Clinical neurology is the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions, including brain, spine, nerve, and muscle disorders. It is a non-surgical, patient-oriented specialty that requires extensive training and certification. Neurologists may also specialize in specific fields, such as dementia or pediatric neurology, and may work with other specialties to manage certain conditions.
Clinical neurology is the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from neurological conditions. It is a specialist practice in non-surgical and patient-oriented medicine. There are certainly neurologists who may be participating in research or teaching and don’t have much contact with patients. In these cases, these physicians would not practice clinical neurology, as clinic tends to be defined as having to do with patient care.
Neurology is an important branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system. While this includes conditions that can affect the brain, the specialty doesn’t deal exclusively with brain disorders or injuries. Other parts of the nervous system can become dysfunctional or diseased, including the spine, nerves and muscles.
It should be understood that clinical neurology is not the same as neurosurgery. While both deal with the nervous system, only the neurosurgeon performs surgery. The path to each specialty is very different and while these doctors may work together, especially if a neurologist is recommending surgery for a patient, they are two very different specialties.
Some of the conditions that might be addressed in clinical neurology include the treatment of brain damage caused by traumatic injury or stroke. Neurologists also work with people with deteriorating mental conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis and may manage patients with ongoing ailments such as chronic headaches or migraines and seizure disorders.
There are other conditions that those who specialize in clinical neurology may be called upon to diagnose or treat. Neurologists can manage chronic pain conditions involving peripheral nerves or muscles. Some forms of paralysis, particularly those involving spinal cord damage, are treated or supervised by these doctors. Other conditions that may require neurology services are infections of the spine or brain and cerebral palsy.
Treatment for some conditions may overlap with other specialties. There is a growing argument, for example, that neurologists are just as capable of treating biologically based mental illnesses as psychiatrists are. Things like stroke can be doubly managed by cardiologists or vascular specialists and neurologists, or by both specialties alone. However, if a significant brain injury has occurred, a neurologist is almost always part of the medical team providing treatment.
Because clinical neurology is a specialty, it means physicians will train extensively to become board certified in this area. In addition to completing four years of medical school, they will need to complete a four-year residency. Neurologists can continue their training to specialize even more in a specific field, such as in the treatment of dementia. When doctors want to work with children, they have to take a different route to specialize in clinical neurology. They must first obtain a medical degree, do a pediatric residency, and then complete training in pediatric neurology.
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