The Mysterious Foot Drop (AKA, When the Fibular Nerve Throws a Fit)
By Drayton Perkins, PT, DPT, ECS | EMG Solutions Let’s walk through a case that came through the clinic recently. It’s a great example of how electrodiagnostic (EDX) testing helps narrow down differentials and gives us clarity when the presentation isn’t totally textbook. Presenting Symptoms A 37-year-old female came in with an 8-day history of […]
Sciatica or a Pinched Nerve? Decoding the True Source of Your Pain
By Kyle Martinos, PT, DPT, ECS Many patients are told, “You have sciatica.” You have lumbago, a lumbar radiculopathy, you have a pinched nerve in your lower back, a slipped disc, neuralgia, spondylosis… the list seems to go on and on. These injury designations are often used interchangeably and seem to be the same thing, […]
How Can the EMG Exam Be Normal When I Have Radiating Back Pain?
By John Lugo, PT, DPT, ECS Lumbar radiculopathy, a prevalent neurological condition, is characterized by compression or irritation of a spinal nerve root. This condition often manifests as radiating leg pain, motor weakness, sensory disturbances, and diminished reflexes. Accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate management, and electrodiagnostic studies—particularly needle electromyography (EMG)—are commonly employed toevaluate suspected […]
My Muscles Are Twitching: When Should I Be Concerned?
By Kyle J. Martinos PT, DPT, ECS I often get muscle twitching in random muscles, at random times. It might be in my right triceps one day, in my left quadriceps the next, and then in one of my hands. It normally lasts from a few seconds up to a few hours at a time. […]
Why Can’t I Lift My Foot: When Gravity Wins
By Drayton Perkins, PT, DPT, ECS Foot drop—when you suddenly cannot lift the front of your foot—can be alarming. This condition often leads to an increased fall risk as well as an unusual gait pattern where one has to lift the knee higher to avoid dragging the foot, known as a “steppage gait.” But what […]
Comparing Electrodiagnostics (EMG/NCS) to Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Evaluation of Lumbosacral Radiculopathy
By Daniel Trapp, PT, DPT Low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy are common conditions affecting the general population. Low back pain has a prevalence of 10%-30%, and lumbar radiculopathy has a prevalence of 3%-5% [1]. Differentiating between low back pain and lumbar radiculopathy can be tricky, as low back pain is often used to describe […]
Suprascapular Neuropathy
There are many causes of shoulder pain because of the plethora of structures that are involved with passive and active stability and mobility of the glenohumeral joint, clavicle, scapula, and cervical spine. Of the many causes of pain, weakness, or dysfunction in the shoulder, one to consider is a suprascapular nerve compromise or neuropathy. In […]
The “Ulnar Hand:” Three Case Studies
The human nervous system is an intricate thing, with nerve signals twisting and turning through structures called columns, roots, trunks, and cords on their way from the brain to the extremities and back again. As complex as this labyrinth is, in most people its twists and turns are nearly identical. This allows an electromyographer to […]
Results of a Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery
The most common cause for numbness, tingling, and pain of the hand is due to a compressed median nerve at or through the carpal tunnel.1 There are many clinical tests that can be performed to aid in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, including the square sign test, carpal tunnel compression test, Phalen’s test, or […]
