ELECTROMYOGRAPHY
ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) AND NERVE CONDUCTION STUDIES
Electromyogram, commonly referred to as an EMG, is an electrical study of muscle. It is a type of electrodiagnostic testing used to help determine if there is evidence of nerve or muscle injury contributing to your symptoms. The spinal cord is a thick bundle of nerves and other tissue that extends from the brain through the spinal column. As the spinal cord descends, there are spinal nerves that branch off and go to various parts of the body. It is very important to be able to evaluate the nerves when dealing with spinal problems or other musculoskeletal issues. Specialized nerve tests called Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies are designed to diagnose abnormalities in the functioning of nerves.
The EMG test helps to clarify the cause of symptoms by confirming any nerve or muscle damage. This is especially helpful when exam findings or other diagnostic tests are not clear. Electrodiagnostic testing cannot tell you the cause of nerve or muscle damage, it only confirms details of the damage.
HOW DOES THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTION?
The nervous system includes the brain, the spinal cord, and all the connections from the spinal cord to the muscles. It works like an electric circuit. The brain thinks and plans an action, such as lifting your foot to walk. Planning this move generates an electric signal that travels to the spinal cord. The spinal cord works like a switchboard, and its job is to direct this signal to the muscles needed to lift your foot.
The signal travels out of the spinal cord through the nerve roots, which then bundle together to form plexuses before emerging in the arms and legs as smaller nerves. In this example, the nerves in the leg directly pass the electric signal to the muscles that lift your foot, and the process planned in your brain finally happens. While it seems like a long way for a signal to travel, the time between thinking about lifting your foot and seeing your foot leave the ground is almost none—unless there is a problem somewhere in the nervous system.
WHY DO I NEED AN EMG? WHAT IS AN EMG TEST USED TO DIAGNOSE?
Let’s say that you cannot lift your foot off the ground regardless of how much you think it. Is this weakness due to a problem with the brain? Is it the spinal cord? Nerve root? Plexus? Nerve in your leg? Muscles in your leg? An EMG can help us answer those questions.
WHICH CONDITIONS DOES AN EMG HELP TO DIAGNOSE:
• Cervical radiculopathy
• Lumbar radiculopathy
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Myasthenia gravis
• Myopathy/myositis
HOW IS AN EMG PERFORMED?
An EMG is a two-part procedure:
• The first part, the nerve conduction studies, tells us about the health of the nerves in the extremities. We mimic the electric signal from your spinal cord with a small stimulus at one part of the nerve and record that impulse at another part of the nerve or at a muscle supplied by that nerve. This part tells us if the individual nerve is conducting that electric signal properly. What you will feel when we stimulate is a small sensation that goes down the arm or leg.
• The second part, electromyography (EMG), involves placing a small needle with a microphone into several of your muscles. We listen to the muscles while they are resting and while they are active. This part tells us if the muscles are injured, and the pattern of injured muscles can determine if the problem is in the nerve in the extremity, the nerve root, the nerve plexus, or the muscles. You may feel discomfort with the needle in your muscles. This sensation tends to be similar to acupuncture or dry needling.
Taken together, these tests can tell us where in the nervous system the signal is interrupted on the way from the brain to the muscles in your hand or foot.
HOW LONG DOES AN EMG TAKE?
An EMG can last anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on what question we are trying to answer. Based on what we are finding, sometimes we may have to add a couple extra nerves or muscles, which may make the test last longer.
HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AN EMG?
On the day of your test you may still wash your skin with soap and water, but do not rub any topical lotions or oils on the arms or legs that are being tested. We will be placing sticky electrodes on your skin, and lotion may cause them to slip off rather than stick. Also, if you are prone to having cold hands or feet, try to wear warm gloves or socks on the day of your test.
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Spine and Orthopedic Specialists
Usually, the treatment / restoration of the “Spine” in our center takes less time, since our specialists help to recover much faster
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Car accidents are often the cause of various injuries. After such, a patient undergoes a specific course of auto accident injury treatment, followed by a recovery program in our clinic Touch of Health to ensure speedy recovery. We specialize in providing medical care for such conditions as:
- Whiplash
- Spinal and extremity injuries;
- Musculoskeletal system traumas;
Multiple traumas can result in chronic pain in the Spine after an accident, sharp and shooting pain in your neck, back, extremities and joints, muscle atrophy, decreased immunity, general weakness. We choose the most efficient program to help the patient to recover even from the most critical conditions such as a Spine injury after an accident. Our medical staff has proven its expertise and qualification over the years in car injury treatment. Touch of Health is well-known for its high standards and impressive reputation among the medical specialists and patients.