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June is National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month (MHAM) where the headache, migraine, and cluster communities work together to raise public awareness, address stigmas, and build a stronger community of headache, migraine, and cluster advocates. The World Health Organization notes that headache disorders are the most common nervous system disorder

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are approximately 50 million people worldwide living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. To raise awareness and inspire action, the Alzheimer’s Association has dedicated the entire month of June as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. This movement is encouraging people to “Go Purple” with the

How much do you know about transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)? If you suffer from nerve disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, or ulnar neuropathy, then you may want to consider trying TENS therapy to manage your symptoms. Therefore, here are 10 facts about TENS to familiarize you

Everyone gets the occasional headache, and some people may have more frequent headaches than others. While the majority of headaches are not serious and will eventually resolve themselves, there are certain cases where a headache can be a symptom of something more serious, like a stroke. However, it can be

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system by disrupting signals between the brain and body. Currently, there is no known cause of MS and the progression of the condition is often unpredictable. However, every day researchers are bringing us closer to understanding this mysterious disease.

Nowadays, there are a variety of medical professionals available to diagnose and treat a range of medical conditions. While some doctors tend to focus on the overall health of their patients and evaluate a range of health conditions that affect all parts of the body, others choose to focus on

Your nerves play a few important roles in your body. Besides the simple fact that they allow you to feel sensations when you touch something, your nerves also help with muscle movement and internal organ function. Not only that, but your nerves even aid in self-preservation since they allow you

Did you know that approximately 1 in 3 people who have a pre-stroke will eventually have a stroke? Additionally, half of these individuals have a stroke within 1 year of the initial pre-stroke or mini stroke. However, being able to identify a mini stroke can help you to prevent a

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) robs quality sleep from 1 out of every 10 adults. Also known as Willis Ekbom disease, RLS is characterized by itching, prickling, pulling, crawling, or other uncomfortable sensations in the legs that result in an overwhelming urge to move one’s legs. These sensations are generally relieved

Did you know the month of April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and April 11th is World Parkinson’s Day? Every year, the Parkinson’s Foundation uses the month of April to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease. This year, the specific focus is on all the available resources the foundation has developed for

Famous sayings like, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and “you are what you eat” stress the influence that our diet has on our health. Although diet alone does not dictate whether or not we develop certain medical conditions or how our body responds to them, several studies

Historically, clinical trials and medical research were conducted primarily with male subjects. Within the last two decades, however, medical experts have begun to notice that there can be differences in how certain medical conditions manifest in the different sexes. In fact, recent research has indicated that risk factors, symptoms, and

Clean air is one of the most important resources for sustaining life. Despite this fact, clean air is getting harder and harder to find. Instead, much of the air we breathe on a daily basis has been polluted in some way, shape, or form. This is especially the case in

When a loved one is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, you may be wondering what you can do to support them. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic illness that affects the central nervous system. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the protective myelin around the nerves, causing inflammation and scar

There are certain medical emergencies where every second counts and knowing how to respond appropriately can potentially save a life and/or minimize the severity of the emergency. A stroke is one of these conditions where knowing what to do can make a huge difference. This is because the most effective

If you are frequently experiencing severe stabbing or burning pain, then you may have a damaged or irritated nerve. This type of pain is known as neuralgia, and it can occur throughout the body and face. Although neuralgia can occur without the presence of disease, for example when leg compression

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs when the nerve cell proteins inside the brain become damaged. This results in progressive cognitive decline that will get worse over time. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, however there are treatments that can slow the progression of the disease and

It’s been a little over a year since the coronavirus pandemic reached the United States. During the last year, there have been numerous studies conducted on this novel virus and how it affects the body’s different systems. From a neurological perspective, there have been several studies that have found evidence

Neurons are the building blocks of the nervous system that are responsible for transmitting signals to and from the brain, as well as the rest of the body. On average, it is estimated that the human brain contains about 86 billion neurons. As a reference, fruit flies only have 100

Complex regional pain syndrome(CRPS)  is an extremely rare disorder that only affects about 25 out of 100,000 people. However, for those who it affects, the effects can be devastating. CRPS is characterized by excessive and/or spontaneous pain that follows an injury to an arm or leg. Although some pain and

As doctors learn more about neurological conditions, more and more treatments are becoming available to help patients manage their symptoms and increase their quality of life. One relatively new treatment for neurological conditions is medical marijuana. Although medical marijuana may not be ideal for treating every neurological condition, it has

If you have been experiencing numbness or tingling in your hands and fingers, chances are you want to know what is causing it and how to make it stop. While there are a variety of reasons why your fingers could be numb, the good news is that not all these

Throughout this article series on COVID-19 and the brain, we have carefully evaluated the relationship between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the neurological system. In part I, we conducted a brief review of the current literature to see what neurologists were saying about the virus. Then in parts II & III,

Now that we know how COVID-19 can spread from the body into the brain, let’s take a look at some of the neurological symptoms that have been observed in COVID-19 patients. When it comes to COVID-19, there are two types of neurological symptoms that can occur: those caused directly by

The last section in the COVID-19 and the Brain article took a brief look at recent research being conducted on this relationship. In this section, we will begin looking at how COVID-19 can reach the brain by first taking a closer look at the virus itself and then evaluating how

As of January 4th, 2021, there are 20.7 million active cases of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)  in the United States and 85.2 million worldwide. Approximately 1.85 million lives have been claimed from this virus worldwide. Still, the mortality rate in the United States is about 1.7%, which is relatively low when compared

If you find yourself forgetting why you walked into a room or constantly misplacing things like your keys, you may start to wonder if this is normal forgetfulness or something more. We all forget things from time to time, especially as we get older. However as we get older, many

Did you know that the word “myopathy” is made up of the Greek word “myo” meaning muscle and “pathos” meaning disease? Together, the word myopathy translates to muscle disease and this term is used to describe neuromuscular disorders that primarily cause muscle weakness due to dysfunctional muscle fibers responsible for

We all get headaches from time to time, and some of us experience more frequent and severe headaches than others. But, have you ever wondered just why we get headaches in the first place? First of all, there are different types of headaches and some of these different types are

According to the National MS Society, around 1 million Americans are living with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated process, which means the body’s immune system abnormally attacks the central nervous system and its components: the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Specifically, the fatty insulation that surrounds nerve