A neurologist can be a medical healthcare provider or another licensed practitioner. When your neck or back pain first starts, your family healthcare provider, general practitioner , or primary care physician is probably your best bet. They may prescribe some painkillers, give you a few exercises to do, and possibly send you to a physical therapist. A neurologist is trained to discover the causes of symptoms, as well as using EMG testing to assess the injury to nerves and whether it is reversible in the short and long term. This simple series of X-Rays, in addition the MRI testing, can radically change the way spine pain is treated. Overall, you will need to make the decision that works best for you, but seeing a neurologist for back and neck pain can provide you with non-surgical treatment alternatives.
For example, certain neurologists may specialize in brain injuries while orthopedic doctors may have a focus on pediatric spinal conditions. Both are qualified to treat back and neck problems, spinal injury neurology expert witness but their subspecialty may make them a better choice for your type of injury. A neurologist’s day consists largely of diagnosing and treating brain and spinal cord injuries.
Quite often, the physiatrist will coordinate a patient’s team of specialists, ensuring a treatment plan that effectively addresses your specific medical needs. With knowledge, expertise, and experience, our specialists place patient needs at the top of the priority list in order to provide you specific and individualized care. To learn more about our neurologists and orthopedic doctors, please don’t hesitate to call our offices.
If your condition has progressed past these types of treatment, and if surgery is indicated, then the neurosurgeons can perform the needed surgery. Conditions for which people consult neurologists include multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, Parkinson’s disease, speech problems and migraines. Neurologists and neurosurgeons often work together on conditions such as epilepsy or those that may require surgery. The neurologist also works with a primary care physician, performing and interpreting tests for brain disorders. Neurologists provide medical, but not surgical, treatment of diseases affecting the brain, spine and nervous system. To become a neurologist a medical school graduate must train for three years in a neurology residency program.
While some doctors tend to focus on the overall health of their patients and evaluate a range of health conditions that affect all parts of the body, others choose to focus on one particular area, or speciality, of medicine. An example of this is a neurologist, who focuses on the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of disorders affecting the nerves, brain, and spinal cord. A neurologist is a specialist who treats diseases in the brain and spinal cord , peripheral nerves , and muscles.
Many neurologists take additional training in a specialization such as epilepsy, pain management or sleep medicine. Examples of medical issues that a neurosurgeon might treat include brain injuries , tumors, stroke, epilepsy, fluid buildup in the brain, and any issues relating to blood supply to the brain. Neurosurgeons also treat spinal problems such as neck pain, back pain, leg pain , or shoulder pain caused by disc problems , trauma or spinal/neck arthritis. Since nerve problems can occur anywhere in the body, a neurosurgeon may also treat nerve pain that may not specifically be in the back, neck or head areas. Neurosurgeons and spine specialists, like Dr. Fayaz, do more than just operate on patients.
Thus, a rectal examination may be needed to make sure that you do not have nerve damage. He or she will likely advise rest, painkillers, or an oral steroid dose pack along with muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants or opiates. Your doctor may order an MRI to diagnose the source of the pain or rule out other conditions.
If you have a nerve, spinal, or brain issue, consult with your primary care doctor. Your doctor may give you a referral to see a neurologist or a neurosurgeon based on your condition. When conservative methods fail to relieve pain symptoms, a patient may be referred to a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon. Surgery is usually a last resort and used when there is rapid loss of leg function, the pain is completely unbearable, or there is evidence of imminent nerve damage. An orthopedic healthcare provider is a board-certified surgeon who specializes in problems—from head to toe—of the musculoskeletal system.
Although they can perform very complex surgeries, neurosurgeons typically use non-operative treatment plans before performing surgery. If surgery is required, minimally invasive techniques are used whenever possible. Neurosurgeons are also on call for emergency room physicians when a patient has trauma involving the brain and spinal cord. Neurologists specialize in disorders of the nervous system, which includes the sciatic nerve. A neurologist may perform several addition diagnostic tests like an EMG or nerve conduction studies to localize the problem and determine treatment. Since sciatica is a nerve disorder, involving a neurologist in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition is beneficial.
Some of the common conditions they treat include headaches, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders, pain, brain tumors, peripheral nerve disorders, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis . Some neurologists focus on a subspecialty like neurophysiology, pediatric neurology, epilepsy, vascular neurology, behavioral neurology, or others. While it’s true that neurosurgeons can perform complicated surgical procedures in the spine and brain, its often non-surgical or conservative care that is prescribed. Diagnosing your condition and coming up with a treatment plan that is progressive in nature is typical with most neurosurgeons. For example, back pain may be treated medically with anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy and other non-surgical means.