FitNest Podcast Season 1, Episode 4 looks at trigeminal neuralgia, brain tumour myths, awake brain surgery and the warning signs of nervous-system problems
Mumbai, 15 November 2026: Episode 4 of FitNest Podcast, the Hinglish health and wellness video podcast produced by Mumbai-based Vigyapan Waale, is now streaming. It focuses on one of the least understood areas of medicine: the brain, the spine and the nerves that connect them to the rest of the body.
Hosted by Vidya Raj Sharma, the 26-minute episode features a Mumbai neurosurgeon who works in minimally invasive brain and spine surgery. The conversation takes complex neurological conditions and explains them in plain language for everyday viewers.
Episode details
- Show: FitNest Podcast, Season 1
- Host: Vidya Raj Sharma
- Director: Raj Sharma
- Produced by: Vigyapan Waale
- Guest: Shraddha Maheshwari, Neurosurgeon · Reg. No. [2005031644]
“Pain is not normal”
The episode’s central message is simple: persistent pain is the body’s way of signalling a problem. Many people live with recurring numbness, tingling in the hands, or pain radiating down the arms and legs, and dismiss it as stress or posture.
The episode explains when these symptoms deserve a specialist’s attention:
- pain that keeps returning or changes in character
- weakening grip strength, or dropping objects
- loss of balance while walking
- changes in vision or hearing
These can point to conditions ranging from a slipped disc to infections or tumours. Early diagnosis usually makes treatment simpler.
The episode also cautions against self-diagnosis based on social media. It points out that while vitamin deficiencies can affect nerves, persistent symptoms need a proper medical diagnosis rather than self-medication.
Trigeminal neuralgia explained
A large part of the episode is about trigeminal neuralgia, a severe facial nerve pain condition that gained wide public attention after actor Salman Khan spoke about living with it. The episode explains that the pain can be triggered by talking, eating, a breeze on the face or a pillow touching the cheek. The most common cause is a blood vessel pressing on the facial nerve where it enters the brainstem.
Viewers learn that the condition is treatable, with good surgical outcomes.
Awake surgery, AI and the future of neurosurgery
The episode also explains awake craniotomy. It is used for tumours in areas of the brain that control movement, sensation and speech, because live interaction with the patient helps surgeons work with millimetre-level precision. Awake spine procedures are now also being performed.
On technology, the discussion covers AI-driven neuro-navigation, intraoperative nerve monitoring and robot-assisted spine screw placement. It clarifies that robots do not perform neurosurgery today: surgeons use them as decision-support tools.
Myth or fact
The episode’s myth-or-fact round addresses several common beliefs:
- Brain tumours are not always cancerous.
- Not every brain tumour needs immediate surgery; size and symptoms decide the approach.
- Spine surgery no longer always means a long recovery. Many patients now walk the same day.
- A single seizure does not necessarily mean epilepsy.
- Untreated spine problems can lead to paralysis that may not be reversible.
The episode also notes that long-standing depression that does not respond to treatment can, in rare cases, be linked to a brain tumour.
Women in neurosurgery
The conversation also looks at the small number of women in the field. When the guest began her career, around 20 of India’s roughly 3,000 neurosurgeons were women. Today about 200 of around 5,000 are. The numbers have grown, but the gap remains wide.
About FitNest Podcast
FitNest Podcast is a Hinglish (Hindi + English) health and wellness video podcast produced by Vigyapan Waale in Malad West, Mumbai, and hosted by Vidya Raj Sharma. Each episode features one qualified expert who answers the health questions people actually search for and separates facts from myths. Doctor episodes are produced as health education in line with the National Medical Commission’s guidelines on ethical public communication.
New episodes release every Saturday at 5 pm IST on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
Watch Episode 4:
Website: https://fitnestpodcast.com
This episode is for general education and awareness only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
FitNest Podcast
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