Electromyogram (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies

EMG (Electromyography), Nerve Conduction Studies

How It Feels

With an electromyogram (EMG) test, you may feel a quick, sharp pain when the needle electrode is put into a muscle. After an EMG test, you may be sore and have a tingling feeling in your muscles for 1 to 2 days. If your pain gets worse or you have swelling, tenderness, or pus at any of the needle sites, call your doctor.

With the nerve conduction studies, you may feel a quick, burning pain, a tingling feeling, and a twitching of the muscle each time the electrical pulse is given. It feels like the kind of tingling you feel when you rub your feet on the carpet and then touch a metal object. The tests make some people anxious. Keep in mind that only a very low-voltage electrical current is used, and each electrical pulse is very quick (less than a split-second).

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: November 6, 2006
Medical Review:	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Barrie J. Hurwitz, MD - Neurology
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