Going for an EMG any advice?

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cwashing

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Hello, For almost 2 months, I have been dealing with pain in my left side near my waist, sometimes radiating around to middle back, when I am lying down, is barely noticable any other times, but terrible pain when I am lying down and I try to move or change positions, it is severe on my left side near my waist.

Also, often when i am lying on my left side i feel a clicking when i take a deep breath, as if my rib is shifting or clicking.

Primary care doc has done lots of test, blood work, urine test, x rays, ct scan, ultra sound, all problems that showed up are all on the right side, gallstones, fatty liver, no problems at all found on the left side.

Lately I have had alot of diarehea right after I eat, which I believe is gallbladder related.

I also have been previously dx with cervical and lurabar spinal stenosis, which is managable right now with anti inflamatory meRAB.

So my primary care doc is stumped he is now thinking that i may have stenosis in my thoracic spine, which I have never had an mri on, so he has been trying to get the mri okd by my ins. , but the ins. co. is refusing it unless i have an emg test done and radiocopathy is found.

i am scheduled for the emg on all three areas of my spine, but from what i have heard its kindof a painful test and i am not looking forward to it. an now starting to think that maybe my galbladder is making even my left side hurt, but the fact that it only really hurts alot when i am lying down, doesnt make sense.

anyway, just putting all this out there, in hopes that someone has had this experience and can help me determine where to go next, especially if no radiocopathy is found and my ins. co refuses to cover the thoracic mri

any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated, thanks Connie
 
First of all want to welcome you to the board and I am sure you will get some great information from the people on this forum. I have had EMG's done several times and some hurt really bad but then some weren't that bad but it is a necessary test to see if there is any nerve damage. I had had cervical spine problems for years and kept putting off surgery. I finally had the surgery but kept having nerve pain so they did an EMG and found out that I had permanent nerve damage. They also found out that I had nerves being pinched in both my elbows and carpal tunnel on both wrists. I did have one elbow fixed but didn't feel like I had that much relief considering the pain I had been in so I didn't have the other surgeries done yet.

I am scheduled to have EMG's done this Thursday for both cervical & lurabar. In comparison to some of the other tests that I have had done (e.g.myelogram) I know I can get through these also.

I definitely want them to do whatever they can do before I okay surgery. I also have pain at my waist on my right side and no one can tell me what is causing it either. I had a severe kidney infection 2 years ago(e-coli with sepsis) and that pain has been there ever since so I don't know what is causing mine either but mine hurts when I am standing, also. Maybe I can talk to the neurologist on Thursday and get some information.

Good luck to you and just remeraber you can always get another opinion. Take care.

Linda:angel:
 
Hello,
I just had EMG testing all over 2 weeks ago. It sure is uncomfortable and it outright hurt in four places. I asked the doc to gab with me thru the entire 1.5 hours and it really helped. Most of the procedure was more discomfort and kind of gross feeling rather than very painful. And the pain was over the moment the testing stopped. I got thru it and I won't be very anxious if I have to do it again. Good luck SQ
 
Dear Cwashing,

I have had 2 EMGs and to me they were a little uncomfortable but not that bad. They pricked me or poked me with pins and it felt like a mosquito with a few steroiRAB in his system. It was nothing compared to the pain they have been trying to diagnose. If they find radiculopathy they will be far more sympathetic to you. I hope all goes well for you.

todd
 
I'm a little confused, i thought the emg and the myelogram is the same thing, i know for sure either someone told me that or i read it. Thanks so much for the advice, I will keep you posted, my appt. is next week, Connie
 
No, an EMG and a Myelogram are very different tests. I have had them both. The EMG is where they stick little needles in your legs (or area they are testing) and a machine measures the nerve activity. Mine was only mildly uncomfortable compared to other tests I have had. The test only lasted about 20 minutes and then I drove home with no lasting effects from the test at all.

A Myelgram is actually a much more invasive test. I was sent to the hospital where they performed a lurabar puncture (big needle stuck into your spine). Then they inject a dye into your spinal column. They then take you for a CT scan using the dye they injected. This test can sometimes detect things in your spine that an MRI may have missed. Then you have to stay in the hospital for about 5 hours lying down. I ended up with a spinal headache and had to go back to the hospital overnight and get a blood patch. So, for me it was a HORRIBLE experience.

Best of luck to you.
JRABun
 
I would describe an EMG as annoying. It doesn't hurt just little pokes. I had a muscle EMG and that was a little jolt but nothing I couldn't handle. Wear shorts or a skirt if you don't want to have to change. Good luck
 
Hi all, this is my first post on the back board. I too have had an EMG (nerve conduction test) done about 7 years ago and like most of you all, it wasn't very bad. My doc drew little lines on my leg as reference points for placing the needles though, so until I got home to take a shower I walked around with little lines drawn all down my leg. I am scheduled to have another one done on Nov. 5th for lower back and leg pain and also nurab areas on my leg that never got feeling back when a disc ruptured against my sciatic nerve. This is my last procedure to be done before SS Disability begins my case, finally. The EMG is not concerning me, but the whole Disability process is scaring and worrying me to death. I've only just begun the process in July, but my back/leg problems have been going on for almost 6 years now. Just finally got to the point where I couldn't work any more with the pain.
So anyway, don't worry too much about the test you should do just fine. Good luck!

LeMans
 
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