They should also wash off any body lotion and remove metal jewelry. Patients who smoke should avoid doing so for three hours before the test, and they should also avoid any foods or drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, soda, or chocolate. They should also inform their doctors if they have a pacemaker.

Before undergoing EMG and NCV testing, patients should alert their doctors to any medications they are taking, as certain medications can affect the nervous system. The examinations may be conducted in a hospital, clinic, or doctor’s office, usually in a room that prevents any outside electrical interference.

The test measures the speed and strength of electrical activity in a nerve and can be used to diagnose a number of disorders, including Guillain-Barre and carpal tunnel syndrome. NCV tests find damage to the peripheral nervous system, which includes all the nerves leading away from the brain and spinal cord and the smaller nerves branching out from them. It can also detect conditions such as pinched nerves or inflammation of muscles. By pinpointing the source of the pain, doctors can then devise an appropriate plan of treatment.Īn EMG measures muscle response to nerve stimulation in order to differentiate between a muscle or nerve disorder or find diseases that damage muscle tissue or nerves. The two separate tests, which are generally conducted during the same appointment, are used to measure the electrical activity of muscles and nerves.

Diagnosing Nerve Pain with EMG and NCV Testingĭiagnosing Nerve Pain with EMG and NCV TestingĮlectromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests help to determine if the source of pain is an injured muscle or nerve.

Pain after emg test