ON_Jeffrey_Frank

OUR SPECIALTIES & SERVICES

We’re sensitive to the worry our patients are experiencing, and we value open and honest communication. We take time to ensure our patients and their families understand their neurological conditions. We listen. We educate. We involve you in weighing your options and making decisions. And, we’re here to help manage and treat the full-spectrum of neurologic conditions. In addition to compassionate care we provide, we also offer a host of convenient, on-site services to best meet your needs in a timely manner.

Botox Injections – Botox has brought relief to many people who suffer from chronic medical conditions. In 2010, Botox was approved for use with chronic migraine; and many patients have reported positive results. It is not typically recommended for patients who experience fewer than 15 headache days a month. Botox is injected around pain fibers that are involved in headaches. It enters the nerve endings around where it is injected and blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. This prevents activation of pain networks in the brain. When used in tiny doses in specific areas, Botox can temporarily reduce muscle contractions; one treatment can typically last 10-12 weeks. Because Botox is FDA approved for chronic migraine, it’s covered by most plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) – Using a high-definition, 120-channel amplifier, our on-site EEG technology is used to find problems related to electrical activity of the brain by tracking and recording brain wave patterns. Small metal discs with thin wires (electrodes) are placed on the scalp that send signals to a computer to record the results; it is a painless test that can provide important information. Using EEG, we can look for abnormal patterns that indicate seizures and other problems.

Electromyography (EMG) – This is an electrodiagnostic technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. This test can provide valuable information needed to help determine the location, type, and severity of any nerve or muscle disorder. An EMG detects the electric potential generated by muscle cells when the cells are electrically or neurologically activated. The signals can be analyzed to detect abnormalities, activation level or recruitment order, or can be used to analyze the biomechanics of a person’s movement.

Fundus Photography – Fundus photography documents the retina, the neurosensory tissue of the eyes, which translates the optical images we see into the electrical impulses our brain understands. Using a fundus camera is a specialized low power microscope with an attached camera he retina can be photographed directly as the pupil is used as both an entrance and exit for the fundus camera’s illuminating and imaging light rays. A fundus camera is a specialized low power microscope with an attached camera. These photographs can provide important information for patients with neurological disease.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) – This non-invasive, non-radiation imaging test uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of the retina. Routinely used in an ophthalmology setting, OCT can also be used as an ancillary test that can aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of neuro-ophthalmic diseases, such as papilledema, optic neuritis, and neuroretinitis. OCT measurements can also predict visual prognosis in compressive optic neuropathies; changes in measurements can help track the course of particular neurologic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. It is also used for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. This test is fast, efficient and safe.

TIA Clinic – For patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA), this service helps prevent strokes through rapid diagnosis and treatment. Early evaluation by a neurologist and rapid initiation of secondary prevention measures can lower the incidence of subsequent stroke. Offered in cooperation with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center, our TIA clinic addresses the need for timely outpatient evaluation with a two-pronged goal: to provide high-quality, rapid care to patients to prevent stroke and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. One of our neurologists will typically see patients within 24 hours of the initial incident and up to three times before returning patients to their primary care physician. The TIA Clinic can be reached at 541-868-ATIA.

Visual Field Test (VFT) – A visual field test is an eye examination that can detect dysfunction in central and peripheral vision, which may be caused by various medical conditions, such as glaucoma, stroke, pituitary disease, brain tumors or other neurological deficits.

ABOUT NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES

Neurological diseases are disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves throughout the body. Because the nervous system controls all sensation and behavior, the symptoms of neurological disorders can vary widely. Symptoms may include poor memory, poor balance, headache, blackouts, seizures, speech disorders, trouble swallowing, numbness or loss of sensation, spasms, tremors, difficulty controlling urination, double vision or unexplained vision loss, and a host of others.

The major types of neurological disorders include:

  • Genetic diseases, such as Huntington’s disease and muscular dystrophy
  • Diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain, such as stroke
  • Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy
  • Degenerative diseases, where nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease
  • Improper development of the nervous system, such as spina bifida
  • Injuries to the spinal cord and brain
  • Cancers of the nervous system, such as brain tumors
  • Infections, such as meningitis
  • Peripheral nerve disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Autoimmune – multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis

The most frequently diagnosed neurological disorders include:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Autism
  • Back pain
  • Bell’s palsy
  • Carpal tunnel
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
  • Chronic pain
  • Coma
  • Dementia
  • Dystonia
  • Dizziness
  • Encephalitis
  • Epilepsy
  • Essential tremor
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome
  • Headache
  • Hemifacial spasm
  • Huntington’s disease
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Memory loss
  • Meningitis
  • Migraine
  • Movement disorders
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Multisystem atrophy
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Myopathies
  • Nervous system tumors
  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Neuropathy
  • Normal pressure hydrocephalus
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Periodic limb movement disorder
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
  • Seizure disorders
  • Sleep disorders
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Stroke
  • Tourette syndrome
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Vertigo