Anyone Undergone an EMG Exam?

[Jinx]

My doctor strongly suggests I have an electromyography (EMG) exam done. This exam uses a modern-day Dr. Frankensteinian device to test nerve response. (I am having back pain causing slight weakness in the left foot, and he wants to know specifically which nerves are being impinged by which disks since the MRI shows a few disks protruding into the spinal sac, I believe it's called, along which the nerve bundles run.

First, the test uses electrodes on the surface of my skin and small shocks (nothing worse than a static shock, the Dr. says) repeated 20x, if I understood him correctly. As if that isn't fun enough, the second part of the test uses fine needles to actually touch the nerve to get a response...may also send a slight shock, not sure.

If you DID have this done, what did it gain you and your doctor? And , just how terrible is this exam?

Thanks,
Jinx, King of Pain

[Cortana]

My mom's an EEG technician, and she gives these all the time. While I haven't been a guinea pig for an EMG for her, she's never mentioned to me that it's at all horrifyingly painful for patients or anything.

I can't really speak to what it gains, since I haven't seen the results of one, nor do I really know the details on what it provides.

[MeanJoe]

Yep, I had one about two months ago for my feet/legs/lower back area.

To be honest, as with all things, it is a question of your pain threshold. Personally, I really did not find the test painful - just mildly uncomfortable a few times. The first portion was no problem at all. The second portion was only mildly uncomfortable at times with the "pricks" of the needles. They seemed more like accupuncture type needles by the way - very small and thin. Not piercing needles, hypodermic needles, or tattoo gun needles.

On a 10 scale, I would say it was maybe a 3 at the worst moments which were rare.

What did it gain? Well, we eliminated possible nerve damage as the source for some of the numbness I have experienced in my feet the last few months. Whoop-Dee-Doo....

MeanJoe

[Spiff]

I had that test in my left forearm, when my doc wanted to know for sure whether I had carpal tunnel syndrome. (I did not, it was tendonitis.)

AND IT HURT LIKE HELL! (Sorry for the shouting.)

And, because it was right in front of me, I could see the horror unfold. Maybe because your procedure will be on your lower back, out of sight, it would be better, but that remains to be seen.

As MeanJoe said, it's a matter of pain tolerance. I have, I think*, a high tolerance for pain, but it still HURT LIKE HELL (there's the shouting again ...).

And sorry, Cortana, but med techs [i]never[\i] admit that thier devices cause pain, mammogram tech being the prime example (or so I'm told).


*I have not popped a sprog, so maybe I'm deluding myself here.

[Jinx]

Originally posted by Cortana
My mom's an EEG technician, and she gives these all the time...

Cortana, thanks for your feedback, but with all due repsect, I think you're confusing EEG with EMG! The EEG is an electroencephlogram, right? It's done on the brain, and IIRC, it's all superficial. As far as I know, they don't start prodding into the brain for an EEC! It's more along the lines of an EKC (electrocardiogram).

EMG is much more invasive...and thus the question of "what's it all about, Alphie?" Thanks again...please ask your Mom for me if she is familiar with the EMG.
- Jinx