From the Blog

What does a neurologist do?

A neurologist is a medical doctor who diagnoses, treats, and manages disorders of the brain and nervous system. Neurological conditions can affect your entire body, and can affect adults and children. At Logansport Memorial Hospital our neurologist -- Dr. Cheng Du uses his passion of neurology to better the lives of his patients and improve their health.

neurologist and patient

What conditions does a neurologist see?

Your nervous system controls your body. It controls everything you do -- from moving, swallowing, and even the beating of your heart. 

A neurologist sees and treats conditions including:

  • Alzheimer's disease and dementia
  • ALS 
  • Brain and spinal cord injury
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Epilepsy
  • Chronic headaches and migraines
  • MS
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Neuropathy conditions
  • Stroke

At your first appointment, a neurologist will ask you about your medical, family, and medication history as well as ask you to describe your current symptoms. This information helps guide the initial diagnosis evaluation, and helps to create a treatment plan that is customized to you. 

Diagnosing a neurological condition

During your initial visits, your doctor will perform neurological examinations including:

  • Testing your coordination, balance, and reflexes
  • Determining your muscle strength
  • Checking your mental health
  • Checking your vision, hearing, and speech
  • Testing your sensation in your hands, feet, etc.

In addition to the above testing, you may need lab work and a urine analysis so that your neurologist can determine the severity of your suspected condition so that treatment plans are constructed to get you the best possible outcome.

When you should see a neurologist

If you're struggling with an unknown condition, or feel like you may need additional care with your current condition, it may be time to see a neurologist. You may also need to see a neurologist if you are experiencing the following conditions, without a previous diagnosis:

  • Chronic headaches and migraines. Headaches that are severe and disabling, need medication daily, accompanied by vision changes, nausea, and loss of consciousness, and headaches that are accompanied by a light, smell, and sound sensitivity.
  • Unusual memory problems or difficulty speaking, personality changes, recurrent confusion, and repetition in speaking and asking questions.
  • Balance issues (or vertigo) where you feel like you're spinning, unsteady, experience random bouts of lightheadedness, and are sensitive to motion.
  • Seizures.
  • Numbness and/or weakness. This could be something that happens suddenly or has been persistent over weeks and/or months.

Our neurologist -- Dr. Cheng Du

Dr. Du is board-certified in neurology, neuromuscular medicine, headache medicine, and neurosonology. He is fellowship trained in neurophysiology, EEG, EMG, and neuromuscular disorder.

His passion for neurology drives his excellent patient care. His main goal, and what he loves most about his profession, is making his patients feel better by addressing their neurological needs. With his many years of experience, and the ever advancing technology neurology has to offer, he is confident that he can address the concerns of his patients and develop personalized treatment plans to improve their condition and overall health.

"I love using my passion of neurology to better the lives of my patients and improve their overall health." - Dr. Cheng Du

Neurology at Logansport Memorial Hospital

How to get a referral

Your primary care provider can make a referral for evaluation if you are experiencing any symptoms of the conditions described in the above content. You may also call the office directly to make an appointment, and our office staff can work with your primary care provider to get the referral for you. 

To make an appointment with Dr. Du, please call: (574) 722-4331.

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TOPICS: Neurology