When you experience symptoms like muscle weakness, stiffness, or cramping but don’t have an explanation, it can be easy to get caught in a cycle of worry. Tests like electromyography (EMG) can play an important role in finding out what’s going on with your body.

EMG testing tells you about how your muscles and nerves are functioning together. Your results can indicate whether there’s a problem with your nerves, your muscles, or nerve-to-muscle signaling. Doctors use this test alongside others to diagnose or rule out muscular dystrophy and other nerve and muscle disorders.

What Is an EMG Test?

An EMG test is an electrodiagnostic test, which means it measures the electrical signals that your nerves and muscles use to communicate. It specifically measures communication from motor nerves, which are the nerves that tell your muscles when to move.

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Every time you want to move a muscle, your brain sends electrical signals through your spinal cord to the appropriate motor nerves. Those motor nerves then pass the signal on to the muscle in question. EMG tests use small devices called electrodes to pick up on those signals, which are then recorded onto a graph.

The graph might not look significant to you, but a neurologist or other specialist can gather a lot of information from it. They study the graph and look for signs of abnormal electrical activity that might indicate a disease or injury.

EMG Test vs. Nerve Conduction Study

Doctors usually perform an EMG test alongside another electrodiagnostic test called a nerve conduction study. Together, both tests take less than an hour in most cases.

While EMG tests measure the muscles’ response to electrical signals from nerves, nerve conduction studies measure the electrical current as it travels through the nerve. They measure both the speed and the strength of the signal as it flows from one electrode to another.

What To Expect While Getting an EMG Test

Knowing what to expect from an upcoming EMG test might relieve some of the pressure that you feel if you have any concerns about the unknowns. Here’s a quick overview of what an EMG test entails.

Before Your EMG Test

Your doctor will give you some instructions to follow as you approach your EMG testing appointment. For your safety and to ensure the test is effective, your provider may tell you to:

• Bathe or shower before your appointment.
• Wear comfortable clothes to allow easy access to the area being tested.
• Avoid putting on lotions, creams, or oils before the test.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes for two to three hours before the test.
• Avoid drinks with caffeine for two to three hours before the test.

Be sure to tell your specialist about your medical history, including any bleeding disorders, medications, or medical devices (including pacemakers). They might have additional instructions for you based on your health status.

During Your EMG Test

After first performing the nerve conduction study, your doctor will tell you whether you should sit or lie down during your EMG test. Once you’re in a comfortable position, they select the muscle or muscles they want to test.

The electrodes used in an EMG test are attached to small needles. Your doctor pokes the needle electrode through your skin and into the targeted muscle. You might feel a pinch, but once the needle is in place, you won’t feel as much.

Each needle electrode stays in place for one to two minutes as the targeted muscle is tested.

To test the targeted muscle and nerves, your doctor tells you to relax and flex your muscle in certain ways and at different times. As this happens, the electrical signal travels through the needle and electrode so it can be recorded by a nearby machine.

Once your doctor has collected enough data, they’ll remove the needle. They may repeat the process several times to test multiple muscle and nerve groups. The process takes around an hour, but timing can depend on how many muscles are tested.

After Your EMG Test

The muscles tested during an EMG might be a little tender for several days after the test, and you might have some bruising and discomfort around the electrode sites. Otherwise, you can typically go home and continue your day as usual after an EMG.

Call your doctor if you notice any complications after the test such as:

• Prolonged bleeding from electrode sites
• Severe pain at the electrode sites
• Signs of an infection, which can include redness, swelling, or a fever
• Bruising that doesn’t fade after several days

The results of an EMG test are usually available around 48 hours after the test. You’ll go over the results with your specialist or primary care provider during a follow-up visit.

Coping While You Wait for EMG and Genetic Test Results

Between testing appointments and follow-up visits, you might feel some heightened emotions because of the uncertainty about your health and your future. It’s completely reasonable to feel stress while waiting for test results that could be life-changing.

As you wait for answers, it may help to lean on family and friends who can talk you through the uncertainty. If you have family members with muscular dystrophy, they might be able to give you advice for coping based on personal experience.

You may be able to find muscular dystrophy advocacy groups that can offer specialized support. Otherwise, individual therapy or counseling can give you an outlet to discuss any uncertainty.

If your thoughts are racing and you need instant relief, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness can help you relax in a pinch. Remember that what you’re feeling is normal, and that your care team can walk you through the next steps no matter the results.