Department Overview

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off. This deprives that area of the brain of oxygen and can lead to permanent damage to the brain cells. Prolonged oxygen deprivation can cause brain cell death, resulting in permanent neurological deficits. When a person is experiencing a stroke, they may exhibit the following symptoms – slurred speech, difficulty understanding others, numbness, paralysis, blurred vision, headache, dizziness and vomiting. People older than 55 years of age, with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are at a high risk of experiencing a stroke. Strokes can occur very suddenly and need to be treated as an emergency. If you or a person around you is experiencing a stroke, please call an ambulance and rush them to the hospital immediately. A quick response can help save the patient’s life.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects mobility and co-ordination. This and other neurological movement disorders tend to worsen over time. Geriatric patients are at a high risk for developing neurological movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. The condition can be managed with medication and supplemental therapies Parkinson’s disease patients respond well to medications. Patients with advanced disease and those with medications related complications can benefit from deep brain stimulation therapy that involves stimulation of the deep brain structures through electrodes implanted by a minimally invasive surgery.

Neuro-immunological disorders is a broad term used to describe a set of diseases in which the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system. This is known as an auto-immune response. Depending on the type of neuro-immunological disorder, the immune system may attack the central nervous system or the peripheral nervous system. Examples of neuro-immunological disorders are acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, transverse myelitis, neurosarcodosis, vasculitis of nervous system, Guillain-Barre syndrome and myasthenia gravis. Treatment of these conditions usually aims to block the abnormal immune response, relieve symptoms or address the cause of the disorder (if identifiable).

Infections of the nervous system can be dangerous and cause debilitating long-term effects. They have the potential to cause serious neurological deficits and even death. Examples of neuro infectious diseases include meningitis, encephalitis, HIV-associated neural degeneration and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Neuro infectious diseases although difficult to diagnose, can be completely reversed if they were identified and treated early in the course.

Cognitive disorders are a set of brain disorders that affect memory, speech, language, perception and higher order thinking skills. The 4 main types of cognitive disorders are – Dementia, Delirium, Amnesia and General Cognitive Impairment. Dementia is a progressive degeneration of the brain tissue causing memory problems, confusion, and an inability t0 concentrate. A set of patients with dementia have treatable causes which when identified early will result in complete reversal of cognitive issues. Even for the neurodegenerative dementias early diagnosis will help in planning a structured cognitive rehabilitation for a better quality of life.

Neurological rehabilitation is a rigorous doctor-supervised program to help patients with neurological diseases recover and re-learn fundamental skills they may have lost. Neurological rehabilitation may encompass physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Patients who have experienced stroke, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries and neuropathies could benefit from neurological rehabilitation. This has also proven effective in the treatment of neuro-degenerative diseases.

The term “sleep disorder” is an umbrella term used to describe conditions that affect a patient’s ability to sleep well and feel rested on a regular basis. Sleep disorders could be caused by other health conditions or just by stress. Different types of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, parasomnias and narcolepsy.

Movement is an important brain function and works the brain as much as it works the muscles. Regular exercise has proven to increase blood circulation to the hippocampus.

Sleeping at least 7-8 hours a night is essential to maintaining a healthy brain and nervous system. Nerve cell regeneration happens at night, during sleep.

Smoking and consuming alcohol can cause permanent neurological damage and increase the risk for developing certain neurological conditions.

Obesity has been causatively linked to degenerative neurological conditions.

Chronic stress puts a lot of strain on the nervous system and can lead to conditions like hypertension.

The chiropractor re-aligns your spine correctly and ensures your weight is distributed evenly. This can help avoid spinal disc degeneration, hernias and associated problems.

Practice some form of meditation. This helps relieve stress and keep the nerves calm.