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Whether you're clutching a new prescription, researching a loved one's symptoms, or trying to make sense of a diagnosis — our neurologists speak your language.
Jump to your condition
Each short video is a fifteen-second introduction — so you already know who you're talking to before the appointment begins.
Headache & Migraine Specialist
MD, FAHS · Yale School of Medicine
"Migraine is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions I see. The moment a patient understands it's neurological — not 'just a headache' — everything shifts."
Movement Disorders Neurologist
MD, PhD · Johns Hopkins University
"Early intervention in Parkinson's is everything. I want every family to know: the tremor you noticed at Thanksgiving — bring it to us now, not in two years."
Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders
MD · UCSF Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
"Most of my patients arrive terrified. By the end of our first conversation, they leave with a name for what's happening — and a plan. That's what we're here for."
Neuroimmunology & MS
MD, FAAN · Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute
"MS management has transformed in the last decade. What used to feel like a life sentence is now a condition we manage together — actively, with real options."
Throbbing pain on one side of my head
Clinical term: Unilateral pulsating cephalgia
Seeing zigzag lines or blind spots before it starts
Clinical term: Visual aura (scintillating scotoma)
Nausea and sensitivity to light and sound
Clinical term: Photophobia, phonophobia, nausea
Feeling wiped out for a day after the headache passes
Clinical term: Postdrome fatigue
Sensitized pain signals travel from meningeal vessels through the trigeminal nerve, amplified in the thalamus.
Identifying and avoiding personal triggers (sleep, diet, stress, hormones) through a structured log.
Ibuprofen or prescription triptans taken at onset to abort the migraine attack.
Beta-blockers, topiramate, or CGRP antagonists taken daily to reduce attack frequency.
Self-administered monthly injections (erenumab, fremanezumab) targeting the CGRP pathway.
Blanking out for a few seconds — people say I look absent
Clinical term: Absence seizure (petit mal)
Shaking and losing control of my body
Clinical term: Tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure
A strange smell or feeling right before it happens
Clinical term: Focal aware seizure (aura)
Confusion and exhaustion after — I don't remember what happened
Clinical term: Postictal state
Abnormal electrical bursts originate in the focus zone and spread through connected neural networks.
Levetiracetam, lamotrigine, or valproate — the first-line approach for most epilepsy types.
High-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that alters brain metabolism; particularly effective for children.
A pacemaker-like device implanted under the skin that sends regular electrical pulses to the vagus nerve.
Resection of the seizure focus — considered when two ASMs have failed and the focus is clearly localizable.
Numbness or tingling that comes and goes in my arms or legs
Clinical term: Relapsing sensory paresthesia
My vision went blurry and painful in one eye
Clinical term: Optic neuritis
I'm exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix
Clinical term: MS-related fatigue (lassitude)
My balance feels off and I've had a few near-falls
Clinical term: Cerebellar ataxia
Immune cells attack the myelin sheath, slowing or blocking electrical signals along the nerve fiber.
Interferons, glatiramer, or dimethyl fumarate — reduce relapse frequency and slow progression.
Siponimod, ozanimod — newer oral options with strong efficacy for relapsing MS.
Administered every 4–6 months in a clinical setting; highly effective for active relapsing MS.
Reserved for aggressive, treatment-resistant MS; resets the immune system.
A tremor in one hand, mostly when the hand is resting
Clinical term: Resting tremor (pill-rolling)
My movements feel slow — it takes longer to button a shirt
Clinical term: Bradykinesia
My handwriting has gotten noticeably smaller
Clinical term: Micrographia
I've lost my sense of smell over the past few years
Clinical term: Anosmia (prodromal symptom)
Dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra diminish, disrupting the smooth coordination of movement signals.
The gold standard — levodopa replenishes dopamine. Carbidopa prevents nausea and extends its effect.
Mimic dopamine in the brain; often used in younger patients to delay levodopa complications.
Slow the breakdown of dopamine; mild benefit, sometimes used as initial therapy or add-on.
Electrodes implanted in the subthalamic nucleus deliver continuous electrical stimulation; highly effective for motor fluctuations.
Burning or shooting pain in my feet, especially at night
Clinical term: Distal symmetric polyneuropathy
My feet feel numb — like I'm walking on cotton
Clinical term: Sensory loss (glove-and-stocking distribution)
My hands feel weak and I keep dropping things
Clinical term: Distal motor weakness
Lightheadedness when I stand up quickly
Clinical term: Autonomic neuropathy (orthostatic hypotension)
Damage to peripheral nerves disrupts sensation and motor signals between the spinal cord and extremities.
Optimizing blood sugar (diabetic neuropathy), stopping a causative medication, or treating vitamin deficiency.
Applied directly to painful areas; minimal systemic effects, effective for localized pain.
Gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine, or tricyclics — reduce pain signal transmission.
For immune-mediated neuropathies (CIDP, GBS); modulates the immune response attacking peripheral nerves.
Each condition guide is a plain-language PDF written by our neurologists — the symptoms in your vocabulary, the treatments ranked, and the exact questions to ask at your next appointment. No jargon. No paywall.
Just a first name and email. No spam, ever.
Book a consultation with a board-certified neurologist. Come with your questions. Leave with clarity.