EMG

OMNI specialists use Electromyography (EMG) as a diagnostic tool to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells (motor neurons) that control them. Motor neurons transmit electrical signals that cause muscles to contract. An EMG uses tiny devices called electrodes to translate these signals into graphs, sounds or numerical values that are then interpreted by a specialist.

During a needle EMG, a needle electrode inserted directly into a muscle records the electrical activity in that muscle. A nerve conduction study, another part of an EMG, uses electrode stickers applied to the skin (surface electrodes) to measure the speed and strength of signals traveling between two or more points. An EMG can help pinpoint the cause of numbness or paralysis, weakness or spasms, and the cause of pain in the arms, hands, legs, feet and face.