What is neurology?

Neurology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the nervous system.

Who is the neurologist?

The healthcare provider who specializes in neurology is called a neurologist. After completing medical school, healthcare providers specializing in adult neurology complete 1 year of residency in internal medicine and call to a 3 years of neurology residency. Some neurologists complete further fellowship training in various sub-specialties of neurology.

Neurologists treat disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, including:

• Muscle disorders and pain

• Headache

• 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 

As a specialist, the neurologist sees patients with a wide range of problems and may act as a patient’s principal or consulting healthcare provider, while the family healthcare provider, or primary care provider, is generally in charge of a patient’s total healthcare.