Neurology

If you have been diagnosed with migraine the chances are you have attended or may attend a neurologist at some stage. Neurology is a specialist area of medicine focused on diagnosis and treatment of the nervous system. This includes the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. Neurologists train initially as physicians and then specialize in neurology. Many neurologists will then specialize further in a particular branch of neurology such as migraine.

Neurologists will typically employ a range of examination and treatment procedures depending on what the patient presents with. These procedures include, but are not limited to, electromyography, sonographic studies of the muscles and nervous system, electroencehphalography and functional analysis of peripheral and central motor disorders/balance disorders.

Neurologists are skilled and knowledgeable in a variety of areas such as the prevention of neurological disease, geriatric syndromes, behavioral neurology and neuropsychology. They will often work as part of a multidisciplinary team which would include neuropsychologists, speech therapists and physiotherapists. In a nutshell neurologists have the skills to diagnose problems with language, thinking, memory and balance and they specialize in treating the nervous system (brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system and the cranial and spinal nerves of the peripheral nervous system).

Migraines are challenging to diagnose and if you have been diagnosed with migraine you may well have encountered a variety of specialists along your journey to discovering your diagnosis. Eye problems such as sensitivity to light and obscured vision or changes in vision mean that a visit to the opthamologist is common. Hormones can trigger migraines too so visits to the obstetrician are not uncommon.  Psychologists who have specialized in the area of migraine can assist with treatment of migraine also by addressing the migraine triggers, reducing headache disability and assisting with the thought processes which frequently accompany headaches.

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