Dr. Nathaniel Brooks
Neurosurgery
Madison, WI
20 years experience male
Locations
Office
Madison, WI
About
Bio
I am a neurosurgeon who specializes in spine surgery. In addition to neurosurgical training I completed a combined orthopedics/neurosurgery fellowship in spine surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. I strive to provide my patients with the best treatment options for their spine problems. I believe that surgery may not be the correct treatment option for every patient but it can be highly beneficial in properly selected patients. If surgery is not appropriate I work with physiatrists, pain specialists, and therapists that can assist the patient with their spine problem. I also maintain a general neurosurgery practice that includes surgical management of brain trauma, brain tumor, and other neurosurgical disorders.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Neurosurgery
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
66 Answers
21 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Neck pain treatment: Chronic neck pain without an underlying surgical cause is difficult to treat. Seek the advice of a spine specialist (surgeon or physiatrist) to make s... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Traction Dangerous?: No, the force needed to disrupt or tear a disk is significantly higher than the muscles around your spine could tolerate. If traction could impart tha... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Disc removal : Most disk herniations that cause nerve pain will get better with conservative treatment in 6-8 weeks. If the pain does not improve at that point then ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Scoliosis: Scoliosis can present in many ways. Early in life (before and during puberty) this is often congenital related to the development as a fetus. Occasio... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Neck pain treatment: Chiropractic treatment is an option for treating neck pain depending on the cause. Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (coming from the muscles). If you... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Too much : Any activity performed for long periods wilke you feel tired and weak. Take scheduled breaks.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Brain injury: Brain injury can cause many different types of cognitive and emotional deficits. The first step is to establish what the deficits are by having a neur... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Lower Threshold: Seizure threshold (the ability of the brain to withstand seizures) is lowered by sleep deprivation (lack of sleep). This can worsen pre existing seizu... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Dieting with pain: Diets with high protein, low carbohydrates are best. Aerobic exercise with some strength training will burn calories quickly. Diet and exercise work. ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Natural Treatment: Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (from the muscles and joints) and can best be treated with stretching, strengthening and avoiding poor posture or re... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Dry Concussion: Concussion is caused by trauma to the brain which causes the electrochemical function of the nerves to be impaired. Dehydration effects the electroche... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
TBI treatment: Brain injury can cause many different types of cognitive and emotional deficits. The first step is to establish what the deficits are by having a neur... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Concussion treatment: The mainstay of concussion treatment i'd cognitive and physical rest followed by a gradual increase in activity. If symptoms return from increase acti... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Trigeminal Neuralgia: Trigeminal neuralgia is classically a sharp electric like pain radiating into the face and jaw that is triggered by chewing, coughing and laughing. It... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Concussion treatment: The mainstay of concussion treatment i'd cognitive and physical rest followed by a gradual increase in activity. If symptoms return from increase acti... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Nerve Pinch: This sounds like a pinched nerve in the neck. Although it could be other less common causes. If you have no other medical problems: infection history,... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Shunt Activities: People with hydrocephalus (improper drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (csf)) have shunts placed to divert CSF from the brain to other areas of the body ... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Yoga: Haiku: yoga helps your core; core strength helps maintain spine health; core helps your yoga.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
MIS Candidate: Ask your spine surgeon. If they do not perform minimally invasive spine (mis) procedures ask them for a referral to a surgeon who does. They will be a... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Back pain treatment: Most back pain is musculoskeletal (coming from the muscles). This is best treated with stretching, strengthening and careful attention to ergonomics (... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Amnesia treatment: Brain injury can cause many different types of cognitive and emotional deficits. The first step is to establish what the deficits are by having a neur... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Vertebral Artery: This can be a consequence of injury to the vertebral artery. This can be from direct manipulation, positioning or spontaneous. Further diagnostic work... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Electrochemical: Concussion is caused by a traumatic event that causes rapid acceleration forces in the brain. This is thought to cause disruption of the electrochemic... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Disc Bulge: The surgical management of nerve root compression in the lumbar spine is a decompressive laminectomy procedure (removing part or all of the roof of t... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 64-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Iliac Crest Pain: Unfortunately, pain at the site of bone harvest from the iliac crest is common. However, the increased pain 40 years after the surgery is uncommon and... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Pinched spinal nerve: Yes this is likely a pinched nerve in the lumbar spine causing radiating pain. This condition is called lumbar radiculopathy. Although it is often lab... Read More
4.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Neck pain treatment: Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (coming from the muscles). This is best treated with stretching, strengthening and careful attention to ergonomics (... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Epidural injection: This is called an epidural injection. There are different types but the all share the same principles. Image guidance is used to place a fine needle i... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Coiling: As long as the aneurysm was completely treated and you have recovered from the procedure (the access site in the leg has healed) then you should be ab... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
TBI treatment: Brain injury can cause many different types of cognitive and emotional deficits. The first step is to establish what the deficits are by having a neur... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Neck pain treatment: Neck pain treatment can be simple or complex depending on the cause. Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (coming from the muscles). This is best treated... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Spinal tap risk: A spinal tap is placement of a needle into the space around the spinal nerves that contains cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid the brain and spinal cord f... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Acdf or New disc: This is a good question. Both treatments are likely to be effective in the short term. Generally, patients with previous fusions should get an extensi... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Crutches OK: It would be safe to use crutches. However, crutches can cause soreness and skin breakdown in the armpits. Occasionally irritation of nerves to the arm... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Back or leg pain: Your symptoms and MRI findings can help guide treatment. If your pain is mild then oral pain medications and physical therapy can be helpful. If pain ... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Bulging Disc: If the bulging disc is pressing on the nerve causing radiating pain and weakness or pressing on the spinal cord causing weakness and imbalance then su... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Strength and Scoli: Tone and sculpt exercises will not have a bad effect on scoliosis. Core strengthening exercises such as yoga and pilates will help stabilize your spin... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old female asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Leg pain: Radiating leg pain can have many causes. One of which can be compression of a nerve by a disc herniation. This can be evaluated with an MRI of the lum... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Natural Treatment: Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (from the muscles and joints) and can best be treated with stretching, strengthening and avoiding poor posture or re... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Throat and nex: Neck pain cannot cause a sore throat. Occasionally, viral upper respiratory infections can cause neck pain by causing muscle pain.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Cold with Neck Pain: Myalgias (muscle pain from illness) often recover as the illness improves. Maintaining good hydration with water and electrolyte solutions (eg gatorad... Read More
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Neck pain treatment: Neck pain treatment can be simple or complex depending on the cause. Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (coming from the muscles). This is best treated... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Neck pain treatment: Neck pain treatment can be simple or complex depending on the cause. Most neck pain is musculoskeletal (coming from the muscles). This is best treated... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Spine Tumor: A tumor in the spinal cord itself is unlikely to effect the brain unless the tumor type spread from the brain (this is uncommon) or is metastatic tumo... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Tingling Hands: This is a rare presentation for nerves pinched in the neck. Classically this presentation is seen in carpal tunnel syndrome.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Stimulators Safe: Massaging or stimulating your spasmed muscles should be safe. And if it improves your symptoms keep doing it. If it worsens them stop the stimulation.... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Concussion Diagnosis: Concussion is caused by trauma to the brain. Concussion causes a constellation of symptoms including headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, mood chan... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Movement after TBI: It can be helpful to work with an occupational and physical therapist to improve your balance and coordination after a brain injury. This should be do... Read More
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Nathaniel Brooksanswered
Neurosurgery 20 years experience
Chiari: Most surgery for chiari malformation is a decompressive operation. Surgery takes 3-4 hours. Hospital stay is usually 1 day in ICU and 1-2 days general... Read More
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
212
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Brooks is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Brooks is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thanks a lot! Dr. Menezes really believes CM1 is the root of my symptoms! Surgery is June 3rd
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! I will check into that next week
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thanks. Good to know that it's safe.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Medical College of Wisconsin, WI
Graduated 2002MD
Residency
University of Wisconsin
Awards
Top Doctor, First Place, Madison, WI - Winter
2013
Most Influential, First Place, Madison, WI - Winter
2013
Thought Leader, First Place, Madison, WI - Winter
2013
Affiliations
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
American Academy of Neurological Surgeons
North American Spine Society
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
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