Sticky pads are used for Nerve Conduction Study, they are not painful and are accurate. They do EMG if motor signal is impaired enough on NCS to warrant it. Keep in mind either EMG or NCS will mostly read for larger nerves. Small nerves with damage cannot be read as accurately or sometimes at all. Tests will give a good indication if large nerves are intact but there can still be a problem with smaller ones that doesn't show.