What is neurology?
Neurology is the branch of medicine that is focused on the treatment of disorders of the nervous system.
Who is the neurologist?
The doctor who specializes in neurology is called a neurologist. After completing medical school, doctors specializing in adult neurology complete one year of residency in internal medicine and three years of neurology residency. Some neurologists complete further fellowship training in various subspecialties of neurology.
Neurologists treat disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. These include:
- Muscle disorders and pain.
- Headache and migraines.
- Epilepsy or other seizure disorders.
- Neuritis and neuropathy.
- Brain and spinal cord tumors.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Parkinson disease and other movement disorders.
- Stroke.
- Myasthenia gravis.
- Muscular dystrophy.
- Alzheimer disease and other forms of memory problems.
The neurologist sees patients with a wide range of problems. They may act as a patient's main doctor or as a consultant. The family doctor (primary care doctor) is generally in charge of a patient's total health care.
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