The EMG / Nerve Conduction Study is a useful test to study the nerves in the arms and legs. The test will determine whether or not you have a pinched nerve in the back, neck, or extremities. This is a very useful test if your doctor wants to confirm that you have a carpal tunnel syndrome, a peripheral neuropathy, or other nerve entrapment syndromes. The EMG/Nerve Conduction study is a minimally-invasive test and should not cause you any significant discomfort.
The EMG / NCS can provide the following information:
- Presence of a nerve injury
- Age of the nerve injury (acute vs. chronic process)
- Area of the nerve injury (proximal vs. distal)
- Severity of the nerve injury
- Whether the nerve is healing
This test is often correlated with MRIs and physical exam to evaluate whether a condition may require surgery.
