San Antonio EMG & Nerve Conduction Studies

Essential Diagnostic Tests From an Expert Neurologist

Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) are complementary diagnostic tests used to assess the health of nerves and muscles. These tests are complex, requiring thorough knowledge of the peripheral nervous system to accurately diagnose your symptoms and, perhaps more importantly, avoid overdiagnosis. It has been our experience that an EMG or NCS should be done by a subspecialist that has had at least 12 months of fellowship training prior to beginning practice.

Dr. Andrew Wong is a fellowship-trained and double-board-certified San Antonio Neurologist who devotes his time nearly exclusively to neuromuscular disease. His training, experience, and attention to detail ensure that a thorough investigation will be performed with the aim of finding (and hopefully treating) the correct diagnosis. Our team would like patients to be confident that they are receiving world-class care in a friendly and relaxing environment.

The EMG Procedure

An EMG consists of two vital components: A nerve conduction study and needle electromyogram.

A nerve conduction study involves the use of small, safe electrical pulses to determine functioning of both nerves and muscles. These pulses are placed at the expected site of common upper and lower extremity nerves, causing the nerve to fire. Electrodes are placed on the skin to record activity from either a muscle or further down an individual nerve.

An electromyogram (EMG) uses very small needles to assess whether muscles and nerves are properly communicating. The needle works as a recording device and transmits electrical signals that reflect resting muscle activity and muscle contraction, recording the strength and speed of those signals in real-time.

Overall EMG and NCS are low-risk procedures; however, they are not always painless. Patients sometimes report discomfort when the needles or electric pulse is introduced.

The key to minimizing discomfort during an EMG is expedience that is informed by experience. After all, only an experienced electromyographer will be able to quickly troubleshoot technical problems and use the minimal amount of stimulation possible. At our clinic, one can have confidence that Dr. Wong will only test when necessary as well as limit time spent during the test.

In addition to standard EMG tests, we also offer single fiber EMG for the diagnosis of Myasthenia. Our practice is one of the only EMG clinics in South Texas that offers this test