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.