Electrodiagnostic Studies

(EMG/NCS)

(EMG) measures the response of muscles and nerves to electrical activity. It's used to help determine muscle conditions that might be causing muscle weakness, including muscular dystrophy and nerve disorders.

How Is an EMG Done?

Muscles are stimulated by signals from nerve cells called motor neurons. This stimulation causes electrical activity in the muscle, which in turn causes the muscle to contract or tighten. The muscle contraction itself produces electrical signals.

For the purpose of EMG, a needle electrode is inserted into the muscle (the insertion of the needle might feel similar to a small injection). The signal from the muscle is then transmitted from the needle electrode through a wire to a receiver/amplifier, which is connected to a device that displays a read-out. The results are displayed on computer screen and interpreted by the Physician and printed into a report

What Can an EMG Diagnose?

EMGs help diagnose three kinds of diseases that interfere with normal muscle contraction:

· Diseases of the muscle itself like muscular dystrophy or inflammation of the muscles (Myositis/Myopathies)

· Diseases of the neuromuscular junction, which is the connection between a nerve fiber and the muscle it supplies, (Like Myasthenia Gravis..)

Diseases "upstream" in nerves and nerve roots (which can be due to either nerve damage or ongoing nerve injury). Like Pinched nerve in neck or back, nerve injury in wrist or elbow like Carpal tunnel Syndrome.

General weakness of nerves such as Peripheral neuropathy seen in diabetics and other conditions.

EMG (Electro-Myo-Graphy) is similar to EKG (Electro-Kardio-Graphy) of the heart (Cardiac for the heart) but instead of reading the HEART MUSCLE condition, We read ANY MUSCLE condition.

That is why it is called (Electro—-electricity////Myo—-Muscle/////Graphy—-reading-recording)

Electrodiagnostic procedure (EMG) or nerve conduction tests are is a diagnostic procedure like MRI, it is performed in order to find exact cause of condition and also the severity, in many cases it is important to get the information before proposed surgical interventions as it can determine the severity and the duration of many  nerve disease conditions as also it helps the surgeon pin point the active problem and in many instance direct the patient away from surgery .

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