Neurological or nervous system disorders affect more than 43% of the world’s population, making them one of the leading causes of long-term health problems.
New symptoms affecting your brain, nerves, muscles, or balance feel unsettling, especially when you don’t know the cause, so if your primary care provider refers you to Memphis Neurology for an evaluation, you may quite naturally feel unsure about what comes next.
Here we explain how the evaluation gives us a closer look at your nervous system function, so we can better understand what’s causing your symptoms and how to help.
A neurology evaluation usually starts with a detailed conversation. We ask about the symptoms you’ve noticed, when they started, how often they occur, and what they feel like. For example, you might describe symptoms such as:
We also ask what seems to trigger your symptoms and what makes them better or worse.
Next, we review your medical history. That includes past illnesses, injuries, surgeries, medications, and family history. Some neurological conditions run in families, so this information can offer important clues.
We may also ask about how well you sleep, causes of stress, your diet, and typical daily habits, because these can affect the nervous system.
After that, we perform a neurological exam. This exam doesn’t usually hurt, and it helps us check how well your brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles communicate. While every visit differs slightly depending on your symptoms, the exam often includes several basic steps:
We start by checking your mental status. That means we look at things like alertness, memory, attention, language, and problem-solving. You might answer simple questions, repeat words, follow directions, or recall a short list of items. This part helps us understand how your brain is processing information.
Cranial nerves control functions like eye movement, facial movement, hearing, swallowing, and the sense of smell. We may ask you to follow a finger with your eyes, smile, raise your eyebrows, stick out your tongue, or respond to sounds and light touch on your face.
Next, we assess your strength, muscle tone, and coordination. You may push or pull against your provider’s hands, squeeze fingers, lift your arms or legs, or perform simple movements. We may ask you to touch your finger to your nose or move your heel down your shin. These tasks show how well your muscles and nerves are working together.
Testing reflexes is the part many people recognize from routine physical exams, where a doctor taps your knee with a small rubber hammer. Reflexes can tell us a lot about nerve pathways.
We may also test sensation, gently touching different areas of your skin and asking whether something feels sharp, dull, warm, or cool. This helps identify whether numbness, tingling, or pain follows a specific nerve.
Balance and walking often offer significant clues. You may need to walk across the room, stand still, and/or turn around. If you’ve had dizziness, falls, or weakness, this part of the evaluation can provide valuable information.
Not every patient needs additional testing, but if we need more information, we may recommend tests such as blood work, imaging, or nerve studies.
Examples include an MRI or CT scan to visualize your brain and spine, an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain activity, or electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies to evaluate your muscles and nerves. We’ll explain why we’re recommending any test and what it can tell us.
You can make your visit go more smoothly by bringing a list of your symptoms, medications, medical conditions, and any questions you have. If your symptoms affect memory, speech, or awareness, having a family member or close friend present can help, too. They may notice details you haven’t picked up on yourself.
For many patients, we obtain an accurate diagnosis after these stages. In fact, neurologists use the information gathered at an initial exam to make most clinical diagnoses.
However, it’s important to know that a neurology evaluation doesn’t always yield a single immediate answer. Lengthier evaluations can feel frustrating, but they lead to a more accurate diagnosis and better treatment.
Most of all, try not to feel intimidated by the process. A neurology evaluation is simply a structured way for us to learn more about what your body is telling us.
If you’ve been dealing with unexplained neurological symptoms, scheduling an evaluation at Memphis Neurology is an important first step toward peace of mind. Call us or use the online form to get in touch.
