With the advent of modern and hi-tech technologies, developed machines and increasingly growing research, medical science has progressed unbelievably. With increasing specializations, it often becomes difficult to differentiate between medical professionals who work in the same area. Neurology is a specialization of medical science that studies the brain and various aspects related to it. It diagnoses ailments that affect the brain and focus on the treatment of conditions that affect the nervous system. Frequently, the terms neurologist and neurosurgeon are used for medical professionals who treat diseases that affect the brain however the two professions are vastly different. In this blog, we aim to elucidate differences between a neurologist vs neurosurgeon and the prominent features which sets these two careers apart.
Who is a Neurologist & Who is a Neurosurgeon?
Let’s first understand the basic career description of Neurologist vs Neurosurgeon:
A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and the treatment of any medical condition concerning the brain, and the nervous system. They also treat disorders like neurodevelopmental disorders, learning disabilities and all subsidiary conditions that affect the central nervous system.
Neurosurgeons are trained to treat people with surgical procedures in conditions that are chronic and affect the normal functioning of the nervous system like in the case of Parkinson’s disease, aneurysms, birth defects etc.
Major Differences Between Neurologist & Neurosurgeon
The major difference between a neurologist and a neurosurgeon is fairly clear. While a neurosurgeon can perform surgery to treat medical conditions, neurologists use medicines and other related procedures to cure the conditions and ailments.
Neurologists and neurosurgeons complement each others’ work. While treating a disorder, a neurologist might suggest the patient see a neurosurgeon for surgery while after its completion, the long-term treatment is undertaken by the neurologist. For neurologist vs neurosurgeon, both the medical professionals can conduct complex neurological testings like EEG, MRI but only neurosurgeons can use the reports to undertake surgery to treat the disease while neurologists can only prescribe medicines to treat them or refer the patient to a neurosurgeon to undergo further treatment.
