Dr. Regina Krel, MD, SAHS

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Get to know Neurologist and Headache Specialist Dr. Regina Krel, who serves patients in Hackensack, New Jersey.

A board-certified physician in the field of neurology and a headache specialist, Dr. Krel is the Director of the Headache Center within the Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Founded in 1888 with just 12 beds, Hackensack University Medical Center was Bergen County’s first hospital. Today, this nonprofit, teaching and research hospital has grown to become the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in New Jersey. In fact, it is Bergen County’s hub of health care for the Northern New Jersey and New York metropolitan areas.

The neurology team at the Headache Center at Hackensack University Medical Center offers expert diagnosis and coordinated care for all types of headache. They specialize in treating refractory migraine headaches that do not respond to conventional therapies, offering the latest treatment options to restore optimal daily functioning and quality of life.

Dr. Krel recognizes the degree to which successful headache treatment must focus both on the acute and chronic aspects of pain. While in many patients headache is not connected to other medical problems, in some it is associated with multiple sclerosis, depression, concussion, and other chronic forms of pain – all conditions for which there are experts working at the Headache Center.

Her patients have access to an infusion center for acute attacks of headache, as well as to therapeutic Botox® injections, nerve blocks, and psychological counseling to help them deal with the emotional impact of recurrent and chronic pain.

As for her academic appointment, she is on the faculty of the Department of Neurology at Seton Hall – Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

Coming to Hackensack University Medical Center after previously directing headache care in a neurological group practice in Boston, Dr. Krel completed a prestigious Headache Medicine Fellowship at Harvard University’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Growing up in New York, she completed her undergraduate degree in biology at St. John’s University in Queens. After obtaining her medical degree at the American University of Antigua, she trained in neurology at Stony Brook University Hospital, where she served as Chief Resident.

The first neurologist in New Jersey to be a fellowship-trained headache specialist, she is board-certified in headache medicine by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties (UCNS). The UCNS strives to promote high quality patient-centered care through accreditation of training programs and certification of physicians in neurologic subspecialties.

Moreover, she is board-certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). The ABPN is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting high-quality patient care for the public through the initial and continuing certification of psychiatrists and neurologists.

In order to stay up to date in her field, Dr. Krel remains a member of the American Academy of Neurology and a Fellow of the American Headache Society (FAHS).

She has produced multiple publications on the subject of headache management, including the article “A retrospective analysis of triptan and DHE use for basilar and hemiplegic migraine” in the official journal of the American Headache Society, Headache—The Journal of Head and Face Pain. She has also published on the topic of headache management in women through the book chapters “Seeing Spots” and “Headache” in the book Women’s Neurology (What Do I Do Now?).

Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Neurologists are licensed medical specialists who diagnose and treat disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles of patients. They examine a patient’s mental and physical status, conduct medical tests and scans, and evaluate the results to diagnose and treat the patient.

On a more personal note, Dr. Krel is fluent in English and Russian.

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