Electromyography Test (EMG)

Electromyography (EMG) is a diagnostic procedure to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them (motor neurons). EMG results can reveal nerve dysfunction, muscle dysfunction or problems with nerve-to-muscle signal transmission.

Motor neurons transmit electrical signals that cause muscles to contract. An EMG uses tiny devices called electrodes to translate these signals into graphs, sounds or numerical values that are then interpreted by a specialist.

During a needle EMG, a needle electrode inserted directly into a muscle records the electrical activity in that muscle.

Conditions for EMG test:

• Paresthesia (numbness, tingling sensations) in hands and/or arms
• Paresthesia (numbness, tingling sensations) in feet and/or legs
• Pain in hands and/or arms
• Pain in legs and/or feet
• Neck pain
• Lower back pain
• Diabetes (test will help to complete your PQRS measures)
• Weakness sensations in hands and/or legs
• Burning and/or cold sensations in hands and/or feet

EMG results are often necessary to help diagnose or rule out a number of conditions such as:

• Muscle disorders, such as muscular dystrophy or polymyositis
• Diseases affecting the connection between the nerve and the muscle, such as myasthenia gravis
• Disorders of nerves outside the spinal cord (peripheral nerves), such as carpal tunnel syndrome or peripheral neuropathies
• Disorders that affect the motor neurons in the brain or spinal cord, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or polio
• Disorders that affect the nerve root, such as a herniated disk in the spine