There are very specific times when neurology is required in patient care and treatment. A neurologist is typically part of a treatment team for a patient when there has been a condition, trauma or injury that impacts the brain or the nervous system in the body.Neurology is a very specialized practice, but all neurologists are also medical doctors and may see patients for more than just neurological issues. For patients with neurological conditions, treatment can be lifelong, so the neurologist will see the patient as needed for months to years.
Types of Health Issues Treated by Neurology
There is a very wide range of different conditions that may be seen by a neurologist. They are often brought in as consultants if there are any type of brain injuries or suspected brain injuries, particularly in sports accidents, vehicle accidents, and other types of trauma.
Additionally, a neurologist will be consulted or part of a treatment team if the patient has:
- A stroke
- Brain tumors
- Brain injuries from falls or accidents
- Migraine or chronic headaches
- Tremors or tremor disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Dementia
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Epilepsy
- Spinal cord injuries
- Infections of the brain or central nervous system
There are also specialized pediatricians with additional training in neurology who work with infants and children with brain and nervous system disorders either from injury, disease, or congenital health conditions.
Diagnosis
With all medical specializations, including neurology, the specialist is often essential in getting an accurate diagnosis or ruling out a suspected medical condition. There are many different specialized tests and diagnostic tools that a neurologist will use to assess brain and nervous system functioning and to diagnosis conditions.
MRI or magnetic resonance imaging, CAT scans (computer-assisted tomography) and EEG or electroencephalograms are some of the most commonly known tests used by neurologists.
There are many other tests used as well by these professionals. Other diagnosis tools include sleep studies, transcranial Doppler, neurosonography and even cerebral spinal fluid analysis. Depending on the suspected medical issue or diagnosis, one or more tests can be used to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
The study of neurology is important because of the options now available to provide short and long-term treatment options. Often the neurologist will work closely with rehabilitation therapists and the medical treatment team to develop holistic treatment options to restore and retain as much brain and nervous system functioning as possible or even to allow for full recovery.
