Neurology is a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of diseases and disorders of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems and the disorders of the neuromuscular junctions and muscles. Neurology involves the care of persons with brain and central nervous system disorders and diseases such as Alzheimers disease, headache, Parkinsons disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases, stroke, neuropathy, brain and spinal cord tumors, myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy and other movement disorders. The physician who specializes in Neurology is called a neurologist. Neurologists are not just brain surgeons. A neurologist is specially medically trained specialist to diagnose and treat disorders of the brain and its sructural or microscopically analyzed chemical imbalances, the nerves and the spinal cord, and patients with abnormal neurological symptoms. The role of the neurosurgeon encompasses the operative to the non-operative management of the disorders related to the nervous system. It is concerned and involved even in the prevention, evaluation, treatment, care and rehabilitation of the patients.

The care of a neurological patient is very individualized depending on the patients needs. Also involved in the neurological team are neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, neurodiagnostic technicians, rehab specialists, neuroscience nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists. The care of a neurologic patient has different areas. It may involve inpatient and outpatient care and services. Because of diverse care needs, the care of patients includes intensive care, acute care, sub-acute care, acute rehab, outpatient therapies and outpatient clinics.

Neurosurgery is the surgical treatment and procedures of the structural abnormalities in the brain that cause neurologic diseases. It involves the nervous system and its coverings. This includes the brain, the spinal cord, the scalp and the skull, and the bony vertebral column. Neurosurgery includes many types of disorders such as epilepsy, spine and brain tumors and vascular disorders such as aneurysms. The neurosurgeon does the surgical procedure on the patient as means to treat neurologic disorders. It is the neurologists job however, not the neurosurgeons job, to identify and diagnose the presence of these neurologic disorders through diagnostic testing, example microscopic blood testing, before one undergoes the surgery.

Neurosurgical instruments are considered to be high precision instruments. Some are considered as diagnostic instruments, and others are surgical instruments. The most commonly used neurosurgical instruments are the neuropinwheels, the scissors and the surgical saws and the retractors. The neuropinwheels are instruments used for measuring the reflex and the subluxation of a person. It has a rolling head that is generally made of plastic or steel and it has a handle with proper grip. It is also called the Wartenberg Pinwheel after its inventor.

Scissors are used and require in all types of surgeries. A specific scissors is usually designed for a specific procedure. Scissors may be straight, curved, or angular in shape and they may have different sizes, cutting tips and grips. Under the surgical sharps category are the surgical scissors. Surgical scissors are used for cutting and dissecting the tissues, cutting sutures and bandages. Scissors with serrated blades help surgeons prevent tissue slippage in their surgical operations. There are numerous types of scissors. There are curved scissors for dissecting. They provide a better field of vision for the surgeon. Straight scissors are used when a straight cut is desired, like in sutures, nerves, and blood vessels. Smaller scissors are used for cutting surfaces and larger ones for the deep cuts. Other scissors are the bandage scissors, dissecting scissors, iris scissors, operating scissors, stitch scissors, tenotomy scissors and plastic surgery scissors.

Surgical saws are steel instruments for bone amputation purposes. The most commonly used types are the Satterlee and Gigli saw, both having specific blades. Surgical retractors hold back the tissues at the operative site during surgery. There are different kinds of retractors, but the purpose of it all is basically the same. There are hand held retractors and self retaining ones. Retractors are commonly classified as self retaining retractors, tissue retractors and cheek retractors.