Pain After Nerve Conduction Test: What You Need to Know

The human body produces a baseline electrical current that becomes abnormal during muscle contraction. Abnormal EMG results are usually indicative of nerve dysfunction, muscle injury, and muscle disorders. These conditions can manifest in various ways, including odd wave shapes and patterns in the electrical activity.

During an EMG test, you will be asked to contract or relax your muscles throughout the procedure. A thin electrode needle is inserted into your muscle while monitoring electrical activity on an oscilloscope (monitor). In contrast, nerve conduction studies involve taping or pasting stimulating electrodes to your muscles and sending a mild electrical pulse through your body.

While both tests are minimally invasive, some individuals may experience minor pain, cramping, and even a tingling sensation. However, these sensations are usually temporary and do not last long after the test is completed. Those who need an EMG and nerve conduction test often experience symptoms such as muscle weakness, tingling or numbness, cramps, spasms, twitching, and even muscle paralysis.

Both tests provide a comprehensive picture of your body's electrical traffic and whether any disruptors indicate a condition or disorder causing your pain. While an EMG test focuses on the electrical activity in your muscles, a nerve conduction study measures the speed and strength of electrical signals in your nerves.

Overall, both tests are essential tools for doctors to identify disruptions in these signals that may cause nerve or muscular pain and discomfort. By measuring the electrical activity in our muscles and nerves, electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies provide valuable insights into our body's functioning and help doctors diagnose various conditions and disorders.

Pain after nerve conduction test