SERVICES | Garden City Neurology

Services, Testing and Conditions We Treat

stroke
epilepsy
headaches and migraine
brain tumors
brain aneurysms
peripheral neuropathy
sleep disorders
neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease

neuromuscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory neurological disease
infections of the nervous system, such as encephalitis, meningitis, and HIV
stroke
autism
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

We treat neurological conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

These conditions include:

Testing

Neurologists perform a range of different tests and procedures to diagnose and treat neurological conditions.

Some of these procedures include Electromyography (EMG), Electroencephalogram (EEG), Tensilon test, Lumbar puncture.

Electromyography (EMG)

Electromyography (EMG) is a diagnostic procedure that evaluates the health condition of muscles and the nerve cells (or “motor neurons”) that control them. These nerve cells transmit electrical signals that cause muscles to contract and relax. An EMG translates these signals into graphs or numbers, helping doctors to make a diagnosis.

A doctor will usually order an EMG when someone is showing symptoms of a muscle or nerve disorder. These symptoms may include tingling, numbness, or unexplained weakness in the limbs. EMG results can help the doctor diagnose muscle disorders, nerve disorders, and disorders affecting the connection between nerves and muscles.

The results of an EMG can help your doctor determine the underlying cause of these symptoms.

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

An EEG tracks and records brain wave patterns. Small flat metal discs called electrodes are attached to your scalp with wires. The electrodes analyze the electrical impulses in your brain and send signals to a computer that records the results. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test used to evaluate the electrical activity in your brain. It can help detect potential problems with brain cell communication.

The electrical impulses in an EEG recording look like wavy lines with peaks and valleys. These lines allow doctors to quickly assess whether there are abnormal patterns. Irregularities may be a sign of seizures or other brain disorders.

The measurements given by an EEG are used to confirm or rule out various conditions, including:
• seizure disorders (such as epilepsy)
• head injury
• encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
• brain tumor
• encephalopathy (disease that causes brain dysfunction)
• sleep disorders
• stroke
• dementia

Additional Tools

Botox

Botox is a protein made from Botulinum toxin that temporarily paralyzes muscle. In small doses, it can help treat a range of medical conditions, including eyelid spasms and some types of migraine. Botox injections stop the muscle cells from contracting. In this way, the toxin helps the muscles to become less stiff.

Healthcare professionals use Botox to treat a variety of medical conditions, most of which affect the neuromuscular system, such as:

• upper limb spasticity, in anyone older than 2 years
• preventing migraine in people whose migraine headaches last at least 4 hours on 15 or more days per month
• eyelid spasms, or blepharospasm, due to dystonia
• a neurological movement disorder called cervical dystonia that affects the head and causes neck pain

Osteopathic Medicine

Osteopaths are licensed physicians. A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, or D.O., is one of two degrees that qualifies a person to become a licensed physician (the other is M.D.) All D.O.s are trained in medical school in the basic practices of medicine, such as primary care, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. In addition to traditional training, D.O.s are trained in the basics of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMM).

During four years of osteopathic medical school, D.O.s receive extensive training in anatomy, physiology, neurology, orthopedics, and other core areas of medicine. In addition, all D.O.s have an initial minimum foundation and training specifically in OMM, plus elective training, and they must pass several board licensing exams. D.O.’s must complete an internship and often finish residency training in a medical specialty.

Osteopathy involves a truly holistic approach to medicine. The osteopathic physician is particularly interested in understanding the body’s adaptation to adverse influences and often employs alternative and complementary approaches to patient care.