
Other tests can include a sweat test that measures your body's ability to sweat and sensory tests that record how you feel touch, vibration, cooling and heat. This test records how the autonomic nerve fibers work. These might include an autonomic reflex screen. A health care professional will record how the nerves respond to the electric current. Flat electrodes are placed on the skin and a low electric current stimulates the nerves. A thin needle (electrode) is inserted into the muscle to measure electrical activity as you contract the muscle.ĭuring an EMG, a nerve conduction study is typically also done. Electromyography (EMG) measures and records electrical activity in your muscles to find nerve damage. CT or MRI scans can look for herniated disks, pinched nerves, also called compressed nerves, growths or other problems affecting the blood vessels and bones. These can detect low levels of vitamins, diabetes, signs of inflammation or metabolic issues that can cause peripheral neuropathy. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 2008.A health care professional may order tests, including:

About your electromyography (EMG) examination.

He or she will give you instructions on resting and contracting a muscle at appropriate times. The needle electrode may cause discomfort or pain that usually ends shortly after the needle is removed.ĭuring the needle EMG, the neurologist will assess whether there is any spontaneous electrical activity when the muscle is at rest - activity that isn't present in healthy muscle tissue - and the degree of activity when you slightly contract the muscle. When the study is underway, the surface electrodes will at times transmit a tiny electrical current that you may feel as a twinge or spasm.
