Did you know that more than 12,000 workplace injuries happen daily across the United States? As you can see, this is quite a considerable number. Therefore, one must be prepared before these injuries occur.
One of the preparation steps is knowing which doctor to visit to help you recover fully after a workplace injury. Depending on your injuries, you may need to see a neurologist, a specialist dedicated to treating nervous system disorders. But how can he help, and how do you know you need to see one? Keep reading to find that out.
What is a Neurologist?
Neurology is a branch of medicine that focuses on issues affecting the nervous system. The human nervous system consists of two parts; the central and peripheral nervous systems. The CNS forms the brain, while the PNS mainly consists of nerves. The brain and spinal cord (CNS) connect to every other body part through nerves (PNS).
A neurologist is a professional trained in investigating, diagnosing, and treating nervous system disorders. This doctor specializes in neurology and understands the structure, function, and conditions affecting your nerves and nervous system.
What Does a Neurologist Do?
As mentioned earlier, this doctor diagnoses and treats issues with the brain and nervous system. Please note that they don’t perform surgery and will recommend you to a neurosurgeon if they think you have a condition that needs expert care.
A neurologist can treat several conditions, including brain tumors, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, headaches, strokes, pinched nerves, multiple sclerosis, seizures, etc.
Common Work-Related Injuries
Many workplace injuries are often caused by overexertion. In fact, this is the common reason why many people miss workdays. Other causes include slip and fall accidents, vehicle accidents, fire and explosions, and being caught or stuck in a piece of moving machinery. All these conditions can affect the function of your brain and spinal cord.
Workers’ compensation doctors usually treat workers that slipped and fell on a hard surface or from a higher to a lower level. These types of accidents can leave one with painful and severe injuries like:
- Spinal cord injuries– occur when discs are compressed and fractured or due to a dislocated vertebra. These may occur after one falls.
- Strains– straining damages the muscles which attach to bones.
- Sprains– these are injuries related to damaging the ligaments which connect bone to bone.
- Nerve damage– it’s a common work-related injury resulting from a fall.
- Bone fractures or breaks– these occur in the limbs as a result of one falling.
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries– are more severe and can lead to permanent disabilities depending on their severity.
Around 20% of falls lead to head injuries, broken bones, and other severe injuries. It’s also worth noting that if a work tool falls and hits an employee, it can lead to severe injuries. If a heavy object hits the head or the spine, one may suffer from head and spinal cord injuries and damage to the central nervous system.
How Can a Neurologist Help?
As earlier mentioned, a neurologist specializes in treating injuries, disorders, and other diseases of the CNS and PNS. We should mention that the PNS has three subgroups of nerves:
- Autonomic nerves– these involuntary control movements
- Sensory nerves– these obtain information from the senses
- Motor nerves– that control voluntary movements of the muscles
An accident can injure any component of the nervous system. As a result, it will significantly affect your productivity in the workplace. You will even find it hard to perform your daily activities and enjoy life.
Remember that the nervous system plays a crucial role in keeping all other parts of your body functioning well. Since neurologists understand these systems, their functions, and their relationships, they can help you get better after an injury.
This doctor performs several physical evaluations and tests to pinpoint the issue, including electromyography, electroencephalograms, etc. Such tests help them diagnose injuries and diseases. Once they determine what you are suffering from, they can design a treatment plan specific to your needs. You may be given medicines along with therapeutic approaches to help you recover.
A neurologist can also educate you on how to manage pain using at-home exercises. With time, you will get better, and your quality of work will also improve.
How to See a Neurologist?
Once you are injured, you need to visit your primary care physician. Depending on the depth of your injuries, you may be referred to a neurologist of your choice, or they may recommend one. But, before this, your doctor may want to run several tests to rule out other issues before referring you to a neurologist.
How to Know Your Symptoms Need Neurological Care?
Well, your primary care doctor is in the best place to determine whether you need to see a neurologist. However, several symptoms may help you determine this by yourself. If you are experiencing numbness, loss of function, and pain, you may need neurological help. A neurologist can evaluate your symptoms and pinpoint their sources, then provide the proper treatment to prevent further injuries.
It’s also worth noting that neurological disorder symptoms may not appear until after days or weeks after your injury. However, some early warning signs can occur, which a general practitioner can misdiagnose as a temporary issue.
Significant symptoms like deliberating headaches, tingling sensations, or fatigue can lead to severe neurological disorders in the future. When you notice these initial signs, please book an appointment with a neurologist immediately.
Do You Need Help Finding a Neurologist?
Seeing a neurologist as soon as possible after experiencing work injuries is essential. This will ensure that the condition doesn’t worsen. But since many neurologists are available, choosing one may not be that simple. When selecting a neurologist, please check where they went to school and did their training. It’s also wise to ensure that they do not have a disciplinary history or multiple malpractice claims against them. Read reviews from other patients to determine the overall reputation of the neurologist.
Additionally, consider their overall experience. It’s better to pick someone with decades of experience than someone straight from an internship. But that is your decision, depending on how comfortable you are.
If all these sound hard for you, we are here to help. Medical Clinics of New York City assist you in finding a neurologist in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. We can connect you to a specialized workers comp neurologist who will help you get better and assist with your compensation cases.
Call (877) 465-7360 to schedule an appointment with the best neurologist for workers’ compensation.
