Nerve conduction tests.

For many people, living with pain is a sad fact of life. Locating the source of their pain is the first step toward eliminating it. For many, the source is a pinched nerve.

Nerves extend out from our brain and reach into the arms or legs, including the muscles and skin. A nerve is a microscopic cell that may run several feet in length toward its destination. Nerve cells that live in the brain or within the spinal cord are called central nerves. Nerves that leave the spine and travel to the arms or legs are called peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerves are really bundles of millions of nerve fibers that leave the spinal cord and branch to target muscles to make them move. Or they go to the skin to give us sensation, or feeling.

Nerve conduction tests help Dr. Preudhomme learn more about the health of peripheral nerves. These tests can establish if the nerve is pinched, provide a numeric value for the severity of the pinch and even reveal exactly where it is pinched.

Nerve conduction tests can last from a half-hour to an hour. During the nerve conduction part of the test, electrodes similar to EKG patches are placed along the nerve. The nerve is then stimulated with a small electrical current. The nerve must then send the signal along its course to an electrode placed further down the arm or leg. This captures the signal as it passes. Healthy nerves transmit signals faster and stronger than sick or damaged nerves.

The test measures electrical activity in the muscles. Muscles normally receive constant electrical signals from healthy nerves. Then they send out their own healthy electrical signals.
The NC-stat system is a neurodiagnostics system that helps Dr. Preudhomme distinguish between pain caused by nerve compression and pain from other etiologies. The system performs noninvasive nerve conduction testing using three components that work together to accurately, quickly evaluate peripheral nerve function. This enables Dr. Preudhomme to assist patients more effectively and efficiently in the office.

The nerve conduction test helps the doctor discover which nerves are pinched and the seriousness of the patient’s condition. An EMG measures muscle response to nerve stimulation and evaluates electrical activity within selected muscle fibers. The test can differentiate between a muscle and nerve disorder. Dr. Preudhomme uses this information to create an effective treatment plan.

Dr. Preudhomme is a fellowship-trained interventional pain management physician who listens to his patients and who really cares. Ask him about any painful conditions you have. Chances are, he can help you, too.