Dr. Hoda Elzawahry – The Next Step in Providing Dedicated Care
BY VAL SCHOGER PHOTOS BY RICK COOPER
Headache Clinic of Northwest Florida to Open in 2016
“More than 50% of our patients are headache patients,” says Dr. Hoda Elzawahry, one of three neurologists at the Brain and Spine Center in Panama City, Florida.
Every person will experience headaches in the course of a lifetime while being all too familiar with over-the-counter remedies. But what if a headache will not subside? What if the pain dominates a person’s every move and every step for extended periods of time?
Three specialists at the Brain and Spine Center have laid the foundation for a new facility that will offer specialized help; the Headache Center of Northwest Florida.
“We are mindful of people who are in frequent discomfort,” states Dr. Hoda Elzawahry. “Ultimately, we try to cure their headaches or at least get our patients to a point where they can manage. The entire facility will operate with a sensitive approach to providing specialized help to patients who are suffering various headaches. We will have dedicated nursing staff with specialized training and the administrative staff will be adept in processing the related paperwork.”
Hoda Elzawahry, M.D.
BOARD CERTIFIED IN:
Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Clinical Neurophysiology
Headache Medicine
The Headache Clinic of Northwest Florida will be located in immediate vicinity to the Brain and Spine Center at the address:
2202 State Avenue, Panama City, Florida 32405
Opening Hours for both facilities: MONDAY – FRIDAY 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information call (850) 785-0029 or visit the website www.brainandspinecenterllc.com [/box]
Scientists have classified more than 200 types of headaches and are defining primary and secondary headaches with thousands of causes and symptoms. “Determining the best therapy and treatment requires an in-depth understanding of a person’s circumstances and pain triggers,” says Dr. Hoda Elzawahry. “In the Headache Center, we can spend time with a patient and establish a better relationship. We have experienced peculiar types of headaches in our region, from children with allergies to adults with chemical exposure after the oil spill in 2010.”
Many of Dr. Elzawahry ’s patients are suffering from migraines. The World Health Report 2001, published by the World Health Organization, ranked migraine in 19th position among the causes of disability worldwide.
“Migraine is a complex chemical process. Some patients are predisposed to it. Hormones, muscle tension, and stressors like the wrong food, lack of sleep, and external stimuli like sunlight will cause migraines. It is a hypersensitivity. We hope to participate in clinical trials and open up the opportunity to collect clinical data for research in the new facilities of the Headache Center of Northwest Florida,” says Dr. Hoda Elzawahry.
One of the most innovative treatments for chronic migraine patients was FDA approved three years ago. Botulinum toxin, better known and marketed with the brand name Botox.”I worked with a headache guru, Dr. Maria Carmen Wilson, during my residency at the University of South Florida. She is an acclaimed headache specialist and used botulinum toxin injections in trials before it was FDA approved. I had established a familiarity with the drug and knew of the benefits. Once it was approved, I did not hesitate to offer it to my own patients. Imagine a migraine as a raging fire. Administering botulinum toxin helps quell the flames. Chronic migraine patients have severe migraines for 15 or more days per month. Their neurons are raging and often put them in such severe pain that they cannot remember what it is like to not have a headache. The goal is to have the migraines dissipate or have them occur less frequently. After successful treatment, we will be able to take the patient off the treatment with botulinum toxin. Only in case of another occurrence do we have to administer the drug again.”
With an expert team, the Headache Center of Northwest Florida will provide multidisciplinary diagnostics and care. The three leading neurologists have extensive experience in analyzing and treating neurological disorders. Dr. Kamel Elzawahry is a specialist in musculoskeletal pain. Dr. Hoda Elzawahry and Dr. Khurram Nazir are specialized in treating epilepsy and neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Hoda Elzawahry and Dr. Kamel Elzawahry both have obtained their headache board certification from the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties.
The team will analyze each patient and look at all aspects of his or her life and predispositions, from their eating and sleeping habits to their diet and hereditary factors.
Dr. Hoda Elzawahry explains, “We will also be working with a dedicated physiotherapist and will utilize biofeedback therapy to get the patients with chronic tension headaches to relax. This method will not require any type of medication. The patients will learn to use their own biomechanics to relax their body and release tension naturally. We will be working with a clinical psychologist to help us with people who have underlying depression and anxiety.”
Understanding the problem and the patient is as much the result of diligent education and experience as it is her personality trait. With compassion, critical thinking, and by adding a good measure of humor, Dr. Elzawahry’s work is based on family values.
“Caring for patients is a service business. I saw how my father and mother respected their patients. The patient’s trust is what it’s all about. My livelihood is my one-on-one interaction with people,” says Dr. Hoda Elzawahry in remembering her late mother, a revered Bay County physician. Her father, Dr. Kamel Elzawahry, is the senior partner and leading specialist at the Brain and Spine Center. He has been practicing neurology in Bay County for more than 30 years.
Like her parents, Dr. Hoda Elzawahry is successful in balancing family life while being dedicated to her patients. She is happily married to husband Jeb Beich, a software architect. They have two sons, 14-year old Noah and 1-year old Jonah. “I have the utmost respect for anyone who has successfully managed both, a career and parenthood. Balance is an intersection you sometimes pass through while driving blissfully on a road of chaos,” she adds. “I am lucky to have an extended family that is very supportive. I will never have to worry about finding a babysitter. I can rely on my family for help. It is why I came back to Panama City after my residency in South Florida. Everyone knows everyone and it is an amazing place to raise children and to live.”