The doctor will look at and listen to the electrical signals that travel from the needle to the EMG machine. The doctor tests only the muscles necessary to decide what is wrong. There may be a small amount of pain when the needle is put in. A new needle is used for each patient and it is thrown away after the test. The doctor may test several nerves.įor this part of the test, a small, thin needle is put in several muscles to see if there are any problems. These shocks cause a quick, mild, tingling feeling. This is done by applying small electrical shocks to the nerve and recording how the nerve works. NCSs show how well the body’s electrical signals are traveling to a nerve.

The EMG doctor will examine you to decide whichtests to do based on your symptoms. Some of the tests that the EMG doctor may use to diagnose your symptoms are nerve conductionstudies (NCSs), needle EMG. You are being sent for electromyography (EMG) testing because you have numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, or muscle cramping. Be sure that your EMG test is being performed by a physician who specializes in testing nerves.

This certification required passing additional testing after residency training. Doctors Todd and Shawn Jorgensen have both been certified as experts in electrodiagnostics by the American Academy of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. It teaches doctors what can go wrong with the human body and how to tell the difference between these problems. Medical training helps the doctor decide which tests to perform based on your symptoms. Most work as physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors or neurologist. What Kind Of Medical Training Do The Doctors Who Do EMGs Have?ĭoctors who do EMGs go to 4 years of medical school then have 4 more years of training in a residency program. Stopping for discomfort is extremely uncommon. It is our policy to stop the test if a patient finds it to uncomfortable. If you are taking a pain medication you may take this before the test but most people do not find this necessary. The test is performed on young children without the need for pain medication. The test may also involve a small needle placed under the skin. The test involves small stimuli to the nerves similar to a strong static electricity charge. Most patients find it mildly uncomfortable.

This is often the first question we get asked before doing the test.

Pain after emg