What dO NEurOSurGEONS dO? Mr Lewis Thorne, consultant neurosurgeon at The Wellington Hospital, explains how his specialism not only focuses on the brain, but the whole body as well
I am often asked what a neurosurgeon does, and people are usually surprised by the answer. Most of us do specialise in brain tumours, head and spine injuries, and brain haemorrhages, but our remit extends far beyond that. Neurosurgeons are involved whenever a nerve is involved, and nerves are present throughout the entire body. Many of us do as much spine surgery as brain surgery. We look after back and neck pain, but also pain in the arms or legs caused by trapped nerves in the back or neck. Many are familiar with sciatica: pain in the leg from a nerve trapped in the back. There is an equivalent arm pain caused by the same problem in the neck: brachalgia. I often see people whose shoulder pain turns out to be a neck problem - both can be treated by neurosurgeons, and often without resorting to surgery. Pain or numbness in the legs when walking can also be caused by nerve entrapment in the spine. Carpal tunnel syndrome, painful numbness in the hands, is another common nerve entrapment syndrome with which we deal. We also specialise in facial pain, a terrible burden for those afflicted but again neurosurgery can help. We deal with the abnormal flow of brain fluid, a problem called hydrocephalus; this can sometimes mimic
GP SESSIONS: MEN’S hEalth All too often and for various reasons, men tend to ignore their health. Here we look at how to check the testes by self examination – something which is rarely done by men despite recent media coverage Testicular cancer only accounts for one per cent of all
and most of them are not anything as serious. It is
cancers in men, but it’s the biggest cause of cancer-
important to check your testicles every month in the
related deaths in men aged 15-35 years, in the UK.
following manner:
For reasons not yet understood, the incidence is
• Take a warm bath or have a long shower as this
higher in Caucasians and is increasing. Although testicular cancer is rare, it’s not uncommon to find a lump in your testicles. There are many conditions that can be easily confused with testicular cancer,
softens the skin of the scrotum making it easier to feel the testicles inside • Look for any obvious lumps on the skin or swellings inside