Nerve release or Injection
Nerve surgery
Tendon
Dupuytren’s disease
Arthritis (hand/wrist)
Ganglion cysts of wrist or fingers
Raynaud’s disease
Bone (hand/wrist)
Skin (hand/wrist/upper extremity)
Soft tissue (manes)/lumps/tumors
Elbow
Other
An electromyogram (EMG) measures the electrical activity of muscles at rest and during contraction. Nerve conduction studies measure how well and how fast the nerves can send electrical signals. Nerves control the muscles in the body with electrical signals called impulses. These impulses make the muscles react in specific ways. Nerve and muscle problems cause the muscles to react in abnormal ways.
Electromyogram The skin over the areas to be tested is cleaned. A needle electrode that is attached by wires to a recording machine is inserted into a muscle.When the electrodes are in place, the electrical activity in that muscle is recorded while the muscle is at rest. Then the technologist or doctor asks you to tighten (contract) the muscle slowly and steadily. This electrical activity is recorded.The electrode may be moved a number of times to record the activity in different areas of the muscle or in different muscles.
The electrical activity in the muscle is shown as wavy and spiky lines on a video monitor and may also be heard on a loudspeaker as machine gun-like popping sounds when you contract the muscle. An EMG may take 30 to 60 minutes. When the test is done, the electrodes are removed and those areas of the skin where a needle was inserted are cleaned. You may be given pain medicine if any of the test areas are sore.
A nerve conduction velocity test (NCV) is an electrical test that is used to determine the adequacy of the conduction of the nerve impulse as it courses down a nerve. This test is used to detect signs of nerve injury. In this test, the nerve is electrically stimulated, and the electrical impulse ‘down stream’ from the stimulus is measured. This is usually done with surface patch electrodes (they are similar to those used for an electrocardiogram) that are placed on the skin over the nerve at various locations. One electrode stimulates the nerve with a very mild electrical impulse.
The resulting electrical activity is recorded by the other electrodes. The distance between electrodes and the time it takes for electrical impulses to travel between electrodes are used to calculate the speed of impulse transmission (nerve conduction velocity). A decreased speed of transmission indicates nerve disease. A nerve conduction velocity test is often done at the same time as an electromyogram (EMG) in order to exclude or detect muscle conditions.
Effective treatment of any condition begins with an accurate diagnosis. Today’s imaging techniques have greatly enhanced the physician’s ability to accurately diagnose multiple conditions. At Katy Hand and General Surgery, we offer the most advanced digital imaging techniques that combine leading technology with a priority of patient safety and comfort.