For any neurological complaint, an accurate diagnosis is crucial to formulating the best possible treatment plan.
When you first meet with your neurologist here in the hospital, they will take a medical history and will talk with you in detail about your symptoms. They will want to know things like:
- What symptoms do you have?
- When did your symptoms first appear/become noticeable?
- Have your symptoms have been getting worse?
- Does anything in particular (food, drink, activity, bright light etc.) make your symptoms worse?
- Are your symptoms affecting your enjoyment of life?
- Have you have received any treatment already, such as prescribed medication?
A physical examination may also be carried out.
These will all help your neurologist to choose the most appropriate investigations to refer you for if required. These may include:
- MRI of spine and/or brain
- Neurophysiology test – electromyography (EMG)
- Nerve conduction test (NCS) – tests for nerve damage in the peripheral nerves (those outside your brain and spinal cord)
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) – measures electrical activity in the brain. This can be helpful when investigating epilepsy
- Blood tests
Any tests and investigations required will be arranged for you by your neurologist.
Once the results of any tests are back, you will meet with your neurologist again in order to talk through the results and diagnosis and to explore suitable treatment options.
Your neurologist works closely with specialists in many other fields, like ophthalmology, oncology, ENT, cardiology and neurosurgery. If your results suggest you would benefit from referral to another specialist, this is easily arranged at The Highfield Hospital.
Your neurologist will always make certain that you have the information you need about treatment options in order to make an informed choice about treatment. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, they will always be very happy to talk with you about these.