I can understand that if you have a fear of needles, how it would seem much worse.but all in all it is no big deal. Some discomfort, some pain, but easily tolerable. And don't worry Kitty, I've been around here long enough to get your sense of humor and I actually found yours and paul's posts to be quite humorous.įor those wondering, it really isn't that bad at all. So, for those three reasons: pain, any kind of change in sensation (numbness/tingling), and for any kind of change in muscle strength usually is when we order the EMG.Thanks for the laughs (especially that tombstone pic by Ed, that was a much need chuckle last night). Either they can have pain, they can have some type of numbness and tingling (it can be a burning sensation), and/or it can be any type of weakness where you’re actually feeling a change in your muscle strength. Typically, an EMG/nerve conduction studies are ordered when a patient is having some type of nerve symptom. The results of the EMG and the nerve conduction study then also guide us more specifically to what type of treatment you should have, typically at your next visit. And from that, we can tell, from the pattern that muscle makes, we can tell what type of injury is occurring. And you will hear the actual sound, which is normal because the active muscle is transmitted to a sound wave. The needle will be in one muscle at a time, and first we listen to the muscle at rest and then we listen to the muscle when it’s active. And the needle poke is similar to an acupuncture needle in sensation. The second part of the test is the electromyogram and with this part you will feel-instead of the electric signals-you will feel a small needle poke.

And then you will feel small electric signals and they'll vary in intensity.Īnd people often ask, 'Is it painful?' and what I will always say is that I am controlling how strong that signal is, so if anything is uncomfortable for the patient, they can at any time tell me how it feels and we adjust the intensity of the signal. When you come in for the test, normally the first part that you'll go through is the nerve conduction study part, and for that you'll have a few electrodes attached either to your hands, normally, or to your feet, depending upon which part of the body is being looked at. We just ask people to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and to not wear any kind of skin creams or moisturizer because they can interfere with the electrodes. The basic preparation for the test really is minimal. And the test is also good at assessing the severity of your symptoms. That can be pain, any kind of numbness and tingling, and/or weakness. The purpose of the test is to localize where your symptoms are coming from. And this is an electrical test of your nerves and muscles.

EMG/NCS stands for electromyogram and nerve conduction studies.

Emg test painful