What is an EMG like?
 

i had an emg that i waited for 6 weks. the doc put 3 needles in me and that was that. oonly in one leg. that cannot be right. i asked him and he said he had enought info. i was fine-have a pain syndrome.
when my son had an EMG he had something like 20 different muscles points they tested.
what is going on here? now if i question this doc he will stop treatment and i have to go to primary and try to get another neuro and then the insurance wont pay for another emg.
what are your experiences? this guy was suppose to be great!
steff

For some folks they hurt like the dickens!
 

For others [like me], it hurt only a little bit.
http://www.medicinenet.com/electromyogram/article.htm
The above explanation should help a bit in explaining the procedure[s]. I've found no problems in having a second opinion where the specialist wanted to do the tests by his/her standards and the quality of testing can vary due to the equipment used or how the test results are interpreted.

I've had the 'few' point tests, and the 'many' point tests..I'd want to get a copy of the test results then do web searches on what it all means - the meaning of it all is the hardest to grasp, but its worth having in hand.

Don't worry yet, wait for the results - j

Emg
 

Hi Steff,

I've had a number of NCS/EMGS in the last 7 years - each was different depeding on the doctor and the extent of my symtoms (as the PN spread body wide - so did the testing).... they are probably looking just at the areas they feel are affected - which they did to me at first... the last one was body wide as symtoms are now - but again, seems like depends on your individual symtoms and how widespread any potential damage the neuro may feel is there.....

Hopefully this test will give them the info they need:)

Hi Steff:

I had head to toe EMG/Nerve Conduction studies when I first got sick. These were highly abnormal and extremely painful to me. In comparison, the one I had done in the hospital took about 5 minutes and showed nothing...

This is not to say that I would recommend head to toe, because some of us seem very sensitive to this testing.

If your pain is the result of sensory nerve problems though, I think that a punch biopsy (intrapidermal skin biopsy) is more revealing than these tests...

Cathie

I can only tell you about my last Nerve Conduction Test. I always get them confused with the EMGs.

I gather that what I had was a nerve conduction test. The nurse came at me with a cattle prod. She shocked me once, I said ouch. She shocked me again, I said ouch a bit louder. She shocked me again and I jumped off the table and threatened to punch her lights out. She just sighed.

Yeah, good old nerve conduction tests. I guess it's all about how sensitive a person is and of course, whether the person is going to get violent on the nurse. lol

Melody

Melody
 

The tests can be done separately - but usually together if both are needed... the Nerve Conduction Study is the shocks - and they test areas they feel need too (I've found the amount of pain, if any, varies on doc techniques and just how dead the nerves are that are being tested - no pain on the dead ones).... and EMG portion is needles that are put in strategic places (doc stuff) again anywhere on the body the doc feels necessary and can hurt - but degree also seems to depend on doc technique.... (if it helps, they usually save the most painful location for last stab! so the patient doesnt bolt!)

Well guess what??? I'm a bolter.

I'll never forget what happened after I jumped up and threated to punch the nurse upside her head. Now you have to know me to know that I can't be violent under any circumstance. I once was (way before Alan came into the picture), well, I was in an abusive relationship. So I know what it's like to be around violence, blah blah blah, so I am like Gentle Ben, you know, nice, sweet, won't hurt a fly. I immediately took the bus to my primary care guy and I ran into his office and said "don't you ever send me for that thing again". He burst out laughing. I said 'oh you think it's funny??" You see, one of my friends was his nurse so we knew each other.

Years previously, I had a nerve conduction test (together with an emg) and I had to lay on my back and she moved the needle into the upper part of my spinal column. She kept saying "stop moving, believe me I was lying stock still". Then she said it again "stop moving". I said 'what are you talking about, I'm still" and she said 'no, I know you are still but your muscles are moving".

Then she did the emg on my arms and I will never forget. It wasn't so bad. That I remember. But the thing that was funny was what she said. As she was moving the little needles around in my arm in different places, she kept looking at the monitor and she would go "oh, beautiful beautiful", and I would go "oh, my arm is beautiful"?? and she would go "Oh, no, your arm is very bad,very bad, but the picture is beautiful, beautiful".

I think she had bats in her belfry.

mel

I suppose it will vary depend on what they are looking for, and what it feels like depends on your own body.

I did the electric shock cattle prod thingy. I was fine with it. But then the neurologist jabs me with a big fat needle, and I screamed so loudly the patients in the waiting room heard me.

Mind you, I have fibromyalgia, so my pain perception is grossly exaggerated. I'm willing to bet most people tolerate the needle test better than I do.

fanfaire
:cool:

I find it absolutely amazing how different we all are in the areas of needles, cattle prod thingees, etc.

I, myself, have this thing going on in my shoulder and I needed one of those cortisone shots from Dr. Fred. He comes in with this 7 inch thing. Alan looked at me and knew immediately it would be okay, because I'm not afraid of needles anywhere on my body except for in my mouth. Then you'll have to club me.

So Dr. Fred is going "now everything is going to be fine, don't be scared, etc. etc. and I'm laughing and I'm going 'go ahead and shoot me". He did his thing and when he was finished he said "I am absolutely amazed at you. No one reacts like you did to what I just did". I simply said "Ah, but you are Dr. Fred and you give a good shot". He laughed.

Mine was a while ago now but think it took about 30 minutes [approx], my own neuro done mine, it never hurt one bit but that's just me, i think it depends on the the person who is getting it done though, like how much damage, how sensitive they are to those nerve's to that particular person & perhaps the skill of the operator :confused:, maybe, not sure.

I think it depends on the person doing the EMG. I have had it done 3 times now and the last one was the worst. The first 2 were done in my primary care doctor's office by 2 different techs and the last one was done by a tech in my neuro's office. She was a little rough and the shocks behind my knees were brutal. I would of sworn she had little pliers and was pitching me very hard--it was quite painful and I am no sissy. I just kind of figure it's how the pig feels when the farmer prods him!!!!!!

I much prefer the EMG over the needle part. The neuro did the needle one and he broke 2 blood vessels which really hurt. I would think he would know better!

Steff,

I agree with the posters here. I have had several and really, they didn't bother me too much. I considered them to be a wee bit painful although I have heard some people say...never again. Then again, I get injections in my neck and back. My newer spinal PM goes so easy that it is really not all that bad. Whereas before, I had Residents doing it and they were extremely painful. So, to me, having an EMG is nothing compared to having a needle weeded down into your neck. :eek: :) It's not a matter of a quick injection at all...it takes some time as he goes. And I also think it depends on who is doing the EMG. My Neurologist is very good and goes very easy but very quick...maybe that is why it just doesn't bother me too much.

I have an EMG booked for tomorrow (2nd oct) at 5:50pm, at least now I sort of know what to expect. I am hoping he will test more than just my legs as they seem to be causing the least problems...

I wish the researchers would invent a pill that we could swallow (I know, I saw it on Dr. Oz, on the Oprah Show, they have one for the intestines and GI Tract....but wouldn't it be wonderful, if we could swallow a little camera that would show every nerve, every blood vessel, every little thing in our bodies and then the doctors would say "ah, there's the little bugger, that is doing all the compressing, the pinching, the bulging, etc.etc.


Like turning your whole body into one big fluroscope that would clearly tell the doctor where your problems are. Without any emgs, nerve conduction tests, spinal taps.

Oh to be born 100 years into the future. I'd pay big bucks for that!!!

If I had big bucks.

Now really, do you think the George Bushs and the Donald Trumps of the world, have to wait in emergency room and have to be poked and prodded??

I saw the machine on Oprah, the one where she just laid down and the whole Cat Scan thing did a complete scan of her body, her heart, etc. and showed every single detail.

Now why isn't this made available and affordable to the general public.

A better question. Bill Gates has a gazillion dollars that he gives to Africa.

Why doesn't he give this gazillion dollars to all the medical centers so the disabled can take advantage of this technology??? I mean, I watched a special on emergency treatment for animals in animal hospitals, and believe me, they get better treatment in facilities than we ever do.

Does this seem logical to you all?

mel

Body wide cat scans are notorious for giving false positives, thereby worrying people needlessly and leading to unnecessary testing.

Currently with cat scans or mri's which do present a picture of what is going on in that area of the body you can get various interpretations of the effect of what is shown depending on the doctor. Nothing is ever easy.

Since the technology we have today is miles above what the heck we had 50 years ago, I can only wonder what might be available 40 years from now.

I'll be 100. God, I hope I can last that long...lol

mel

I had it done twice and an ssep which is way worse. Constant shocks in the pain areas. Anyway they did it in both legs for me to compare and I'm glad they did cause at first only one leg was effected and then the other one now has issues. I had the shocks and needles. I'm sorry did they find out what is going on cause maybe that is why it was short? I hope your finding some relief on the pain fron too.