--to rule out neuropathy of ANY type?

I say that as EMG/nerve conduction studies can only gorssly measure the activities of larger, myelinated nerves; it's possible to have small-fiber neuropathy even with "normal" results on a wide range of standard tests.

Generally, small-fiber neruopathy is only confirmable through quantitative sensory testing, autonomic testing (QSART/sweat tests and the like), or through the gold standard of skin biopsy for determination of intraepidermal nerve fiber condition and density, which very few centers do (and I don't remember Vanderbilt being one of them).