Neurology: Understanding Disorders of the Nervous System
Dr. Preeti Joseph explains disorders of the nervous system.
Featuring:
Preeti Joseph, MD
Preeti Joseph, MD is Board Certified in Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.
Transcription:
Prakash Chandran (Host): Your nervous system is intricately involved in almost everything you do in your everyday life. But what do you need to know about this vital part of your health as well as available treatment options? Speaking today is Dr. Preeti Joseph who recently joined the CGH Medical Center Neurology Team at the CGH Main Clinic.
This is the About Your Health Podcast from CGH Medical Center. I’m Prakash Chandran. So, first of all, Dr. Joseph, let’s start with the basics here. What is neurology?
Preeti Joseph, MD (Guest): Neurology is a specialty of medicine that deals with the brain and spinal cord and the diseases that go along with those areas of the body.
Host: So, then I assume that you as a neurologist, work to treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord. Is that correct?
Dr. Joseph: That’s correct and managing those diseases we also help diagnose and treat those areas of the body that might be involved.
Host: All right understood. So, I’m curious as to what drew you specifically to this type of medicine.
Dr. Joseph: It’s fascinating to find a specialty in medicine nowadays that involves both treatment of the diseases with medicine as well as with technology. One of the fascinating things about neurology is that it is ever growing. I sometimes call it the final frontier of medicine because it’s something that we’re constantly figuring out and finding out things that we never knew before. For example, we are able to treat patients with Parkinson’s Disease with not just medications but with an electronic device called a deep brain stimulator which is amazing that we’re able to use the technology that we have to help patients and people work and move and live their lives in a much more easy fashion.
Host: That’s truly fascinating. And when we say neurology and the nervous system, these are the things that just basically go throughout our entire body and so they effect so many things, is that correct?
Dr. Joseph: That’s true. It’s hard to imagine our existence without our nervous system and when a small part of this changes or doesn’t work the way it should, it can make a tremendous impact on our daily life.
Host: So, what type of patients do you see most as a neurologist?
Dr. Joseph: I see a huge spectrum of patients from individuals who might have migraine headaches to epilepsy to Parkinson’s Disease and dementia, things like multiple sclerosis also come into the clinic. I’m happy to see patients with neuropathy, numbness and tingling, things like carpal tunnel and I treat patients of all ages. So, not only adults but also children.
Host: Okay I was just going to ask about that. So, what kind of conditions do you most often see with children?
Dr. Joseph: Usually with epilepsy and headaches are most of the time what I see and it’s something that can make a difference in trying to help a child learn and help a child function and stay in school. So, I’m happy to see both of those conditions particularly for children.
Host: Okay and I’m just curious, when you say epilepsy, what exactly does that mean? I’ve obviously heard about it before but I’m not exactly sure what it is.
Dr. Joseph: Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. A seizure is an electric short circuit of the brain and so sometimes people can have episodes of twitching and jerking like you might hear or read about or see in the movies. But it can also be episodes where individuals or people just stare off into space and don’t respond and so their brain is basically short circuiting and so they are not able to function during a certain time or they’re not functioning like they should during a certain time.
Host: Yeah, that’s really good to know. As a new parent, I’m trying to figure out what I should be on the look out for. The next question I wanted to ask is what do you feel like you offer your patients that benefits them the most?
Dr. Joseph: I think we do a comprehensive look at individuals as to what’s going on, making sure that there isn’t anything that we can offer treatment for and trying to make their lives better whether it be a strategy in how to change their lifestyle or medication or even a technology approach to try and help improve quality of life. And that’s the goal is to not only diagnose, sometimes it’s frightening to not know what’s going on. There are symptoms and knowing that the brain and the spinal cord are involved and yet trying to come up with a diagnosis. So, we are very actively involved in trying to get to a diagnosis but also then moving forward and trying to see how we can conquer the issues that may be at hand.
Host: Yeah and you mentioned a technology approach and I want to unpack what that means a little bit and also, I want to learn about any new treatments that are provided at CGH specifically.
Dr. Joseph: So, now for the first time, we’re able to take care of individuals that have devices such as a Vagus nerve stimulator, a deep brain stimulator. If there’s something like a baclofen pump that someone might have, we’re able to take care of that as well. And then we do offer some other options such as Botox injections for a variety of conditions here now. And so, there’s a lot of different methods of treatment that we can offer that are new and unique and it’s amazing that we are able to provide that in the community size that we have here.
Host: Yeah, that is truly amazing. So, I’m curious as to besides you as a neurologist, who else is part of the neurology team at CGH Medical Center?
Dr. Joseph: We have one nurse practitioner. Her name is Lindsey Rodriguez and then I do have another physician that’s involved with me, a colleague Dr. Chester Delacruz. And so the team of the three of us will be taking care of patients along with our nurses and staff.
Host: And you know, one thing that I like to ask everyone is what’s one thing that you wish more patients knew before they came to see you?
Dr. Joseph: So, I would encourage patients to actually watch their symptoms and take it seriously and not become discouraged that there is nothing that they can do about conditions. It used to be that if you have a stroke, you’d try and go to bed and maybe try and sleep it off and see if it got better and we have such change in the way the world operates. I would encourage patients who have new symptoms to get in to our offices as soon as possible and perhaps try and avoid complications and try and avoid things getting worse and so, that’s actually something that really has changed.
Particularly in the area of stroke, I didn’t talk at all about that before. If you come in within the first three to four and a half hours, we are actually able to provide treatment that could possibly reverse a stroke and that’s unique. It’s a unique approach in the last 20 to 30 years that we haven’t had before. So, paying attention to the symptoms, trying to reach out and contact not only the primary care provider but our clinic in case something changes, is the greatest thing that you can do for yourself.
Host: Yeah, I wondering about some of the more common and mild disorders that potentially go untreated because people don’t take it seriously enough. What are some of the things that you wish more people would come into see you for?
Dr. Joseph: Oh I think even simple conditions, what we think may be simple may be like migraines and headaches which a lot of people just live with for quite a while and it affects their quality of life, their relationships with their family and friends, their work and they might be missing a lot of the days at work and not recognizing that we actually have some options to treat specifically treat them that are separate from opioids and sedating and drowsy medications. So, some simple things like that all the way up to the things like MS where we used to give people a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or MS and say I’m sorry we have nothing to offer you and in the last 20 years again, things have tremendously changed.
We have a variety of treatment options where someone may not even realize they have a close friend or coworker that has a condition because they’re living lives that are active and fulfilling where in the past, that particular condition would almost be a sentence of a nursing home admission or pretty severe disability. So, I think there are a lot of things that are offered now that can really improve – and the goal is quality of life, improve quality of life and improve the day to day routine.
Host: So, just to wrap up here, is there anything else that you’d like our listeners to know about using neurologists or the field of neurology?
Dr. Joseph: I think I would encourage the community at least to take advantage of the fact that we have this strong team here and ready and available to provide the services that could help improve again quality of life. So, I think it’s a great testimony to the community that they are wanting to support neurology services, that they feel like neurology is an important part of the community and an important part of taking care of the patients here.
Host: Well Dr. Joseph, I truly appreciate your time today. that’s Dr. Preeti Joseph, a Neurologist at CGH Medical Center. Thanks for listening to this episode of About Your Health. Our Neurology team is current accepting adult patients with neurological conditions and children of all ages with seizures and headaches at CGH Main Clinic, 101 East Miller Road Sterling. To schedule an appointment please call 815-625-4790 or visit www.cghmc.com. Thanks and we’ll talk next time.
Prakash Chandran (Host): Your nervous system is intricately involved in almost everything you do in your everyday life. But what do you need to know about this vital part of your health as well as available treatment options? Speaking today is Dr. Preeti Joseph who recently joined the CGH Medical Center Neurology Team at the CGH Main Clinic.
This is the About Your Health Podcast from CGH Medical Center. I’m Prakash Chandran. So, first of all, Dr. Joseph, let’s start with the basics here. What is neurology?
Preeti Joseph, MD (Guest): Neurology is a specialty of medicine that deals with the brain and spinal cord and the diseases that go along with those areas of the body.
Host: So, then I assume that you as a neurologist, work to treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord. Is that correct?
Dr. Joseph: That’s correct and managing those diseases we also help diagnose and treat those areas of the body that might be involved.
Host: All right understood. So, I’m curious as to what drew you specifically to this type of medicine.
Dr. Joseph: It’s fascinating to find a specialty in medicine nowadays that involves both treatment of the diseases with medicine as well as with technology. One of the fascinating things about neurology is that it is ever growing. I sometimes call it the final frontier of medicine because it’s something that we’re constantly figuring out and finding out things that we never knew before. For example, we are able to treat patients with Parkinson’s Disease with not just medications but with an electronic device called a deep brain stimulator which is amazing that we’re able to use the technology that we have to help patients and people work and move and live their lives in a much more easy fashion.
Host: That’s truly fascinating. And when we say neurology and the nervous system, these are the things that just basically go throughout our entire body and so they effect so many things, is that correct?
Dr. Joseph: That’s true. It’s hard to imagine our existence without our nervous system and when a small part of this changes or doesn’t work the way it should, it can make a tremendous impact on our daily life.
Host: So, what type of patients do you see most as a neurologist?
Dr. Joseph: I see a huge spectrum of patients from individuals who might have migraine headaches to epilepsy to Parkinson’s Disease and dementia, things like multiple sclerosis also come into the clinic. I’m happy to see patients with neuropathy, numbness and tingling, things like carpal tunnel and I treat patients of all ages. So, not only adults but also children.
Host: Okay I was just going to ask about that. So, what kind of conditions do you most often see with children?
Dr. Joseph: Usually with epilepsy and headaches are most of the time what I see and it’s something that can make a difference in trying to help a child learn and help a child function and stay in school. So, I’m happy to see both of those conditions particularly for children.
Host: Okay and I’m just curious, when you say epilepsy, what exactly does that mean? I’ve obviously heard about it before but I’m not exactly sure what it is.
Dr. Joseph: Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. A seizure is an electric short circuit of the brain and so sometimes people can have episodes of twitching and jerking like you might hear or read about or see in the movies. But it can also be episodes where individuals or people just stare off into space and don’t respond and so their brain is basically short circuiting and so they are not able to function during a certain time or they’re not functioning like they should during a certain time.
Host: Yeah, that’s really good to know. As a new parent, I’m trying to figure out what I should be on the look out for. The next question I wanted to ask is what do you feel like you offer your patients that benefits them the most?
Dr. Joseph: I think we do a comprehensive look at individuals as to what’s going on, making sure that there isn’t anything that we can offer treatment for and trying to make their lives better whether it be a strategy in how to change their lifestyle or medication or even a technology approach to try and help improve quality of life. And that’s the goal is to not only diagnose, sometimes it’s frightening to not know what’s going on. There are symptoms and knowing that the brain and the spinal cord are involved and yet trying to come up with a diagnosis. So, we are very actively involved in trying to get to a diagnosis but also then moving forward and trying to see how we can conquer the issues that may be at hand.
Host: Yeah and you mentioned a technology approach and I want to unpack what that means a little bit and also, I want to learn about any new treatments that are provided at CGH specifically.
Dr. Joseph: So, now for the first time, we’re able to take care of individuals that have devices such as a Vagus nerve stimulator, a deep brain stimulator. If there’s something like a baclofen pump that someone might have, we’re able to take care of that as well. And then we do offer some other options such as Botox injections for a variety of conditions here now. And so, there’s a lot of different methods of treatment that we can offer that are new and unique and it’s amazing that we are able to provide that in the community size that we have here.
Host: Yeah, that is truly amazing. So, I’m curious as to besides you as a neurologist, who else is part of the neurology team at CGH Medical Center?
Dr. Joseph: We have one nurse practitioner. Her name is Lindsey Rodriguez and then I do have another physician that’s involved with me, a colleague Dr. Chester Delacruz. And so the team of the three of us will be taking care of patients along with our nurses and staff.
Host: And you know, one thing that I like to ask everyone is what’s one thing that you wish more patients knew before they came to see you?
Dr. Joseph: So, I would encourage patients to actually watch their symptoms and take it seriously and not become discouraged that there is nothing that they can do about conditions. It used to be that if you have a stroke, you’d try and go to bed and maybe try and sleep it off and see if it got better and we have such change in the way the world operates. I would encourage patients who have new symptoms to get in to our offices as soon as possible and perhaps try and avoid complications and try and avoid things getting worse and so, that’s actually something that really has changed.
Particularly in the area of stroke, I didn’t talk at all about that before. If you come in within the first three to four and a half hours, we are actually able to provide treatment that could possibly reverse a stroke and that’s unique. It’s a unique approach in the last 20 to 30 years that we haven’t had before. So, paying attention to the symptoms, trying to reach out and contact not only the primary care provider but our clinic in case something changes, is the greatest thing that you can do for yourself.
Host: Yeah, I wondering about some of the more common and mild disorders that potentially go untreated because people don’t take it seriously enough. What are some of the things that you wish more people would come into see you for?
Dr. Joseph: Oh I think even simple conditions, what we think may be simple may be like migraines and headaches which a lot of people just live with for quite a while and it affects their quality of life, their relationships with their family and friends, their work and they might be missing a lot of the days at work and not recognizing that we actually have some options to treat specifically treat them that are separate from opioids and sedating and drowsy medications. So, some simple things like that all the way up to the things like MS where we used to give people a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or MS and say I’m sorry we have nothing to offer you and in the last 20 years again, things have tremendously changed.
We have a variety of treatment options where someone may not even realize they have a close friend or coworker that has a condition because they’re living lives that are active and fulfilling where in the past, that particular condition would almost be a sentence of a nursing home admission or pretty severe disability. So, I think there are a lot of things that are offered now that can really improve – and the goal is quality of life, improve quality of life and improve the day to day routine.
Host: So, just to wrap up here, is there anything else that you’d like our listeners to know about using neurologists or the field of neurology?
Dr. Joseph: I think I would encourage the community at least to take advantage of the fact that we have this strong team here and ready and available to provide the services that could help improve again quality of life. So, I think it’s a great testimony to the community that they are wanting to support neurology services, that they feel like neurology is an important part of the community and an important part of taking care of the patients here.
Host: Well Dr. Joseph, I truly appreciate your time today. that’s Dr. Preeti Joseph, a Neurologist at CGH Medical Center. Thanks for listening to this episode of About Your Health. Our Neurology team is current accepting adult patients with neurological conditions and children of all ages with seizures and headaches at CGH Main Clinic, 101 East Miller Road Sterling. To schedule an appointment please call 815-625-4790 or visit www.cghmc.com. Thanks and we’ll talk next time.