss at the hip and knee following acute traumatic spinal cord injury: A randomized-controlled study. Spinal Cord 2020. Aug;58(8):921-929. PMIIDE32055041.
- Melamed E, Rydberg L, Ambrose AF, Bhavaraju-Sanka R, Fine JS, Fleming TK, Herman E, Phipps Johnson JL, Kucera JR, Longo M, Niehaus W, Oleson CV, Sampsel S, Silver JK, Smith MM, Verduzco-Gutierrez M. Multidisciplinary collaborative consensus guidance statement on the assessment and treatment of neurologic sequelae in patients with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). PM R. 2023 May;15(5):640-662. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.12976. Epub 2023 May 9. PMID: 36989078.
- Oleson CV, Olsen AC, Shermon S. Spinal cord infarction attributed to SARS-CoV-2, with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11(36): 8542-8550doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i36.8542. PMID: 38188200; PMCID: PMC10768511.
- Cheng AL, Herman E, Abramoff B, Anderson JR, Azola A, Baratta JM, Bartels MN, Bhavaraju-Sanka R, Blitshteyn S, Fine JS, Fleming TK, Verduzco-Gutierrez M, Herrera JE, Karnik R, Kurylo M, Longo MT, McCauley MD, Melamed E, Miglis MG, Neal JD, Oleson CV, Putrino D, Rydberg L, Silver JK, Terzic CM, Whiteson JH, Niehaus WN. Multidisciplinary collaborative of guidance on the assessment and treatment of patients with Long COVID: A compendium statement. PM R, 2025 Jun, 17(6) 684-708.
- Cunningham DA, Oleson CV, Peckham PH, Kilgore KH. Case studies in neuroscience: Movement-related cortical stimulation to enhance corticospinal transmission in incomplete spinal cord injury: J Neurophysiol. 2025 Jul 3.doi: 10.1152/jn00083.2025
Books
- Oleson, CV. Osteoporosis Rehabilitation: A Practical Approach. Springer: New York, NY. 20 chapters, 498 pages. May, 2017. Available in 3 languages, with second printing 2022
2021 Class of 2021 Resident Teaching Award, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
2022 Medical Staff Excellence Award, The MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland OH
2025 Student Mentorship Recognition in a Clinical Specialty, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
PubMed Publications
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Education & Training
Education
Internship
Salem Hospital (Massachusetts) – Internal MedicineMedical Education
University of Massachusetts Medical School (Worcester) MDFellowship
McGaw Medical Ctr of Northwestern Univ (IL) – Spinal Cord Injury MedicineResidency
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Pennsylvania) – Physical Med & RehabBoard Certifications
American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - Spinal Cord Injury MedicineAmerican Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation