Electrodiagnostic Study

Patients referred for an electrodiagnostic study have symptoms related to injury or a disease to nerves and muscles. The most common symptoms evaluated are numbness, tingling, and pain or weakness of the arms, legs, or face. Electrodiagnostic studies are combined with a medical history and physical examination to determine the location and severity of nerve or muscle injury/disease.

At UR Medicine, physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians), primary care physicians, orthopaedists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons work collaboratively to evaluate your condition and determine the best treatment possible. 

What Should I Do Before An EMG Study?

Before the study, you may take any of your medications. Ibuprofen (800 mg) may decrease some of the discomfort. Shower or bathe the day before but do not apply lotion or cream to the skin for two days before (creams and lotions interfere with the electrical leads used for the study). In most cases, electrodiagnostic studies can be performed for patients who have metal implants, pacemakers, and electrical stimulators.

What Does an EMG Study Show?

For individual nerve or nerve root entrapments, or traumatic injuries, EMG evaluation provides precise information about the exact site of injury, its severity, and prognosis.

For generalized neuropathies, EMG provides important information about the type of nerves affected, the part of the nerve fiber affected, whether the neuropathy is inherited or acquired, whether it is likely to be inflammatory and open to various therapies, as well as its severity and prognosis.

For disorders of muscle, EMG again gives important information about the kind and severity of muscle disease, the muscle groups most affected, and whether it is likely to be inflammatory and open to various therapies.