Ozark’s Only Private Neurology Practice
If you need the help of a Neurologist we would love to help. We believe you shouldn’t have to wait months to see a Neurologist! Below are some of the aspects of health we can help you with.
Are you experiencing neurological symptoms and seeking answers? Maybe you’re in need of a diagnosis or simply seeking top-notch neurological care. Whether you’re navigating a current diagnosis, exploring options for symptoms, or searching for preventative measures against neurological diseases, we’re here to support you.
At Sharlin Health & Neurology, we understand the challenges that come with neurological conditions, and we’re dedicated to providing personalized care tailored to your unique needs. Whether you’re seeking clarity on symptoms, exploring treatment options, or looking to optimize your brain health, our team is committed to helping you every step of the way. We combine the best of traditional medicine with therapeutic lifestyle changes, we offer a comprehensive approach to achieve incredible outcomes. Our goal is to empower you to live the life you want by optimizing your brain health and overall well- being.
No matter where you are on your health journey, whether you’re seeking answers for yourself or supporting a loved one, we’re here to provide the guidance, expertise and support you need to achieve your health goals. We are here to offer you HOPE.
Neurological Conditions
Sharlin Health & Neurology is a premier independent Ozark neurology clinic near Springfield and the surrounding communities with choices about how they want their care to be. Whether you are looking for a neurology consultation that meets the highest standards, neuro-diagnostic technology and therapeutic management, cutting-edge clinical trials, or functional medicine Sharlin Health & Neurology has a solution to meet your needs.
When it comes to neurological health, we believe that quality care should be easy to find. Instead of waiting for months to see a neurologist, you should have a team of providers ready to serve you, and get you started on your recovery. Whether you are currently dealing with a neurological diagnosis, or you’re struggling with symptoms and want answers, our clinic is here to support you. We provide the latest in diagnostics, as well as personalized treatment plans to meet the unique needs of each and every patient.
SYMPTOMS
DIZZINESS
Can come in different varieties. Dr. Sharlin treats dizziness that is a symptom of vertigo or disequilibrium. Vertigo makes you feel as if you or the things around you are spinning; disequilibrium is difficulty keeping your balance.
MOVEMENT PROBLEMS
Like difficulty walking, being clumsy, unintentional jerks or movements, tremors, or others, can be symptoms of a problem in your nervous system. You may want to see Dr. Sharlin if these movement problems interrupt your daily life.
VISION PROBLEMS
Can be caused by aging or by the nervous system. If the difficulty is sudden and happens in both eyes, you may want to have your vision evaluated. Either an eye doctor or your primary care doctor can advise you on whether you should see Dr. Sharlin about your vision problem.
SLEEP PROBLEMS
While we know many obvious causes of sleep problems, going to bed too late, having a condition like sleep apnea or anxiety, nightmares, or others, some sleep problems are neurological disorders. An example of this is narcolepsy, which is a chronic, genetic disorder with no known cause that affects the body’s central nervous system.
NUMBNESS OR TINGLING
Can happen for many different reasons, some as simple as sitting in a way that cuts off your blood circulation or having not eaten. However, if this numbness continues, comes on suddenly, or only happens on one side of the body, it may be time to see Dr. Sharlin. Numbness or tingling symptoms like those described can also be signs of a stroke, in which case you need to get help very quickly.
WEAKNESS
Feelings of weakness that you should see a doctor for are different than tiredness or muscle aches after a long hike or lifting too many weights. Muscle weakness where you feel like it takes extra effort to move your arms and legs or make your muscles work is a symptom you should consult your doctor about. It could be caused by a more serious condition or disease of your nervous system, such as stroke.
DIAGNOSIS
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
A brain disorder that develops over a period of years. Initially, people experience memory loss and confusion, which may be mistaken for the kinds of memory changes that are sometimes associated with normal aging. However, the symptoms of AD gradually lead to behavior and personality changes, a decline in cognitive abilities such as decision-making and language skills, and problems recognizing family and friends.
PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive disease that develops when the cells that produce dopamine are dead or severely damaged. Dopamine acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and helps control behavior, cognition, motor activity and several other actions. When these cells do not function properly, the brain often loses control of some bodily actions.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
A disease of the central nervous system which can gradually affect a patient’s vision, speech, walking, writing and memory. This condition involves a wearing away of the myelin sheath, the protective covering of the nerves, which causes nerve signals to slow and the nerves themselves to become damaged. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is most commonly diagnosed in women and men between the ages of 20 and 50.
CHRONIC MIGRAINES
Chronic migraine is a distinct and relatively recently defined sub-type of Chronic Daily Headache. The International Headache Society defines chronic migraine as more than fifteen headache days per month over a three month period of which more than eight are migrainous, in the absence of medication over use. Episodic migraine is the other migraine sub-type, which is defined as less than 15 headache days per month.
EPILEPSY
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to send abnormal signals that result in strange body behaviors. These behaviors, known as seizures, can range in frequency, type and severity for each individual patient. Some of the indicators associated with seizures are loss of consciousness, muscle spasms, convulsions and more.
SEIZURES
Can be almost unnoticeable or very extreme. Symptoms of seizures can range from staring to loss of consciousness, jerking movements of the arms and legs, breathing problems, confusion, or loss of consciousness. While some seizures could be caused by low blood sugar or withdrawals from addictive substances, seizures that seem sudden or without any obvious cause are symptoms you should see Dr. Sharlin about.
Traumatic Brain Injury
If you experience symptoms of traumatic brain injury, it is important to seek immediate medical attention. Significant brain damage often cannot be reversed and needs to be treated as soon as possible in order to prevent further damage. TBI is treated by stabilizing the patient and making sure enough oxygen is supplied to the brain and the rest of the body. Later treatment includes physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as psychological and social support. A TBI often causes tragic changes to a person’s life and can affect their friends and family as well.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system which can gradually affect a patient’s vision, speech, walking, writing and memory. This condition involves a wearing away of the myelin sheath, the protective covering of the nerves, which causes nerve signals to slow and the nerves themselves to become damaged. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is most commonly diagnosed in women and men between the ages of 20 and 50.
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary depending on which nerves are affected, but common symptoms include:
- Numbness or weakness in the limbs
- Loss of vision
- Double or blurred vision
- Tingling
- Tremor
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression
At Sharlin Health & Neurology our treatment for MS is a delicate balance of major lifestyle shifts and patient-specific medications which we closely monitor. Medications commonly used for treating MS include corticosteroids, interferon, glatiramer and natalizumab. Our in-house physical therapy can also help patients manage the side effects of multiple sclerosis.
Since MS is a debilitating disease, it is important for patients to do their best to maintain an active, normal life and keep themselves as healthy as possible, both physically and emotionally. Support from friends and family can also be helpful to living a happy and healthy life.
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease often begins as a tremor in the hand that slowly spreads throughout the body, causing slowed voluntary motion, rigid muscles, stooped posture, loss of involuntary movements and speech changes. These symptoms usually occur gradually and can go undetected for months or years. At Sharlin Health & Neurology we have helped many patients with Parkinson’s disease dramatically improve their health. To learn more please contact us today.
Dementia
Dementia is a series of age-related symptoms that involves a loss of mental skills and deteriorating brain function. Dementia literally translates to “deprived of mind”. Symptoms of dementia occur when nerve cells die or lose communication and slowly lose their ability to function.
The symptoms of dementia develop gradually and may not even be noticed by the patient until family and friends point it out. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Difficulty using or understanding words
- Difficulty planning things out
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Forgetting names, dates, etc.
- Unable to follow directions
- Neglecting personal safety and hygiene
Dementia in many cases can be managed though medication and cognitive training to improve functioning in everyday life. It is important to practice healthy habits such as exercising regularly and maintaining low blood pressure and low cholesterol in order to help prevent dementia from worsening.
Headache
A headache is a common symptom that involves aching or pain in one or more areas of the head or face. Over 45 million people are affected by headaches each year and many of these cases include chronic headaches that last for weeks or months with no relief.
Headaches can be associated with a wide range of conditions and causes, including coughing, sneezing, fever, arthritis, depression, or even environmental changes. There are many different types of headaches, classified by the cause, location and severity of the pain. The most common types of headaches include:
- Tension headaches – Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and are often caused by stress, anxiety and depression in middle to older aged people.
- Cluster headaches – Cluster headaches last for a period of weeks or months and then go away for a while. They often return during the same season in the following year.
- Migraines – Migraines cause throbbing pain often on one side of the head and are often so severe that they can lead to nausea, vomiting, depression and sleep disruption.
At Sharlin Health & Neurology we have had great results treating the root-cause of headaches and chronic migraines by relieving stress and anxiety and other life changes can also help reduce the root-symptoms of headaches. At Sharlin Health we are not a prescription-first medical practice.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to send abnormal signals that result in strange body behaviors. These behaviors, known as seizures, can range in frequency, type and severity for each individual patient. Some of the indicators associated with seizures are loss of consciousness, muscle spasms, convulsions and more.
Epileptic seizures are unprovoked and have occurred at least twice in order to properly diagnose the condition. Epilepsy is a chronic condition with no cure. However, most cases can be effectively managed through medication and surgery if necessary. It is important to begin treatment as soon as possible and take medication as directed in order to minimize the frequency of symptoms. Some patients experience complete relief from their symptoms over time.
Neurological Treatments
Skin Biopsy
During the EMG exam, thin needle electrodes are inserted through the skin and into the muscle, where they detect electrical activity while the muscle is at rest and contracting. Patients may experience mild pain when the electrodes are inserted, but this is tolerable for most. This test is usually performed in conjunction with a nerve conduction velocity test.
Normal results of an EMG test indicate muscles that do not produce any electrical activity while at rest and progressively increases with contraction. After the test, patients may experience feelings of tenderness or bruising on the affected muscle.
Evoked Responses
An evoked response study is a diagnostic procedure that measures electrical activity in the brain as it responds to signals from the sight, sound and touch senses. This allows doctors to assess hearing or sight (especially useful when performed on infants), diagnose optic nerve disorders or detect tumors within the brain or spinal cord.
There are several different types of evoked response studies available that can test for different problems. The three major tests include:
- Visual Evoked Response (VER) Test – This test diagnoses problems within the optic nerve by placing electrodes on the scalp as the patient watches patterns appear on a screen. The electrical responses are then recorded.
- Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) Test – The BAER test detects a patient’s ability to hear and is also effective in detecting brain stem tumors and diagnosing multiple sclerosis. During this test, electrodes are placed on the scalp and earlobes and subtle noises are delivered to one ear.
- Somatosensory Evoked Response (SSER) Test – This test detects abnormalities within the spinal cord by attaching electrodes to the wrist, knee and other locations. A mild electrical signal is then sent to these areas and the brain’s response is recorded.
While these tests are effective in detecting abnormalities within the sensory functions, they often cannot determine the cause of the abnormality, so additional testing may be required.
These procedures are considered safe for most patients and are not associated with any serious complications.
Get In Touch
DON’T BE SHY, WE ARE HERE TO HELP
If you have additional questions about insurance or if you would like to learn more about Sharlin Health and Neurology contact our office at 417-485-1004 or fill this form out below and we will quickly respond.