Diagnosis work injury workers often have diagnostic EMG/NCV for work injuries. These tests should be covered by workers compensation, especially when a doctor orders it before a work-related neck or low back surgery. EMG or electromyography or electromyogram is a measure of the electric activity in a muscle. Electrodes are placed on the skin or needles put directly into the muscles. These record the sound and pattern of electric activity.
EMG activity shows the condition of the muscles. This test tells if there is more or less activity than normal … or even sudden activity when the muscles aren’t contracting.
EMG findings are grouped as either mild, moderate, or severe. For example, one record of sudden activity in one or more muscles is mild. Moderate is two or three sudden spurts of electrical activity in two or more muscles that aren’t moving. Other changes will also be seen in these patterns. Findings of severe EMG activity mean too much electrical activity in two or more muscles.
Thanks to today’s modern technology, EMG studies are much improved now. It’s possible for an EMG unit (the size of a modern desktop or laptop computer) to study many muscles at the same time.
Information from EMG about muscle function is fast and accurate. It can also be used as a biofeedback tool. This means that a patient who can’t contract (or relax) a muscle can see and hear what is the muscle activity and try to change it.
Often done in conjunction with an EMG is a Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) test. The NCV is just one of many measurements commonly made during a nerve conduction study (NCS). The purpose of these studies is to determine whether nerve damage is present and how severe that damage may be. Conduction velocities are highly individual and affected by a wide array of factors, including age, sex, and various medical conditions. Studies allow for better diagnoses of various neuropathies.
Injured workers with lumbar or cervical radiculopathy represented by McCormick Law Office attorneys in Milwaukee, Wisconsin often get the best results for diagnosis work injury from Diagnostic EMG/NCV for Work Injuries. However, EMG/NCV are only two tests and diagnosis of low back or neck radiculopathy often requires MRI imaging as well as clinical evaluation confirmation.
