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ASK Health Brain & Body Wellness

General Neurology

A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. At ASK Health Brain & Body Wellness in Clearwater, general neurology covers headaches, migraines, dizziness, memory loss and more — in person or via telemedicine. Your first visit starts with your history and an examination, not with a scan.

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01 · What a neurologist does

A doctor for the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles

Neurologists work out what is causing a symptom, and then treat it without surgery. Surgery on the brain or spine is done by a neurosurgeon, which is a different specialty. A neurologist is a partner to your primary care doctor, not a replacement for them.

What this page covers

  • Headaches and migraines
  • Dizziness and balance problems
  • Memory and thinking changes
  • Numbness, tingling, and nerve pain

If what you are dealing with is not on this list, call us on (727) 210-7699 and we will tell you honestly whether this is the right place to start.

What a neurology visit is like

  • A new-patient neurology visit usually takes 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Most of that time is spent on your history — what you noticed, when it started, and how it has changed.
  • A neurologic examination follows. It is hands-on and painless: your eyes and face, strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, and walking.
  • Testing is usually arranged after the visit, once we know what question we are trying to answer.
  • Visits are available in our Clearwater office or via telemedicine, though your first neurological examination has to happen in person.

02 · Headaches & migraines

When should you see a neurologist for headaches?

Most headaches are not dangerous. It is worth being seen when headaches keep coming back, when they get in the way of work, driving, or family life, or when the pattern changes. Migraine is a neurologic condition, not just a bad headache.

What people notice

  • Headaches several days a month, month after month.
  • Throbbing pain, often on one side, sometimes with nausea, or with light and sound feeling too strong.
  • Warning signs before the pain — flashing lights, blind spots, or tingling in a hand or the face.
  • A pattern tied to sleep, skipped meals, stress, or the weather.
  • Needing over-the-counter pain medicine more and more often.

When it is worth being seen

  • Headaches on many days each month, or headaches that are getting worse.
  • Over-the-counter medicine is not helping, or you are taking it most days.
  • Headaches are making you miss work, school, or time with family.
  • A headache that feels different from the ones you usually get.
  • A new kind of headache that started after age 50.
What the first visit looks at

We start with your story: how often the headaches come, how long they last, where the pain sits, what makes them better or worse, and everything you have already tried. Then we examine you. A headache diary and a list of every medicine you take — including the ones you buy without a prescription — make that first visit far more useful. Not everyone with headaches needs an MRI, and most people do not. Treatment for migraine usually has two parts: medicine to stop an attack that has already started, and medicine taken regularly to have fewer attacks.

03 · Dizziness & balance

When should you see a neurologist for dizziness?

"Dizziness" means different things to different people — the room spinning, feeling lightheaded, or feeling unsteady on your feet. Those different feelings point to different causes, from the inner ear to blood pressure, a medication side effect, or a problem with the nerves or brain. The goal of the visit is to work out which kind of dizziness you have, so the right treatment can start.

What people notice

  • The room spinning when you roll over in bed or tip your head back.
  • Feeling lightheaded or faint when you stand up.
  • Feeling unsteady, or drifting to one side when you walk.
  • Falls, or near-falls, that are happening more often.
  • Avoiding driving, stairs, or going out because you are afraid of it.

When it is worth being seen

  • Dizziness that keeps coming back, or that does not settle.
  • Dizziness that has caused a fall or an injury.
  • Dizziness along with hearing changes, ringing in the ears, or headaches.
  • Dizziness that started after a new medicine or a change in dose.
  • Dizziness that is changing what you are willing to do in a day.
Some dizziness is an emergency

Dizziness that comes on suddenly and does not stop — especially with double vision, slurred speech, weakness or numbness on one side, trouble walking, or the worst headache of your life — needs an emergency department, not an outpatient appointment. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. See the full list of stroke warning signs.

What the first visit looks at

Timing and triggers matter more than the word you use for it. We ask when it happens, how long each episode lasts, and what sets it off. The examination looks at your eyes, your ears, your blood pressure sitting and standing, your walking and balance, and your nerves. We go through every medicine you take, because dizziness is a common side effect. What we find at that visit decides whether any testing is needed and which testing it should be.

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04 · Memory & thinking

When should you see a neurologist about memory changes?

Memory changes are not always a normal part of aging, and they are not always Alzheimer's disease. Some causes can be treated — thyroid problems, low vitamin B12, poor sleep, depression, or a side effect of a medicine. A memory evaluation is a structured way to find out what is going on, for you or for someone you love.

What people notice

  • Repeating the same question or the same story within a short time.
  • Trouble finding everyday words, or losing the thread mid-sentence.
  • Missing appointments, or struggling with bills and medicines that used to be easy.
  • Getting turned around on a familiar route.
  • Someone close to you has noticed a change, even if you have not.

When it is worth being seen

  • The changes have gone on for more than a few months, or they are getting worse.
  • Everyday tasks — money, medicines, cooking, driving — are getting harder.
  • A family member or close friend is worried.
  • Memory changed after a new medicine, an illness, or a hospital stay.
  • You have a concern and you would rather have a clear starting point than keep wondering.
What the first visit looks at

Bring someone who knows you well. What a family member or close friend has noticed is a real part of the evaluation, not an afterthought. Bring a complete list of medicines, including sleep aids, allergy medicines, and bladder medicines you buy without a prescription, because some of them affect memory. Bring your glasses and your hearing aids — it is hard to measure thinking through a hearing problem. The visit includes your history, an examination, and a structured look at memory, attention, and thinking. Blood work is often used to check for treatable conditions that can affect memory. Nobody is given a label at the end of one appointment; the visit tells us what to look at next.

05 · Numbness & nerve pain

When should you see a neurologist for numbness or tingling?

Numbness, tingling, burning, or pins and needles usually mean a nerve is not carrying signals the way it should. It is worth being seen when the feeling does not go away, when it spreads, or when weakness comes with it.

What people notice

  • Burning or tingling in the feet, often worse at night.
  • Numbness that starts in the toes or fingertips and slowly moves up.
  • Feet that feel wrapped in a sock, or like you are walking on gravel.
  • Dropping things, tripping, or a foot that catches on the floor.
  • Pain that shoots down one arm or one leg.

When it is worth being seen

  • The numbness or tingling has lasted more than a few weeks.
  • It is spreading, or it is in both feet or both hands.
  • There is weakness as well as numbness.
  • You have diabetes, or another condition that affects the nerves.
  • It is affecting your balance, your walking, or your sleep.
What the first visit looks at

Where the symptoms are and how they spread often points to the cause, so we map that first. The examination tests sensation, strength, reflexes, and how you walk. We review your other health conditions and your medicines, because common causes include diabetes, low vitamin B12, thyroid problems, and some prescriptions. Blood work usually comes first. Further testing may follow, depending on what the examination shows.

Request an appointment Call (727) 210-7699

06 · When to be seen

When to see a neurologist, and when to call 911

Your primary care doctor is the right first call for many symptoms, and often the fastest way to get started. A neurology visit is the next step when a symptom keeps coming back, keeps getting worse, or does not have a clear explanation.

Ask about a neurology visit when

  • A symptom keeps coming back, or it is getting worse over weeks or months.
  • A symptom is changing what you can do in a normal day.
  • A treatment your primary care doctor started is not working.
  • There is no clear explanation for what is happening.
  • More than one thing is happening at once — for example, headaches together with vision changes.

You can contact us directly to request an appointment. Some insurance plans ask for a referral from your primary care provider before they will cover a specialist visit, so it is worth checking with your plan. Call (727) 210-7699 and our team can help you find out.

Call 911 now if any of these start suddenly

  • Weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg — especially on one side of the body.
  • Trouble speaking, slurred speech, or trouble understanding what people are saying.
  • A droop on one side of the face, or an uneven smile.
  • Trouble seeing in one eye or both eyes.
  • Trouble walking, loss of balance, or dizziness that will not stop.
  • A severe headache that comes on all at once, with no known cause.
  • A seizure, a first-ever convulsion, or a sudden loss of consciousness.

These are the warning signs of a stroke and of other emergencies. Note the time the symptoms started, and call an ambulance rather than driving yourself. Treatment for a stroke works best when it is given quickly.

In an emergency

Do not use this website for a medical emergency. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Symptoms of a stroke — sudden weakness or numbness, trouble speaking, or a sudden severe headache — are an emergency. This form and our phone line are not monitored around the clock.

07 · How we evaluate

We start by listening, not by scanning

Your first appointment starts with your history and an examination. That is not a formality — in neurology, the story and the exam are what decide which test is worth doing, and which tests would only add cost and worry.

What happens, in order

  • Your history. What you noticed, when it started, how it has changed, what makes it better or worse, and what you have already tried.
  • A neurologic examination. Hands-on and painless: eyes and face, strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, and walking.
  • A plan you can repeat back. What we think is going on so far, what we want to rule out, and what happens next.
  • Testing, if it will change something. Ordered after the visit, once there is a clear question to answer.

We perform EEG, transcranial Doppler, and cognitive testing in our own office. An EEG records the electrical activity of your brain. A transcranial Doppler uses sound waves to measure blood flow in the arteries inside your head. Cognitive testing is a structured way to look at memory, attention, and thinking.

See our testing and diagnostics

What to bring to your first visit

  • A list of every medicine and supplement you take, with the dose — including anything you buy without a prescription.
  • Any earlier test results, scans, or reports you have, on paper or on a disc.
  • The name and phone number of your primary care doctor.
  • A short timeline: when it started, how often it happens, and what makes it better or worse.
  • Your glasses and your hearing aids.
  • If memory is the concern, a family member or close friend who knows you well.

What to expect as a new patient

08 · Who you will see

A neurologist and two nurse practitioners

Working from one chart, in one Clearwater office.

Meet our providers

09 · Common questions

Questions about seeing a neurologist

You can contact ASK Health Brain & Body Wellness directly to request an appointment. Some insurance plans require a referral from your primary care provider before they will cover a specialist visit, so it is worth checking with your plan. Call (727) 210-7699 and the team can help you find out.

A new-patient neurology visit usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Most of it is your history — what you noticed, when it started, and how it has changed. Then comes a neurologic examination, which is hands-on and painless: eyes and face, strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, and walking. Testing is usually arranged after the visit, once there is a clear question to answer. Bring a list of your medicines, any earlier test results, and, if memory is the concern, someone who knows you well.

Visits are available in person at the Clearwater office or via telemedicine. Some care has to happen in the office, including your first neurological examination, EEG and transcranial Doppler testing, and in-office cognitive testing. Call (727) 210-7699 and the team will tell you which kind of visit fits your situation.

For a new symptom, your primary care doctor is often the fastest place to start, and many symptoms are sorted out there. A neurology visit makes sense when a symptom keeps coming back, keeps getting worse, is getting in the way of daily life, has not responded to treatment, or has no clear explanation. A neurologist works as a partner to your primary care doctor rather than a replacement. If any symptom comes on suddenly — weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, or a sudden severe headache — call 911 instead.

About this page

This page explains general neurology in plain language so you can decide whether to make an appointment. It is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you what is causing your symptoms, and reading it does not make you our patient. Only an examination by a clinician who knows your history can answer that.

If something here sounds like what you are living with, call us on (727) 210-7699. If you are worried that something is happening right now, call 911.

Where this information comes from

The general explanations on this page follow patient-education material published by these organizations. They open in a new tab.

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