Frederick Jace
If you’re anxious about why your doctor has referred you to a neurosurgeon, now is the time to kill the nerves. Contrary to conventional beliefs, a neurosurgeon’s training goes beyond the head and its content. While they’re renowned as specialists that perform complex brain surgeries, they’re also vast in concerns about the nervous system.
Most surgeons in this specialty dedicate a huge time to treating back pains, neck pain, and degenerative or herniated discs, among many others. Since most discomforts often travel via the nerves, they major in diagnosing and treating the resulting pains.
Moreover, their work isn’t limited to surgical procedures. In fact, surgery is usually the last resort in most conditions. They provide non-surgical and conservative prescriptions for follow-up health improvements.
Unsure why you’re in the neurosurgery clinic yet? Here are likely reasons.
● Persistent feeling of numbness or pain
Peculiar to the extremities, numbness signifies severe damage to an innervating sensory nerve. This problem can be due to the root, which is often retraceable to the spine or brain. When the nerves fail to function, the numb, tingling, or painful sensation sets in.
● Seizures
Seizures occur when the nerve cells suddenly relay an unusual burst of signals. This temporary upswing in activity affects behavior and movement. While many perceive seizures as violent convulsions accompanying loss of consciousness, they can be subtle. If you’re experiencing this, a neurosurgeon could be your best chance at receiving proper treatment.
● Weak Grips
Hand weakness can be linked to several symptoms, including ganglion cysts, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), arthritis, and peripheral neuropathy. When it concerns the nerves, this is perhaps because they’re pinched, compressed, or damaged. Occasionally, they can also be due to an underlying condition.
Either way, the need for a professional diagnosis can’t be neglected. Hence you must see your doctor immediately if you notice any symptoms of a weakened grip.
● Prolonged Headaches
It’s not uncommon for the head to hurt slightly during the day. But when it becomes so frequent, it might need urgent treatment. Migraines can also be accomplices of headaches, where the vision is affected. They happen from abnormal nerve signaling when veins and arteries constrict to release painful chemicals.
A neurosurgeon can look into the triggers and create an appropriate treatment plan to combat the headache symptom.
● Mobility Impairment
The diagnosis of movement disorders like tremors, ataxia, dystonia, spasms, twitches, Wilson’s disease, etc., have neurological foundations. Due to age differences, the evaluation and treatment of these issues can have varying efficacy. This is why visiting the neurosurgeon works best in identifying intrinsic nerve aberrations.
Is a Neurologist the Same as a Neurosurgeon?
The neurosurgery and neurology specialties are often confused with each other. Maybe because of their mutual prefix. But while neurologists treat diseases and conditions of the brain and nervous system, they don’t perform surgery.
They focus on conditions like Alzheimer’s, brain tumors, peripheral nerve disorder, multiple sclerosis, etc. The field’s subspecialties are pediatric neurology, neurophysiology, behavioral neurology, epilepsy, and so on.
As discussed above, your doctor can refer you to a neurosurgeon for various reasons. However, they are mainly based on your symptoms.
