Side effects of an EMG test may include some muscle soreness, but this rarely lasts more than an hour or two after the exam. What is EMG testing? What is an EMG test used to diagnose? Why does my doctor want me to have an EMG test? How long does an EMG test take? Is an EMG test painful? What are the side effects of EMG testing? What you should know before an EMG test?
The electrode may also report the activity using sound and the physician can hear the sound through a speaker. After placement of the electrodes, the physician may ask the patient to contract the muscle. The presence, size, and shape of the wave form produced on the oscilloscope provide information about how the muscle responds to stimulation of the nerves. An Electromyography EMG test takes approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. Patients undergoing an Electromyography EMG test should refrain from using body lotions or oils on the skin the day of the test.
To ensure the skin is clean, patients should bathe or shower to remove any oily substance or natural oils prior to the procedure. Patients should not smoke for a minimum of three hours prior to an EMG. On the day of an EMG, patients should wear loose fitting clothing to allow for easy access to the treatment area. The treating physician may also require the patient to change into a hospital gown. Some of the tests that the EMG doctor may use to diagnose your symptoms are nerve conduction studies, needle EMGs, and evoked potentials.
The EMG doctor will examine you to decide which tests to do. This is done by applying small electrical shocks to the nerve and recording how the nerve works.
These shocks cause a quick, mild, tingling feeling. The doctor may test several nerves. For this test, a small, thin needle is inserted into several muscles to see if there are any problems. It is used once for each patient and is thrown away after the test.
There may be a small amount of pain during this part of the examination. The doctor tests only the muscles necessary to decide what is wrong. During the EMG test the doctor will be able to hear and see how your muscles and nerves are working by the electrical signals made by your muscles.
The doctor then uses his medical knowledge to figure out what could be causing your problem. Evoked potentials are painless tests that check the nerve pathways through the spinal cord or from the eyes and ears. The signals for these tests can come from small electrical shocks, light pulses, or clicks of sound in the ears. The nerve responses are recorded over the scalp and other areas of skin.
The tests usually take 20 to 90 minutes. You can do any of your normal activities, like eating, driving, and exercising, before the tests. There are no lasting side effects. You also can do your normal activities after the tests.
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