Pain Treatment Center of Maryland

Electrodiagnostic testing

Did you know that your body is an electrical generator? Nerves and muscles create electrical signals that deliver messages to and from your brain. Sensory nerves deliver information about your surroundings to the brain. Motor nerves deliver signals from the brain to activate your muscles.

Injuries or diseases that affect nerves and muscles can slow or halt the movement of these electrical signals. If you have pain, weakness or numbness in your back, neck or hands, measuring the speed and degree of electrical activity in your muscles and nerves can help your doctor, make a proper diagnosis. This process is called electrodiagnostic testing.


Two test are commonly used:

• Electromyography (EMG)
• Nerve conduction studies (NCS)

Electromyography

An EMG records and analyzes the electrical activity in your muscles. It is used to

learn more about the functioning of nerves in the arms and legs. When a normal

muscle is at rest, it is electrically silent.

During an EMG, small, thin needles are placed in the muscle to record electrical

activity. When the needles are inserted, you may feel some pain and discomfort.

The doctor will ask you to relax the muscle and to tense it slightly. The doctor will

listen and watch a TV-like screen that broadcasts the electrical signals. You will also

be able to hear a signal sounds as you move the muscle. When the needles are

, you may experience some soreness and bruising, but this will disappear in few

days. There are no long-term side effects.

If you are taking blood-thinning medications, have lung disease or are at risk for infection, tell the physician who is conducting the test. On the day of the test, do not put any lotions or creams on the area to be tested and do not wear any jewelry. Usually, you can get the results immediately after test.

Nerve conduction studies

NCS are often done along with the EMG to determine if a nerve is functioning normally. The doctor conducting the test will tape wires (electrodes) to the skin in various places along the nerve pathway. Then the doctor stimulates the nerve with an electric current. As the current travels sown the nerve pathway, the electrodes placed along the way capture the signal and time how fast the signal is traveling. In healthy nerves, electrical signals can travel at up to 120 miles per hour. If the nerve is damaged, however, the signal will be slower and weaker. By stimulating the nerve at various places, the doctor can determine the specific site of the injury. Nerve conduction studies also may be used during treatment to test the progress being made.

Information provided by Chesapeake Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center.