EMG Test?

[citygirl1234]

Hi All,

I saw my vasculitis consultant today who discovered that the tops of my hands and feet don't seem to be quite as sensitive as they perhaps should be and has referred me for an EMG test and I was wondering if any of you have had one before and what I should expect?

He said this might involve some needles but didn't really elaborate much.

[Ruadh]

Yes, both counts. Right arm and right leg.

Arm was not too bad. Small needle like application, then elec shot down. That is the pain bit. But bearable.

Right leg. Horribly painful. But, severe oedaema which did not help, either with the results or with the painful spasms, spasms = electric shots.

Recovery ? NO problem. NO residual pain nor side effects.

Will see if I can find a demo on line for you.

I have another one facing me on Tuesday - right arm again.

[LH44]

Hi, I've had nerve conduction studies (NCS) & EMG (small needles like acupuncture) a couple of times to both arms. Don't know if it's because I have cervical radiculopathy but I didn't feel the needles at all, only a slight electric shock in wrists from the NCS (which are stuck on like an ECG).

I would make sure they do both tests bilaterally, e.g. if they're doing one arm, ask them to do both arms. They didn't do this for me the very first time so one arm had a delayed diagnosis.

[Christophene47]

The test is bearable and tolerable. Not to worry. The physician who did my EMG some years ago told me that women are usually fine with the test; men are the big babies.

[stevoj]

Hi, I am a Neurophysiology technician, and I specialise in performing Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS). This is sometimes referred to as 'EMG', although EMG is strictly electromyography, a test of muscle activity. Sounds like you are being investigated for peripheral neuropathy (PN). So, the NCS test involves sending small electrical impulses into a nerve via surface electrodes, and taking a recording of the resultant electrical response from either the nerve or muscle supplied by that nerve, again using surface electrodes that stick onto the skin. Most people find the electrical stimuli mildly uncomfortable, but are able to deal with the discomfort. The stimuli usually only goes on for a few seconds at a time, and you do get more used to it as the test goes on. The test takes around 30-40 minutes. If you are just being screened for PN, you are not likely to need EMG, but if it is done, it simply involves insertion of a very small needle electrode into a few muscles and taking a recording of the muscle activity at rest, then during muscle activation. It's easy and quick.

The downside of the Nerve Conduction test is that it is not 100% reliable at picking up PN, because it only looks at activity from the large nerve fibres, so it is very possible that a small fibre neuropathy would not be picked up.

Hope this helps.

[citygirl1234 in reply to stevoj]

That sounds like a really interesting job, I imagine it’s probably quite varied. Yes, I heard that confusingly EMG is used to refer to both tests when it’s actually only one of them. I imagine you probably have to point that out several times a day 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think you’re right, as my rheumatologist is doing a full MOT for ANCA vasculitis. He did tell me that the results may come back normal, but I guess I’ll have to wait and see, thanks for sharing your insight

[samakaaaa in reply to stevoj]

and how to exclude or confirm small nerve neuropathy? (none invasively if possible !

[citygirl1234]

Thank you all - that’s very helpful. @ Ruadh - I hope your right arm test goes smoothly

[Ruadh]

Thank you. Only a few hours to go - will report in !

[Ruadh]

Errrr, Horrible. So painful. Was testing for trapped ulnar nerve - did both arms. Hope I *never have to go through that again. Results - which were handed to me before I left the consulting room :-

Signs of chronic radicular pain in C8 right - see with irm

(MRI)

Ductal syndrome of the ulnar nerve in the left elbow very evolved

Muscular resonance, important epitrochleitis right ?

(tennis elbow).

Now await the input from the nerve specialist - he was talking about cubical tunnel release. Not a pleasant surgery and does come with very possible complementary side effects !

Think I can live with the problems -

[citygirl1234 in reply to Ruadh]

I’m sorry yours was really painful. Hopefully that will be the last one you need. Fingers crossed the nerve specialist has a plan, you never know there could be a non surgical option you could try.

I just had my test done (it was an Nerve Conduction Study with the stickers rather than needles). It wasn’t too painful, I would compare it more to the sort of shock you get when you touch something plastic sometimes, although some of the foot ones were a bit jolty. The physiologist who did it was lovely, and also got a neurologist to come and check my results and speak to me afterwards so I didn’t have to wait for feedback. She was happy that my hands and feet are awake, but that my symptoms are mostly likely Raynauld’s which I think is the best outcome I could hope for ☺️.