EMGs do not pick up sensory PN.

Geeze, my neuromuscular doc told me that I did not have sensory PN because it did not show up on my peripheral nerves during my EMG. She told me this as she was doing my feet. I wish I knew this at the time.

I did not know this. I see her this am. I have sensory symptoms and I would like her to offer me an answer other than don't worry.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/p...neuropathy.htm

Basically it is a test of exclusion....EMG typically is to distinguish motor issues from sensory.

Many people with just tingling and numbness etc, show normal EMGs.
This is a good read too.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/980215ap/poncelet.html

In the past 2 or so years more people here are getting the skin biopsy instead.

--while some sensory issues of the larger, myelinated nerves that subsume the sensory impressions of mechanical touch, vibration, and positional sense may be hinted at through abnormal EMG or nerve conduction studies, problems with the smaller, thinly myelinated or unmyelinated nerves that subsume the sensations of pain and temperature cannot be tested by these studies--such nerves are simply to small to isolate in this way.

For those, qualitative sensory testing, sudomotor reflex axon testing, or skin biopsy, especially, may reveal disorders of small-fiber nerves.

Thanks, Glenn. You are so much better than I am in the testing area of PN. You are a treasure here for us!