Neurology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study of diseases of the nervous system. A neurology specialist is a physician who specializes in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
The nervous system is divided into two parts:
Neurological diseases include:
The most common symptoms for which patients are referred to a neurologist are headaches, muscle weakness, tingling and pain in the extremities, dizziness, memory and behavioral disorders, tremor, movement disorders, gait disorders, loss of consciousness, sensory sensations, odors, sight, taste and others.
Headache clinic is a specialized neurological clinic for the treatment of pain in the head area. Headache is the most common neurological disease and it is believed that 15-20% of all people suffer from headaches permanently or occasionally. Due to the numerous causes of headaches, it is said that headaches are a symptom of a thousand causes.
The wide range of possible causes of headaches opens up a large space for different treatment methods, and it is necessary to dedicate time to each patient in order to begin targeted treatment of a specific type of headache through a conversation, neurological examination, and insight into current illnesses.
Headache pain can affect the entire head or a specific area of the head, can be pulsating, shooting, pressing, or burning, and its frequency and intensity can be debilitating and significantly affect the development of depression and anxiety.
Self-treating headaches without consulting a specialist can lead to serious physical and/or psychological consequences, which is why there is an increasing positive trend worldwide towards opening specialized clinics that, in an individualized manner and with modern knowledge, eliminate the possibility of excessive medication use and reduced quality of life.
Today there are over 150 species headache and a specialized neurologist distinguishes the type of headache.
Headaches are divided into primary (not caused by another medical condition) and secondary (overuse of medications, head injuries, cerebrovascular disease, brain tumor, stroke, infections, sinusitis, glaucoma, and others).
The most common primary headaches:
Migraine is characterized by an intense stabbing or throbbing headache, most often localized on one side of the head and associated with nausea, vomiting, and excessive sensitivity to light and noise. It can last for hours or days and have a significant impact on the quality of life. In some cases, it may be preceded by symptoms known as aura, including visual symptoms (flashes, visual field defects) or other neurological symptoms (speech disorders, tingling, weakness of a part of the body, etc.). With medical therapy and lifestyle changes, it is possible to significantly improve the quality of life of patients with migraine.
Tension headache It is characterized by diffuse, mild to moderate pain that is often described as a throbbing pain. Treatment involves medication and/or lifestyle changes.
Cluster headache It occurs in time intervals and is considered one of the most intense headaches. It often occurs suddenly at night, affecting the area around the eye on one side of the head. Frequent attacks of pain in typical "clusters" can last for several weeks to several months, after which the headache disappears. Current therapeutic options can contribute to reducing the frequency and intensity of pain.
The most common secondary headaches:
Trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) It causes sharp and severe pain in the area innervated by the trigeminal nerve - in the jaw, face, forehead and eyes, which lasts about two to three minutes and can be triggered by touching points on the cheek, e.g. when brushing your teeth, shaving or chewing, shaving.
Occipital neuralgia is a chronic headache that involves throbbing or stabbing pain in the back of the head and upper neck, usually on one side only. Symptoms may also include sensitivity to light and painful skin tenderness.
Temporomandibular subluxations It is a painful condition caused by a decreased ability of the joint that connects the skull and the lower jaw. The pain may be accompanied by a "skipping" or "scratching" sensation when moving the lower jaw, a feeling of stiffness, and/or difficulty opening the mouth fully.
When can a headache be dangerous?
Headache treatment
If the headache is primarily neurological in nature, treatment is provided by a specialized neurologist, and it depends on the type of headache. In addition to painkillers, specific medications are used, as well as sedatives, muscle relaxants, medications that reduce brain swelling, antiepileptics, medications that affect blood pressure, or various medications that affect cerebral circulation.
Often, headaches can be transient and can go away without specific therapy.
Most often, affordable classic painkillers help, but also lifestyle hygiene, psychotherapy and/or psychopharmaceuticals, and physical therapy. In specific cases, surgical treatment by an otolaryngologist, dental specialist, neurosurgeon, maxillofacial surgeon, or ophthalmologist is necessary.
In addition to conventional medications, some headaches can be treated with non-drug methods and natural medicine, such as massage, acupuncture, proper nutrition, herbal treatment, hydrotherapy, and more. Psychotherapy, meditation, and changing harmful lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol, and more) also help some patients.
It is recommended to consult with your doctor or neurologist before deciding on non-medical treatment.
Neurological diagnostic procedure used to assess the condition of the peripheral nervous system and muscles, which consists of two parts: examination of the speed of nerve conduction and examination of the muscles in the arms and legs.
To examine the nerves, an electrical impulse is used at certain points of the arms and legs, which gives us the values of the speed at which this impulse travels along the nerve, which tells us about the state of the nerve; needle electromyography (inserting a sterile needle into the muscles of the arms and legs) provides data on the electrical activity of muscles and nerves, and the results give us specific information about the extent of nerve or muscle injury.
EMNG is a necessary test in determining the causes of problems that may result from various changes in the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, at the junction of the peripheral nerve and muscle or in the muscle itself.
We use EMNG in many very common conditions such as low back pain, sciatica, neck pain, cervicobrachial syndrome, limb tingling in various types of peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy), (eg diabetic neuropathy, compressive neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome), various traumatic injuries peripheral nerves, muscle weakness (myopathy), etc.
Neurosonological, diagnostic method that shows carotid and vertebral arteries and measures blood flow through them. The test is painless, non-invasive and ideal for continuous monitoring of vascular changes. This method shows the flow of a blood vessel, the quality of its wall, the speed and direction of blood flow and the degree of blockage of a blood vessel.
Before the examination, it is necessary to free the neck from objects that make it difficult to access the target arteries, such as necklaces or collars. The examination is performed while the patient is lying on his back, placing a probe on his neck that uses ultrasound waves to display the carotid and vertebral arteries and blood flow on the monitor.
The importance of this test is to timely detect and monitor changes in blood vessels that can cause stroke - the second leading cause of death and the first leading cause of disability in the world. Color Doppler Flow Imaging of carotid and vertebral arteries is necessary to do:
The examination is performed by a neurology specialist who then analyzes the images taken and interprets them individually to the patient depending on the existing neurological problems or the need for preventive action.
