Originally Posted by glenntaj

--and associated nerve conduction studies, are not pleasant, but they don't have to be majorly unpleasant, either. A lot depends on the skill of the technician/doctor doing the testing and placing the electrodes.

One thing--don't be surprised if it turns up basically normal and the doctors look at you baffled. You can casually mention that you wonder if you have a predominantly small-fiber syndrome. EMG/nerve conduction studies cannot measure the response of the smaller, thinly myelinated or unmyelinated fibers that subsume the sensations of pain and temperature; they only can measure the responsiveness of larger, myelinated fibers.

The reason I mention this is given your symptoms of pain and not numbness, and your report of dizziness, but good reflexes, it is likely you have a small-fiber component. The small fibers also control autonomic response, and problems with that can produce orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure), often felt as dizziness (especially upon rising). There can be disruptions with sweat responses as well. It usually takes more specialized testing to pinpoint these, though.