What does a neurologist do?
Neurologists analyze, diagnose, and treat neurological conditions. Conditions that have an effect on the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system are neurological conditions. Some of these conditions are:
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Headaches
- Chronic pain
- Memory loss
- Brain fog and confusion
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Speech issues
- Injuries to the brain or spinal cord
Neurologists don't have the specialization to perform surgeries. They manage the issues of patients with medications and therapies under close monitoring. They will refer the patients to a neurosurgeon if they observe a need for surgical intervention.
Educational credentials of a neurologist
Neurologists attain a college degree after completing four academic years. A college degree is mandatory when applying for medical school. Then, they complete four years of medical school and an internship of one year. After a successful internship, they must spend three years in a neurology residency. Neurologists can also gain sub-specialties by completing an added training module.
Subspecialties within neurology
There are multiple sub-specialties within the medical branch of neurology. Sub-specialty provides objective training to neurologists, which gives them an organized, comprehensive, supervised, and full-time educational experience. Moreover, it also equips them to treat patients better. The American Medical Association recognizes the following subspecialties of neurology:
- Clinical neurophysiology: Clinical neurophysiology is an area of medicine that assesses and treats specific neurological conditions. The conditions include the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems and muscles. The sub-specialty uses a combination of clinical examination and electrophysiological testing.
- Epilepsy: Neurology's field of epilepsy spans the diagnosis and care of adults and children with seizures and seizure disorders. Epilepsy specialists have advanced expertise compared to a general or child neurologist in the science, pathology, clinical examination, diagnosis, and management of epileptic disorders.
- Vascular neurology: Vascular neurology is a field of neuro medicine that evaluates, monitors, treats, and prevents selected neurological disorders. Examples include the central nervous system (due to ischemic or hemorrhagic events or neurovascular conditions). It combines clinical assessment, imaging, interventional techniques, and medication.
- Neuromuscular medicine: Neuromuscular medicine deals with both adult and pediatric illnesses that impact the motor neurons, nerve roots, peripheral nerves, neuromuscular junction, and muscles. Experts in neuromuscular medicine are knowledgeable about the latest research, clinical assessment, and treatment of these conditions.
- Brain injury medicine: Brain injury medicine helps prevent, diagnose, treat, and manage patients who have suffered a brain injury. It also concentrates on preventing, diagnosing, and managing any associated physical, mental, psychosocial, or occupational disabilities or complications throughout the patient's life.
- Neuroendovascular intervention: The neuroendovascular intervention subspecialty employs radiologic imaging, clinical experience, and minimally invasive catheter-based technologies. It identifies and treats diseases of the central nervous system, spine, head, and neck.
Depending on your condition, choosing the best neurologist near you according to their sub-specialty, apart from better treatment, can also help you save effort, time, and money.
What diseases do neurologists treat?
Neurologists can diagnose and treat several medical conditions, some of which are as follows:
- Alzheimer's disease: A brain condition that leads to a progressive decline in cognition, memory, learning, and organizational skills. Over time, Alzheimer's disease makes it difficult for a person to carry out day-to-day activities. It usually affects people over 65 and has no cure.
- Encephalitis: A rare, serious brain infection that results in brain inflammation. Its causes include viruses, bacteria, and problems of the immune system. Encephalitis has several physical (fever, joint pain, headache, and muscle weakness) and neurological (confusion, seizures, behavioral changes, and loss of consciousness) symptoms.
- Epilepsy: A brain condition where the nerve cells do not signal correctly, causing seizures. Doctors classify epilepsy according to the kinds of seizures, which are broadly of two types - focal onset and generalized onset. Epilepsy has no cure, but various treatment options are available that help manage its symptoms.
- Parkinson's disease: An age-related degenerative condition that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate. People with Parkinson's disease experience tremors, problems with balance and coordination, and slowed-down movements. While the exact cause of this condition is not known, about 10% of all cases are familial.
What tests do neurologists perform?
Common neurological tests include:
- Angiography: Angiography shows if there are any blockages and abnormalities in the blood vessels in your brain, head, and neck. It also helps detect blood clots and aneurysms.
- Biopsy: A biopsy involves removing part of a tissue from your body. Neurologists might order biopsies of nerves, muscles, and brain tissues for diagnostic purposes.
- Cerebrospinal fluid analysis: Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds your brain and spinal cord. During this test, your doctor removes a sample of this fluid to check for infections, brain bleeding, multiple sclerosis, and metabolic disorders.
- Electromyography (EMG): It records the electrical activity in your muscles. Neurologists use it to diagnose muscle and nerve conditions, spinal nerve root compression, and motor neuron disorders.
- Positron emission tomography (PET): PET is an imaging test that can show tumors. Doctors also use it to diagnose epilepsy, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
- Thermography: Thermography assesses temperature changes in your body. It helps determine pain syndromes, nerve root compression, and peripheral nerve conditions.
What should you expect during your appointment with a neurologist?
Before visiting your neurologist, list your symptoms and medical history. It would be best to inform your doctor about all the troubling signs. Also, share the details of any occasional or regular medicines you take. The neurologist will also inquire about your health history and when you started noticing the symptoms.
It will help if you do not go alone and preferably take a family member or a friend. In certain conditions, your memory will not function optimally; hence, a known person can help inform the doctor about the requisite details. Also, having someone alongside you when you undergo tests and diagnoses will be helpful.
After a thorough verbal analysis, the neurologist will recommend a few physical activities to analyze your condition. These tests might include exercises to learn about your mental health status, reflexes, body movement and balance, sight, brain prompts, strength, agility, and coordination.
The neurologist might recommend specific medical tests based on the results and your symptoms. Some of these tests are:
- Transcranial doppler (TCD): this test records observations about the blood flow in your brain by placing an ultrasound probe on your head. This test utilizes the functionality of sound waves to capture results.
- CT or CAT scans: These tests, known as Computerized Tomography and Computer-Assisted Tomography, respectively, generate body images in multi-dimension using X-rays and a Computer together. You would be given an injection before the test to insert a dye to make your blood vessels, arteries, or tumors, if any, visible in the images.
- MRI: This test lasts for about 30 minutes. You will have to lie down inside a machine that will utilize magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images of your inner brain.
- EMG: The Electromyogram test tracks the electrical activity of your muscles and nerves. This help provides a cause for any pain that you are feeling. This test also determines the reason for numbness or weakness.
- EEG: Known as an electroencephalogram, it records the electrical signals in your brain. The test entails attaching electrodes to your scalp.
- Lumbar puncture: In this examination, a sample of your spinal fluid is collected to detect the reasons for recurring symptoms.
Neurological symptoms you should not ignore
If you are experiencing any of these neurological symptoms, you should not overlook them, as they may signal severe conditions like Parkinson's disease or epilepsy. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Cognitive changes: Early signs of Parkinson's disease can include memory lapses or thinking difficulties. You might struggle with short-term memory, like misplacing items, or face challenges in planning and organizing tasks. Any noticeable cognitive decline warrants a doctor's evaluation.
Unusual sensations: Parkinson's disease may cause numbness or tingling, typically starting in the hands or feet before potentially spreading to other body parts. If you experience these sensations, seek medical advice for proper diagnosis and care.
Vision disturbances: Neurological events such as seizures can lead to temporary partial or complete vision loss. While alarming, these effects are often short-lived. However, any sudden vision changes require immediate medical assessment.
Migratory pain: While pain is common in many neurological conditions, including migraines and multiple sclerosis, be alert to pain that shifts locations in your body. Pain accompanied by numbness or tingling is particularly concerning, and you should have your pain evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Persistent severe headaches: While occasional headaches are common, ongoing and intense ones demand attention. These stubborn headaches may signal more serious conditions like chronic migraines, severe tension headaches, or, rarely, brain tumors. Don't brush them off. Seek medical advice to uncover the root cause.
Coordination and balance issues: We often take our ability to balance and walk steadily for granted. If you notice increased clumsiness, frequent stumbling, or difficulty maintaining your balance, it could point to neurological problems. These symptoms might be early signs of conditions such as Parkinson's disease or disorders affecting the inner ear's balance system. Take these changes seriously, as they can impact your safety and everyday activities.
Covid-19 and the associated neurological symptoms
The pandemic had caused upheaval in unimaginable ways. Apart from the apparent health conditions, Covid-19 also had a long-term effect on neurological symptoms. The cause of the neurological symptoms always differs because of the immune system's disruptions after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, inflammation and issues with peripheral nerves impact the nervous system. A detailed study on Cerebrospinal Fluid revealed the anatomy of the impact. The neurological problems that might occur can be:
- Anosmia (loss of smell)
- Psychiatric symptoms
- Delirium (a mental state where the patient cannot rest and has illusions with confusing thoughts and speech)
- Stroke
- Peripheral neuropathy (a condition with nerve damage impacting how the central nervous system communicates with the entire body)
How to find the best neurologist near you in Baltimore?
It's easy to find top-rated neurologists in Baltimore with Zocdoc.
Zocdoc provides a comprehensive directory of Neurologists available near you in Baltimore. You can search for a neurologist of your choice according to your symptoms. The shortlisting can be done based on their sub-specialties. You can check the real-time availability of any doctor while you are browsing.
You can choose the in-network specialties based on your insurance plans as well. You can schedule a same-day appointment without any hassle. There is a possibility of booking an after-hours meeting with some doctors who can see you after 5 p.m.
If you add a photo of your health insurance card, it will help you find the right insurance plan on Zocdoc, but it is not essential. If you do not want to upload an image of your card, manually enter your insurance information into your account by selecting your plan from a selection. Contact Zocdoc's patient help center for queries on health insurance.
The other patients give the ratings of the health care providers. These are verified reviews by actual patients who have seen these providers and help you identify the best neurologist near you. You are allowed to review your experience once you complete your appointment. You can book both in-person and online appointments via Zocdoc. While browsing the list of doctors matching your criteria, look for a purple video icon beside their name. The presence of this icon indicates that the doctor offers virtual consultations.
All bookings with Zocdoc are free, fast, and secure.
Neurology statistics of Baltimore, Maryland
Neurological conditions affect close to one billion people across the globe. These disorders include brain and spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, neuro infections, Multiple Sclerosis, etc. Nearly 6.8 million people pass away each year due to such disorders.
However, the neurologist workforce is scarce in the United States compared to the actual need. There are about 7,120 neurologists in the US currently. This number states the doctors who are actively seeing and treating patients. In Maryland, there are 80 active neurologists, which amounts to a rate of about 0.03 employment per 1000. The location quotient is about 0.61, which states that a neurologist's occupation is less dominant in the area than on average. There are about 13 neurologists for every 1,000,000 people in Maryland.
Out of these 80 neurologists, 50 are active in Baltimore city. Compared to the state average, the location quotient of Baltimore is slightly higher, at 0.76. But employment per 1000 is about 0.04 only. Baltimore has about 21 neurologists per 1,000,000 people, which is, again, better than the state-level statistics.
Sources
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Institutes of Health
Medical News Today
World Health Organization
WebMD
MedicineNet
American Medical Association[1]
American Medical Association[2]
American Medical Association[3]
American Medical Association[4]
American Medical Association[5]
American Medical Association[6]
Cleveland Clinic[1]
Cleveland Clinic[2]
Cleveland Clinic[3]
Cleveland Clinic[4]
Cleveland Clinic[5]
Atlanta Neuroscience Institute
Elite Atlanta Centers
