Deciphering EMG Results

JerseyDreamer

Active member
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone can help me understand the EMG of my atrophied hand. It says "This is an abnormal study consistent with multiple level cervical polyradiculopathy more on the left. There is also, a median motor neuropathy on the left and a relative right ulnar motor neuropathy below the help."Not seeing my neurologist for a month and would love help in deciphering this instead of going to google. My atrophy is mostly between my thumb and forefinger and is like a deep hole. Anyone with any knowledge would be so helpful. My health anxiety is not good with words such as motor, abnormal, etc. Thank you in advance
 
PM to Twitchydoc, he is a neurologist and can explain you all in the details.but for me as a medical translator the summary means you have compression related issue in your neck in several vertebral units (multiple level cervical radiculopathy, inflammation or compresson of nerve roots right at the spine level) - some people have radiculitis in the lumbar region but some in the neck too as this is the most compressed part of upper spine, and also you have ulnar nerve compression trauma in the right arm. You also have a median nerve neuropathy wich is another local issue, median nerve runs in the upper limb and innervated as far as I understan moslty a middle part of the palm.its damage may be realted to the radiculopathy or be a separate compression or inflammation trouble.Neither of those diagnoses does not seem to be an MND as we mean it - ALS or MS, as it is all purely local. however, as I said here many times, local traumas are causing the same issues as lower motor neuron units damage - atrophy, clinical weakness, discoordination. The only difference is that local trauma is often reversible. here is a wiki about radiculopathy. It has a huge part called rehabilitation which is a good sign.looks like tere is something really has to be reviewed in your life in order to understand why your upper limbs and neck are afected so severely - it might be a sport, a workload, an old trauma, a posture etc.
 
Thanks guys and I really appreciate the time you took however, Yuli, you said "doesn't seem to be ALS or MS" which, as you can imagine, is scary for someone with health anxiety. Any thoughts??
 
sorry if my words were a source of anxiety for you. Had no intent to cause it of course.please note also that your ENG summary has even no suggestion of any MND which means the doctors did not suspect nmothing like this.local traumas - carpal/ulnar compression ans spinal stenosis are the most frequent reasons for pain, atrophy and even paresis in otherwise healthy people.
 
Guess I just need to keep telling myself that I have soMuch pain in my hand that is atrophied and lots of sensory issues which hopefully is t my cervical herniated disc c5/c/6. Just so scary to see the atrophy and a recent emg that changed so much from 15 months ago. Not to mentioned the diagnosed arthritis in the same hand. Ugh....
 
Hey everyone's neurologist emailedme with the below information which ofCourse made me feelBetter and hopefully maybe help someone else. AsAlways you guys are the best ..."The EMG from the Englewood doctors does NOT show ALS. ALS is not a neuropathy which they say she has slightly and ALS is not a radiculopathy. So the latest EMG is not ALS ."
 

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