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== Uses == | == Uses == | ||
FUCK!!! | |||
EMG can help to distinguish primary muscle conditions from muscle weakness caused by neurologic disorders. | EMG can help to distinguish primary muscle conditions from muscle weakness caused by neurologic disorders. | ||
It can be used to differentiate between true weakness and reduced use due to pain or lack of motivation. It is used to find causes of weakness, ], involuntary twitching, and abnormal levels of muscle ]s. It can help diagnose neuromuscular disorders such as ], ], nerve damage and muscle damage. See ]. | It can be used to differentiate between true weakness and reduced use due to pain or lack of motivation. It is used to find causes of weakness, ], involuntary twitching, and abnormal levels of muscle ]s. It can help diagnose neuromuscular disorders such as ], ], nerve damage and muscle damage. See ]. | ||
Electromyography is also used in ] studies and training. Electromyography training is a kind of biofeedback in which patients learn to control muscle tension in the face, neck, and shoulders. For example, such training is sometimes given to ] patients. | Electromyography is also used in ] studies and training. Electromyography training is a kind of biofeedback in which patients learn to control muscle tension in the face, neck, and shoulders. For example, such training is sometimes given to ] patients. | ||
== Normal results == | == Normal results == |
Revision as of 16:14, 2 July 2006
Electromyography (EMG) is a medical technique for measuring muscle response to nervous stimulation. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph, to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyograph detects the electrical potential generated by muscle cells when these cells contract.
Electrical Characteristics
Electrical source is the muscle membrane potential, about -70mV. Due to the applied method the resulting measured potentials might range between 50μV and 100mV.
Typical repetition rate of muscle unit firing is about 7-20Hz, depending of the size of the muscle (eye muscles versus seat (gluteal) muscles), previous axonal damage and other facts.
Uses
FUCK!!! EMG can help to distinguish primary muscle conditions from muscle weakness caused by neurologic disorders. It can be used to differentiate between true weakness and reduced use due to pain or lack of motivation. It is used to find causes of weakness, paralysis, involuntary twitching, and abnormal levels of muscle enzymes. It can help diagnose neuromuscular disorders such as Motor Neurone Disease, neuropathy, nerve damage and muscle damage. See #Abnormal results.
Electromyography is also used in biofeedback studies and training. Electromyography training is a kind of biofeedback in which patients learn to control muscle tension in the face, neck, and shoulders. For example, such training is sometimes given to migraine patients.
Normal results
Muscle tissue at rest is normally electrically inactive. After the activity caused by the trauma of needle insertion subsides, the electromyograph should detect no action potential. When the muscle is voluntarily contracted, action potentials begin to appear. As contraction is increased, more and more muscle fibers produce action potentials. When the muscle is fully contracted, there should appear a disorderly group of action potentials of varying rates and amplitudes (a complete recruitment and interference pattern).
Abnormal results
Abnormal results may be caused by the following medical conditions:
- Alcoholic neuropathy
- Axillary nerve dysfunction
- Becker's muscular dystrophy
- Brachial plexopathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Centronuclear myopathy
- Cervical spondylosis
- Common peroneal nerve dysfunction
- Denervation (reduced nervous stimulation)
- Dermatomyositis
- Distal median nerve dysfunction
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (Landouzy-Dejerine)
- Familial periodic paralysis
- Femoral nerve dysfunction
- Fields condition
- Friedreich's ataxia
- Guillain-Barre
- Lambert-Eaton Syndrome
- Mononeuritis multiplex
- Mononeuropathy
- Motor neurone disease
- Myasthenia gravis
- Myopathy (muscle degeneration, which may be caused by a number of disorders, including muscular dystrophy)
- Myotubular myopathy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Poliomyelitis
- Polymyositis
- Radial nerve dysfunction
- Sciatic nerve dysfunction
- Sensorimotor polyneuropathy
- Shy-Drager syndrome
- Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis
- Tibial nerve dysfunction
- Ulnar nerve dysfunction
References
- American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine
- MedlinePlus entry on EMG describes EMG
- EMG and Nerve Conduction education, training, and expert analysis of NCV reports
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center describes the electromyograph