[00:00:00] Pete Waggoner: This is Neurology Now, the podcast that explores the fascinating and complex world of neurology. Join us as we explore the human brain and beyond with expert guests who share their knowledge and insights. 

[00:00:11] Pete Waggoner, Host: we welcome in Dr. Shelly Larson Peters. She’s from the Coon Rapids office of Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology. And really appreciate your being here

[00:00:19] Pete Waggoner, Host: thanks for joining us. And could you tell us a little bit about yourself, your specialty? And why you’re in Coon Rapids. .

[00:00:27] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: I’m Dr. Shelly Larson Peters. I’m a board certified neurologist.

[00:00:30] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: I have been in practice for over 15 years, and my specialty is multiple sclerosis. I also do a lot with headache medicine as well. But MS is my main focus and I recently joined Minneapolis Clinical Neurology in Coon Rapids. Where I’ll be seeing predominantly MS as well. But I also see some other neurological conditions too.

[00:00:51] Pete Waggoner, Host: So in your journey in medicine, what made you choose neurology and then ms.

[00:00:57] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Neurology has been an exciting field to [00:01:00] get into right now. Initially I went into it for a lot of different reasons. The brain itself is this mystery, right? But there’s a lot of other components with the central and peripheral nervous system, neuromuscular diseases, things like that. But with multiple sclerosis, it’s one of.

[00:01:16] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: The most common autoimmune neurological disease out there, and there are not a lot of neurologists that specialize in ms. And we have. One of the highest incidents of MS in the country in Minnesota.

[00:01:30] Pete Waggoner, Host: Why do you think that is? 

[00:01:31] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: There’s a lot of theories behind it because what’s 

[00:01:33] Pete Waggoner, Host: the one you cling onto?

[00:01:35] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: There’s not a lot. I think there’s some environmental factors maybe really, and some genetic factors. There’s a lot of theories out there. Maybe. Is it a virus? Is it something else that’s triggering the immune system to become confused? We don’t really know. I think that’s, there’s a mystery and I think that’s the frustration for a lot of people.

[00:01:50] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: ‘Cause we just don’t have that answer right now. 

[00:01:53] Pete Waggoner, Host: You did mention earlier, a little bit about the brain being a mystery. And for [00:02:00] me that is so big, right? What if you’re to have a couple of takeaways from. What you’ve learned about that mystery of the brain. What would that be?

[00:02:09] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: I think as medicine has advanced and the more that we’ve gotten to know about the brain and what it does and functions of the brains in certain areas, it’s gotten to be a little bit easier for neurologists to help diagnose various neurological conditions.

[00:02:23] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: But also within the last 20 years, we’ve had. The opportunity of new medications and therapies that we never had more than 25, 30 years ago. For example, with multiple sclerosis, we now have more than 20 disease modifying therapies for treatment options, whereas. 20 years ago, we might have had not even a handful of options for people.

[00:02:44] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: So it’s really improved quality of life for many individuals. And really if you can get a diagnosis early on, we’re seeing really great strides in regards to reducing that disability progression in people living nearly normal lives. 

[00:02:58] Pete Waggoner, Host: When you mentioned delaying [00:03:00] or, getting seen early on.

[00:03:01] Pete Waggoner, Host: That can lead to delaying and sometimes people ignoring. Maybe some symptoms. What would you say those would be some key things in your area of work? That you think people should look for and not ignore? 

[00:03:12] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: When it comes to multiple sclerosis, it can be very difficult to diagnose early on because you’re right, there’s some subtle symptoms that people might notice, maybe a little tingling, or maybe they were a little clumsy one day and they just attribute it to something else that happened because the symptoms went away in a few days.

[00:03:28] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: But when people get sudden onset of neurological symptoms, like sudden vision loss in one eye. Maybe weakness, trouble walking, or if you have more serious symptoms like a seizure, confusion, things like that. A lot of times we’re telling people just go to the er, get checked out, make sure you’re not having a stroke, but you can get that more emergent evaluation with an MRI or other testing to help figure out what’s going on.

[00:03:49] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: And then at that point. Typically that’s when a neurologist will get involved to help with that diagnosis and make a plan from there. 

[00:03:55] Pete Waggoner, Host: And it’s from there, from the er where typically they’ll say, there’s a something a little more [00:04:00] going on here. We know it’s not this. You might wanna go there.

[00:04:02] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Especially if something’s starting so suddenly and acutely. A lot of times people are nervous about having a stroke and that’s what prompts their more immediate evaluation. Although I see plenty of individuals that have never been to the er, but yet they’re noticing some subtle neurological symptoms and they’re like what’s happening here?

[00:04:19] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: What, what’s going on? And so that’s what leads us down the path of further testing 

[00:04:23] Pete Waggoner, Host: when a patient comes to see you for consultation. First timers, maybe they referred what can they expect? 

[00:04:29] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: The first visit is, I feel like it’s pretty easy.

[00:04:32] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: It’s, you’re, we’re gonna sit there and have a conversation, talk about your symptoms and probably have a full neurological examination there in the clinic that first day, but then decide from there, okay, what. Additional testing. Do we need to do, is it MR, mri? Is it blood work, A CSF evaluation?

[00:04:47] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: And then make a plan from there. 

[00:04:49] Pete Waggoner, Host: What do you do if there’s someone who’s let’s say, just completely put everything off and things have progressed to whoa, this is really going on here. Do you get into do you sometimes have to [00:05:00] prioritize? ’cause I know there’s just a lot of demand for that.

[00:05:02] Pete Waggoner, Host: So how do you manage that? 

[00:05:03] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: So if we’re seeing that someone’s. Suffering from symptoms and they’re really struggling. We’ll try to expedite that testing to get that done. Try to get an answer in regards to diagnosis, follow up quickly so that way we can make a treatment plan and hopefully stop this progression or further damage from happening.

[00:05:19] Pete Waggoner, Host: What does testing look like 

[00:05:20] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: for multiple sclerosis? Typically, we’ll start with MRI scans and then depending on what we’re seeing on the imaging, people will typically have some serum studies, blood work done and they may have a lumbar puncture for A CSF evaluation if they’re having other symptoms.

[00:05:34] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: It might also include an EMG or an EEG. 

[00:05:37] Pete Waggoner, Host: Having to go see a doctor, let alone a neurologist. What does that sound like from you? What would you say to calm those nerves for people?

[00:05:45] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: I think it’s anxiety provoking to see a doctor, let alone a neurologist. And so I think that’s normal. What I tell my patients is if you can sit down and just write down a list of your symptoms, questions, concerns, all of that before you come to the appointment, so that way it can help [00:06:00] keep you on task and focused in the conversation that you’re having with your doctor to make sure your concerns are being addressed.

[00:06:07] Pete Waggoner, Host: Your group has clearly been working to, I would say, quiet the discussion of, you know what, it’s six months out. You gotta wait forever to get in. That’s not the case. Here. So can you talk a little bit about be seen sooner. 

[00:06:22] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Yeah. I think, once we.

[00:06:24] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Get that referral. And we can typically get people in within a few weeks if within less than two months, whereas a lot of other clinics and institutions, it’s taking four, six months or longer to be seen. And the sooner that you can get in to get that evaluation done, to get answers to determine what are gonna be the next steps, I think we’re able to accommodate a lot of people.

[00:06:45] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: To do that and get going. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. That’s awesome. Yeah. 

[00:06:47] Pete Waggoner, Host: What do you enjoy most about working with Minneapolis Clinic Neurology?

[00:06:52] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: I think what’s fantastic is that it’s a large organization of not just board certified general neurologists, but we have a [00:07:00] lot of subspecialists in the group.

[00:07:01] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: So you have that expertise in certain, maybe uncommon neurological conditions that maybe. Physicians might not be more knowledgeable about, but we also have a great staff. I think we have comprehensive testing in regards to, we have availability for MRI. You can come in for E-M-G-E-E-G. We have lab services.

[00:07:21] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: We have an infusion center for medications if needed. And we also have rehabilitative staff for physical therapy also. 

[00:07:27] Pete Waggoner, Host: Your energy’s awesome and I sense that you love what you do. Is that fair? 

[00:07:31] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Yeah, definitely. What do you 

[00:07:32] Pete Waggoner, Host: love most about it? 

[00:07:33] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Helping people and giving them that hope and that understanding of their disease and that the disease doesn’t define who they are, but they’re gonna define who they are 

[00:07:41] Pete Waggoner, Host: and you’re a part of it. 

[00:07:42] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Yeah. 

[00:07:43] Pete Waggoner, Host: That’s so cool. Yeah. Well, I totally appreciate you joining us here, Dr. Shelley Larson. Peters great stuff. 

[00:07:49] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Yeah. 

[00:07:49] Pete Waggoner, Host: We appreciate your time here today. 

[00:07:50] Dr. Shelly Larson-Peters, MD – Multiple Sclerosis & Headache, Coon Rapids: Great. Thank you so much.

[00:07:51] Pete Waggoner, Host: thank you all for joining us for this episode of Neurology Now. We hope you found it informative and engaging. If you enjoyed this episode, please [00:08:00] subscribe to our podcast to stay up to date and help us educate our community and beyond. We welcome your feedback, comments, and suggestions for future topics. So please feel free to reach out to us through our website or social media channels. 

[00:08:12] Pete Waggoner, Host: That’s gonna do it for today’s program. I’m Pete Waggoner. So long everybody.