Clifton · Jersey City · Edison(888) 233-3415Book an appointment

Diagnostics

EMG and nerve conduction studies.

The test that shows whether a nerve is actually being damaged, which one, and how badly. Performed and read by Dr. Sheikh in all three offices.

Book an appointmentCall (888) 233-3415
Read by
Dr. Sheikh himself
Results
The same day
Where
In the office

In short

An EMG with nerve conduction studies is a test that measures how well your nerves carry signals and how your muscles respond. It is how we find out whether numbness, tingling, weakness or shooting pain is coming from a pinched nerve in your spine, a compressed nerve in your wrist or elbow, a neuropathy, or a muscle problem. The test takes thirty to sixty minutes, requires no sedation and no recovery time, and Dr. Sheikh reviews the results with you the same day.

Test length

30 to 60 minutes

Sedation

None

Results

Same day

Book the studyRefer a patient

What it is

Two tests, one sitting.

There are two parts, done in one sitting. The nerve conduction study places small electrode stickers on the skin and sends a brief pulse along a nerve, timing how fast the signal travels and how strong it arrives. A slow or weak signal shows where the nerve is being compressed or damaged. The needle EMG then places a very thin needle electrode into specific muscles and records their electrical activity at rest and while you contract them, because a muscle that has lost its nerve supply has a distinct electrical signature. Dr. Sheikh is board certified in pain management and performs and reads these studies himself. He is known locally as The Nerve Doc for that reason. An MRI shows anatomy, including findings that are not causing anything. An EMG shows function, which is what tells us whether the finding on the MRI is the one making your arm go numb.

Why it is ordered

What an EMG can find.

Numbness, tingling, weakness or shooting pain has a source. This is how the source is identified rather than guessed at.

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Cubital tunnel syndrome, meaning ulnar nerve compression at the elbow
  • Cervical and lumbar radiculopathy, a pinched nerve root in the neck or low back
  • Tarsal tunnel syndrome
  • Sciatica, when the source of the leg pain is not clear
  • Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
  • Alcoholic neuropathy
  • Chemotherapy induced neuropathy
  • Idiopathic peripheral neuropathy
  • Myopathy
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Polymyositis
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Guillain-Barre syndrome
  • Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
  • ALS and other motor neuron disease
  • Peripheral nerve injury after trauma or surgery
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome

What to expect

Start to finish, with nothing left out.

Before your testDo not put lotion, oil or cream on your skin that day, because the electrodes will not stick to it. Wear loose clothing that lets us reach the arm or leg being tested. Tell us if you take a blood thinner, if you have a pacemaker or an implanted defibrillator, or if you have lymphedema. None of these automatically rule out the test, but they change how we do it. Eat normally and take your usual medications unless we tell you otherwise.01
The nerve conduction studyWe place adhesive electrodes on your skin and deliver brief, low level electrical pulses. Each one feels like a quick static shock or a tap, it lasts a fraction of a second, and it is over before you have decided how you feel about it. Most people find it strange rather than painful. We record how fast and how strongly the signal travels between two points on the nerve.02
The needle EMGA thin sterile needle electrode, thinner than the needle used to draw blood, goes into specific muscles. Nothing is injected. You will feel a brief pinch as it goes in, then we ask you to relax the muscle, and then to tighten it gently while we listen to and record the electrical activity. We test a small number of carefully chosen muscles, not everything. Tell us if any part becomes too uncomfortable and we will adjust.03
Results the same dayDr. Sheikh interprets the study himself and goes over it with you before you leave: which nerve is involved, how severe it is, whether it looks recent or long standing, and what that means for treatment. You leave with an answer and a plan, not a phone call scheduled for next week.04
AfterwardThere is no downtime and no restrictions. You can drive yourself home and go back to work the same day. Some people have mild soreness or a small bruise where the needle went in for a day or two. Ice it if it bothers you.05

Where

Available at all three offices.

Clifton1037 US-46, Suite 103, Clifton, NJ 07013Monday, Tuesday, FridayJersey City377 Jersey Ave, Suite 250, Jersey City, NJ 07302WednesdayEdison2 Lincoln Highway, Suite 405, Edison, NJ 08820Thursday

Questions

EMG testing, answered.

Does an EMG hurt?

It is uncomfortable for a few seconds at a time, not painful in the way people fear. The nerve conduction pulses feel like a quick static shock. The needle feels like a pinch going in. Most patients say afterward that they had built it up into something much worse than it was.

How long does it take?

Thirty to sixty minutes, depending on how many nerves and muscles need to be tested. A single hand for suspected carpal tunnel is at the short end. Both legs for a neuropathy workup is at the long end.

Do I need to stop my medications?

Almost never. Keep taking what you take. Tell us if you are on a blood thinner such as warfarin, apixaban or clopidogrel, since we may adjust which muscles we test, but blood thinners do not usually cancel the test.

Can I have an EMG with a pacemaker or a defibrillator?

In most cases yes, with specific precautions about where we place the electrodes. Tell us before the test so we can plan it properly.

When do I get the results?

The same day. Dr. Sheikh reads the study himself and explains it to you before you leave the office.

Do I need a referral?

Some insurance plans require one and some do not. Call (888) 233-3415 with your insurance card in hand and the front desk will check while you are on the phone.

Is it covered by insurance?

EMG and nerve conduction studies are covered by most plans when there is a clinical reason for the test, and they are routinely covered on workers' compensation and auto injury claims. We verify your coverage before the appointment.

Why do I need an EMG if I already had an MRI?

They answer different questions. An MRI shows structure, and many people have disc bulges on an MRI that cause no symptoms at all. An EMG shows whether a nerve is actually being damaged and which one. Together they tell us where to treat.

Can I drive myself home?

Yes. There is no sedation and no restriction on activity afterward.

Find out which nerve it is.

EMG and nerve conduction studies in Clifton, Jersey City and Edison, read and explained the same day.

Book an appointmentCall (888) 233-3415
CallBook