Neg test-Yet still have symptoms?
 

I was wondering if anyone here has had a neg nerve test yet still experinced the burning numbing pain?
I had the test a few months ago on both arms all the way up to my neck and it showed neg for nerve damage.Yet i feel like i am on fire all the time.Especially on the left side.
I am going to see the doctor next week where i will ask him for a new MRI.On the last MRI{may05} it showed i had herniations,yet all the docs said my problems couldn't be from that...Here i am a year and a half later getting worse..So i was just wondering if anyone else experienced this.
I also have nerve pain in my feet that the docs are stumped about!

Are you referring to a nerve conduction study?
 

It is well known now--though it should be better known, especially among neurologists--that a nerve conduction/EMG test series will only reveal damage to the larger, myelinated nerves, if that ddamage is sufficiently advanced; the technology is not yet advanced enough to measure problems with the smaller, thinly-myelinated or unmyelinated nerves that subsume the sensations of pain and temperature. And people can have small-fiber syndromes and come up (depressingly) "normal" on most of the first-line tests neuros tend to perform, including the reflex/pinprick/tuning fork parts of the standard neuro exam.

Small fiber damage may be revealed through qualitative sensory testing (QST), sudomotor axon reflex testing (QSART--know as the sweat test--this is because autonomic functions generally are mediated through small fiber nerves), or through a skin biopsy designed to enumerate the density and conditon of intraepidermal nerve fibers.

Take a look at:

http://www.thecni.org/reviews/13-2-p07-treihaft.htm

The reference list with this paper is also excellent to look through.

Well Kell--the doc tested me and says: "You have periphreal neuropathy definitely going on in your upper body, especially your arms and shoulders." I asked about my feet and legs, asking about the burning, numbness, bug feelings, etc. He says, "Well, then you have small fiber neuropathy in those areas too." Very technical, isnt he.

Keep searching for the right doctor.

I am trying to figure out how to help myself since these doctors have
pretty much just shrugged their shoulders and said we dont know why your still having these symptoms!

Thank you for the info.I will check out that link..

Your right deb.I need to look for another doctor, probably..
Take care..
~Kell

I had barely abnormal EMGs and my prior neurologist told me that my pain could not possibly be as severe as I claimed.

My current neurologist re-did my EMG and said once again that is was barely abnormal. Rather than discount my list of symptoms, he took a careful history and ordered a punch skin biopsy. The biopsy samples were sent to Columbia. The biopsy revealed that I do have small fiber neuropathy and that my symptoms were not in my head.

Has your neuro ever mentioned a skin biopsy as a diagnostic tool?