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Member
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Holles
Thank you!
Today I had another EMG, which was normal, as I expected. The new weakness in my right arm is not due to any rotator cuff problems (could have told them that, too). So two more useless medical tests.
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I wouldn't go so far as to say the tests were useless. There is so much of your story that is not conveyed here that it is almost impossibly difficult to "speculate" what might be happening. Your docs whom have had the benefit of taking a history of your complaints, listing out your subjective complaints, i.e. location, timing and intensity or demeanor of pain, provocative and palliative influences (etc. ad nauseum) and your examination findings and then being able to corrollate all considerations with your imaging and neurodiagnostic findings have a distinct advantage over anyone here!
EMG's in of themselves are problematic in that sensitivity runs at about 60-70%. They can produce a false normal in 30-40% of the subjects so that a normal EMG may mean that you either are normal or the study missed the mark even in the presence of abnormality. It is a good study to do but is fraught with error and one must order the approriate levels of which to perform the test in consideration of a suspected diagnosis. If weakness of your arm is a concern (first I've seen in your posts), additional tests might be prudent like NCV or SSEP. They may be normal as well. All of these tests, both normal and abnormal, have unique and individual meaning for you. So in the bigger picture, in the event of many normal or negative studies, learning what it is not can be just as instructive in figuring out eventually what it "is."
And the problem with just reading an MRI report without the benefit of seeing all 25-30 images of the MRI and being blinded as to any examination findings, is most unhelpful! It would sort of be like trying to decide if you like a particular car by only reading the owners manual and never seeing it, test driving it or even sitting in it! I know it's frustrating, but keep working with and pressing your docs!
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