Dr. Catherine Willner
Neurology
Durango, CO
37 years experience female
Locations
Durango Neurological Associates PC
Durango, CO
About
Bio
Currently in private solo practice in Neurology, previously on staff at Mayo Rochester where I also trained in autonomic neurology and Pain. Faculty for Institute for Functional Medicine and A4M special interests in neuroprotection. bioenergetic techniques, sleep and all types of pain problems.
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.
Neurology
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
270 Answers
56 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
No: By definition a contagious illness is one where a type of infection you are experiencing or carrying is transmitted to another. Getting food poisonin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Alcohol withdrawal: This is a very person dependent question. If alcohol was used to mask or treat a depression or anxiety disorder, the perception of withdrawal symptoms... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Foods anti-inflamm: The right balance of omega-3 fish oils or choices in vegetables, like flax seed oil, is anti-inflammatory by changing membrane prostaglandin signaling... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Tingling: Generally this is caused when a nerve is irritated or not functioning correctly. So, you can develop tingling if you interrupt circulation, or compre... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Essential tremor: Not to recommend excessive alcohol, but if your tremor transiently stops when you consume it, then any of the typical medications we prescribe can hel... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
More specifics: If by dizzy you mean lightheaded more than vertigo or movement/spinning, then that and fatigue could suggest several possible explanations, including ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
For some: I have patients who have reported to me that the back to life machine works for back pain. I have not heard report about hip pain but patients whose ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Headache eval: Seeing a practitioner who has special interest in headache should be helpful. We always assess for worrisome underlying reason, and then look for con... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Hydration: Water is best. Sometimes a beverage with caffeine can help but overuse of caffeine can lead to chronic headaches.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Headache, a day: First it is probably safe for you to try over the counter headache medications (simple analgesics or combinations for headaches). If that fails to re... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Sometimes: There are many problems associated with elevation in body fat, including the risk for metabolic syndrome for which hypertension is part of the picture... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Protein binding: We mostly have information on protein binding of Clonazepam (klonopin) in the context of organ failure compared to normal. Any Amino Acid you eat, or... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Need more info: Best way to determine what to do for any pain problem is to figure out the cause first and that will include knowing how this pain occurs (spontaneous... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Simple answer: Called add, basically this is a disorder, most often diagnosed in children, but also sometimes in an adult which includes inability to focus attention... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Possible: This is a question you should discuss formally with the person who prescribed the keppra (levetiracetam). If it was started because of a seizure, the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Could be...: Spasms with twitching do tend to suggest some injury or irritation of the nerves to the forearm. If you have any numbness, tingling or other change i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Depressant: Alcohol increases effects of an inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA which sedates, causes the sluggishness. Also, it inhibits the excitatory neurotransmi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Anxious to calm: Always be clear that you do not have a medical reason for anxiety (like elevated thyroid, adrenal problems). Many techniques for calming anxiety, ran... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Migraines vary: For many women, migraines can be related to the onset of the menstrual cycle and resolve after you go through menopause. There are migraines related ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Amitriptyline: Technically, a "wider spectrum" antidepressant; it impacts several different transmitter systems. At this low dose, the antihistamine impact may help... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Individuality: Symptoms of depression can be associated with dysfunction in brain chemistry including several different neurotransmitters. Some older antidepressant... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Tingling back: Tingling usually means a nerve is irritated. Areas of tingling and sometimes numbness with tingling in the back are diagnosed as "nostalgia paresthet... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old male asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Sleep apnea and NT: Sleep apnea can be central (from brain) or obstructive (from oropharynx and blockage of airflow). Only the latter cause is treated by the surgery or ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
What kind?: There are several types of twitches that can occur in muscles. Small wiggling under the skin typically called fasciculations. Muscle spasms and some... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Adult ADHD: Usually some psychometric or learning assessment testing is ordered and then reviewed by the doctor. More recently there are types of functional imag... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old male asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Tinnitus and hearing: Hearing loss usually is associated with tinnitus. The loss can come from damage to the auditory nerve, or the hearing portion of the inner ear (both,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Headache eval: The answer to this may be simple or complex. Seeing a headache specialist might require referral from pcp but the very long and solid history of your... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Head injury: Yes, even mild concussion can cause depression, but also problems with attention that seem like depression. Repeated head injuries have more than sim... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Food challenge: A challenging question. I think you are asking if there are healthier addictions than food, and what might come to mind is exercise, meditation, rand... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
POTS & exercise: If you have had formal autonomic testing to confirm pots diagnosis, then in general, exercise is recommended. If you are still awaiting event monitor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
There can be many: Frequent headaches can have many causes including sleep problems, dental, jaw or sinus problems, anxiety and tension or issues related to food or drug... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
5 day headache: If this is a new onset headache for you, then formal evaluation with a physician is important to be certain this is nothing worrisome. There are many... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Memory: Sometimes considered a part of normal aging, difficulty with names can be a precursor to full blown anomic aphasia, a type of dementia in the alzheime... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Can be: There are conditions where drinking too much water can alter your chemistry causing serious problems in electrolyte balance. The most common is a dro... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Depends: What happens when you wean likely depends on why you were prescribed tegretol, so for example, if it was for pain, the pain might return. If for seiz... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Yes: For a more thorough discussion please visit the website for the linus pauling institute through oregon health sciences. The most important issue is t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Sleep hygeine: There can be many reasons for early arousal from sleep, including going to bed too early, problems with light exposure and levels of melatonin you sec... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Mid Spine pain: This depends very much where the pain is, as some can be referred from the neck and seem like mid spine tender. X-rays are not all defining and somet... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Muscle atrophy: Anything that damages a nerve or the muscle(s) innervated can cause atrophy. There are many conditions that can cause this like a pinched nerve tha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Seek help: A vicious cycle this is. I would suggest you discuss options to get you through the difficult transition that stopping these medications might cause ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Other therapies: Sometimes a hand therapist can add other options for you to manage and improve function. In my clinic, we use biophysical therapies like microcurrent... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Orthostatic?: Headaches that occur when you are upright sitting or standing could be related to a few things - one being low spinal fluid pressure. That should res... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
You are what you eat: This is one very simple answer. What you consume provides the building blocks for all aspects of your cell structure as well as the substrates for yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Seizures?: Discuss what you experience and what others have witness with a doctor. Spells as initial evaluation don't require neurologist or cardiologist initia... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Headache pulsing: Though the obvious artery can be associated with a benign headache, this is a situation where you need to be seen. There is a condition called tempor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Hand and shoulders: This depends on how you move your shoulders. Numbness in hands can come from neck being extended or the brachial plexus being stretched (the nerves f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Long term headache : Many causes - some that rise to the top as frequent but not life threatening - insomnia or poor quality sleep. Dietary sensitivities, can be assessed... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Neck forequarter pai: Appropriate to see a general neurologist if good reputation. A physiatrist (physical medicine doctor) associated with an orthopedic or neurosurgical ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Burning pain: There could be several causes and joint specialist may have different opinion, but burning pain is often nerve irritation, sometimes compression by a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Catherine Willneranswered
Neurology 37 years experience
Evaluation rec: What might cause these symptoms will be easier to define with more information, such as whether this is sudden, progressive or slowly progressive or i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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.
7
Recommendations
290
Thank you notes
Jul 15, 2013
Dr. Willner provides thorough, accurate responses about all kinds of neurological and health questions on HealthTap. Her caring attitude comes through, too.
Oct 31, 2013
A very caring diagnostician with a wonderful bedside manner. Presents diagnostic work-up and treatment options in a clear and concise presentation!
Jul 8, 2013
Has a great knowledge base across the various fields of medicine. I enjoy learning from her
HealthTap member
my chiropractor (I know many drs don't agree with that practice) said he def thinks it is, I was hoping some stretching, heat, massage will help, the leg stuff went away :) thanks for your help! I kno...Read More
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Int. radiologist won't bx a solid nodule, node bx inconclusive . I'll ask for bx of nodule(s). Thanks!
HealthTap member
thanks Dr,. Willner!!!!! once again your an amazing advocate we need people like you! I Will take your advice! thanks SO MUCH
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Kansas School of Medicine, KS
Graduated 1986MD
Residency
Type in hospital
Awards
Linua Pauling Award from IFM
Top Doctor, Second Place, Colorado - Summer
2013
Most Influential, Third Place, Albuquerque Region, NM - Summer
2013
Affiliations
Faculty Institute for Functional Medicine
Faculty A4M Functional and Regenerative Medicine Masters program
CMO Nura Health
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