Anybody had an EMG test?

[LostLake]

Welp, I guess we'll see how bad mine is. I'm pulling on my big-boy shorts and going to have it done this time. Really, really tired of my back hurting.

That's encouraging to hear it's not as bad as a blood draw. Those give me the hibbity jibbities.

 

[Trigger Time]

If that's the only thing you have to do for a bad back and or nerve damage your lucky. Wait till they start injecting needles into your spine with dye and steroids Ect. It's an outpatient surgical procedure and sucks.

 

[mdmayo]

The EMG only identifies damaged nerve pathways and is diagnostic only. Finding the right treatment follows... Please, for the love of all things, ONLY let them cut on you as a last, last, last, last, very last option.

 

[nickf2005]

I lost feeling in part of my hand several years ago after sleeping on my arm wrong one night. They did an EMG eventually and it wasn't all that bad and I'm no fan of needles. They inserted in my neck, shoulder, arm, and hand. Not saying I'd volunteer to do it again, but I survived. Ultimately, they couldn't find the source and I opted out of surgery. After 3 months the feeling came back on its own.

 

[LostLake]

If that's the only thing you have to do for a bad back and or nerve damage your lucky. Wait till they start injecting needles into your spine with dye and steroids Ect. It's an outpatient surgical procedure and sucks.

I know all about it. Have done a consult for cervical injections. The pain mgmgt doctor was going to inject me and I don't even have a disc sitting on the nerve. I've been told both - yes, it's the disc. No, it's not the disc causing the problems. In the end, I opted out of doing it. No guarantees with that and it sounds sucky.

I'm no doctor, but at this point I believe my lumbar pain is caused from either arthritis or nerve damage. I have no idea why my neck hurts and neither do the doctors.

 

[nickf2005]

I know all about it. Have done a consult for cervical injections. The pain mgmgt doctor was going to inject me and I don't even have a disc sitting on the nerve. I've been told both - yes, it's the disc. No, it's not the disc causing the problems. In the end, I opted out of doing it. No guarantees with that and it sounds sucky.

I'm no doctor, but at this point I believe my lumbar pain is caused from either arthritis or nerve damage. I have no idea why my neck hurts and neither do the doctors.

This might be a silly question, but have you been to a chiropractor?

 

[sepe]

Thanks man, I sure appreciate the vote of confidence.

Don't worry, I'll be letting the lady know everything beforehand (likely about 10 times). Hopefully she's not a sadist!!!

I jokingly told a nurse that I was afraid of needles (she could see visible piercings and tattoos). She said that just makes it more fun for them. She said if I passed out, she'd have a funny story about the big, strong man that took a needle worse than a 5 year old girl. I wasn't bothered by needles or drain tubes being removed after a surgery so she didn't get a story but the look on her face left me wondering if she was just joking or if she was a sadist.

I've got back issues from a car accident as a kid, playing contact sports after that, and years of heavy lifting. I've had trouble convincing my doctor that there is something wrong with my back (started having back spasms around 10, probably 5 years after a roll over where nobody was wearing seat belts). The guy likes running tests for just about everything but didn't feel the need to when I was complaining about weird grinding feelings in my back, constant pain, back spasms a few times a month that make it so I walk like I'm a 90 year old man that lived a hard life, and numbness down my right arm. I'm not sure I'd be for back surgery as I know a few people that have had different constant pain after the surgery. The only thing that has really helped was Soma, a chiropractor, and deep tissue massage. I've rarely gotten Soma (I believe twice in about 20 years, been given pain killers which did very, very little).

 

[ruger1800]

If possible would try therapy or chiropractor, accupuncture, before having anything major done.

 

[Hillbilly]

I had an EMG test done a few months ago. It was no big deal at all. The needles are pretty small, and many of the sticks I didn't even feel. There were only 2 or 3 times it was a bit uncomfortable. Everything I read in advance had me expecting the worst, but it wasn't bad at all.

 

[CTS]

So I had one in my arm. It was unpleasant until he got to my actual hand. You know that pad area on your palm underneath of your thumb? Shoved that needle straight up there and I cried like a little boy. I've endured some severe pain in my life but that right there was some of the most intense.

 

[LostLake]

I jokingly told a nurse that I was afraid of needles (she could see visible piercings and tattoos). She said that just makes it more fun for them. She said if I passed out, she'd have a funny story about the big, strong man that took a needle worse than a 5 year old girl. I wasn't bothered by needles or drain tubes being removed after a surgery so she didn't get a story but the look on her face left me wondering if she was just joking or if she was a sadist.

I've got back issues from a car accident as a kid, playing contact sports after that, and years of heavy lifting. I've had trouble convincing my doctor that there is something wrong with my back (started having back spasms around 10, probably 5 years after a roll over where nobody was wearing seat belts). The guy likes running tests for just about everything but didn't feel the need to when I was complaining about weird grinding feelings in my back, constant pain, back spasms a few times a month that make it so I walk like I'm a 90 year old man that lived a hard life, and numbness down my right arm. I'm not sure I'd be for back surgery as I know a few people that have had different constant pain after the surgery. The only thing that has really helped was Soma, a chiropractor, and deep tissue massage. I've rarely gotten Soma (I believe twice in about 20 years, been given pain killers which did very, very little).

Hahaha, I've got ink too, but those needles don't freak me out! They're not being "inserted"...

Anyway, you sound similar to me - A difficult-to-diagnose case of back pain that's chronic in nature. I'm really hoping this EMG will reveal something.

 

[Tandem160]

The whole procedure is ... Uncomfortable. The needle that hurt made me cry (literally) was the he put near my shin bone from the front. That needle felt like a lump of white hot coal burning my flesh to the bone resulting in an instant flitch and butt tightening strong enough to rip that guys super-glued helmet off the steel beam. That seem to bob up and down on my bone for 30-45 seconds. Good luck

 

[fastwally]

Get yourself a Teeter Hang Up and you will be a new man!

 

[RangerRider]

No fan of needles here either, but my doc that drains my knees sprays something on the area to be poked, and I have never felt it.

 

[philo]

Thanks buddy. It's not the pain I'm worried about, it's that horrible thought of a needle being inserted. It's horrible, I have nightmares about crap like that. I know, it sounds pathetic.... Even I laugh about it before the shot. Come needle day I can assure you no lol'ing will be had!!

It's not that bad - just don't look. I know, sounds easy but its not. All in all it beats an injection in the eyeball. Yeah I've had that too, you can't not look. Guaranteed to give you the willies.