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suga1

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Dear All,Let me tell you all first a big HI and thanks for all your posts. It is fantastic to have this AboutBFS rock. I have been reading for months, and this is is my first post.A quick question about EMG after a normal neurological (clinical) exam.I had a normal neurological exam last week in our new place. I am experiencing very reduced twitches, but sciatica-like pain form buttocks to sole of the foot , and I wanted this to be checked. I was at first very relieved when my new neuro told me that it was normal, that there was no need for EMG. On second thoughts however, I remember him saying things like: "I'm pretty sure you don't have ALS" (instead of "you definitely don't have it") or "no one can say for 100% sure that someone has no ALS" etc....which, now that I think about it, puts my anxiety almost back to the roof. Well maybe not to the roof, but to the second or third floor. I thought EMG could rules things completely out? I had one normal neuro exam and EMG last July when twitches started, one normal neuro exam last December and one normal exam last week, but no EMG since last July. Is it your experience that EMG is not always needed or prescribed after a normal neurological exam / no weakness, no atrophy, no nothing but the pain/aches?Thanks in advance to all
 
Welcome JejeIt is said you do not need an EMG with a normal neuro exam. Usually the doctor will do it only when the patient requests/demands it, or to put their mind to ease. It is also said a neuro can spot ALS very quickly when the patient walks into his/her office. It is true in medicine they can't guarantee anything, so that is why they never give a 100%..But if your neuro says you don't need an EMG, he is pretty sure you don't have anything sinster.Terri
 
Jeje,I began this journey last September and have had three clean neuro exams. I've seen my neurologist probably 5 times or so in the last 8 months and each time he has said adamently no als. Anyway, my last exam was in February 2008 and he indicated you're healthy and I see no reason to conduct any further testing i.e. EMG/NCV. As we continued to talk I expressed my fears of als. He finally said "well let's do and EMG so you can be reassured". So he had no intention and saw no need to give me an EMG until I showed a heightened level of fear. By the way, the EMG/NCV test was clean.......just as he predicted.CDC
 
Hi jeje--I'd also say that with a normal EMG last July and normal clinical exams some 8 months later, you are in the clear and your doc knows it. If you had something sinister when the twitching laid on, the rule of thumb is that you would have serious weakness and other symptoms just a few months afterward, if not sooner. So, with a clean EMG (which means no ALS) and 8 months later, good clinical exams, it's no wonder to me, anyway, that your doctor doesn't see the need for another EMG.You are A-OK!Mark
 
Thank you guys. I *know* you are right and I *know* the neuro knows better, but with this sciatica pain I can't help but think that my knee muscles are being turned into mashed potatoes etc etc.... It's really surprising how I'm having a hard time letting the ALS fear go...Last July I had ALS major anxiety, conseling, behavioral therapy etc..It did not take too long for me to feel 'normal' again and I thought everything was in control in my mind, well, apparently I'm not quite there yet....
 
Don't feel bad about the relapse. It happens for many of us. If your neuro said no need for further testing. Take it to the bank. These guys have to watch out for malpractice and if there was ANY indication that further testing was needed, he would have you on the road. I have only seen my GP and my psych and neither of them saw anything to even indicate a referral. I got the thumbs up on both clinical exams. I was reading an article today about the various parts of the brain and what function they were responsible for and its a little clearer to me as to why a good clinical exam can tell the docs so much. The clinical exam may indicate something which turns out to be nothing, but I don't believe that it would indicate nothing that turned out to be something. ;) You are fine------Blessings,Cindy
 
jeje after all this time since your clean EMG and subsequent exams you are not convinced you are moving in the right direction you need to re-evaluate your thoughts. It appears that your fear is driving your decision process. I was n the very same boat and every now and then like every one else I get that new sxs and start to worry. The best thing to do it to take your clean bill of health and run. Not that you are not wanted but normally people learn this and you are at a point where you can make a jump straight to health. I can't say that for myself since I worried like many others over BFS/BCFS. Anyways my suggestion is to run like you were being chased by a bill collector.
 
Jeje,Doctors will always be non-commital in their wording in these litigious times. If he was really worried about you, I think you'd know it.Normal neuro exams plus no weakness or atrophy = gifts from God.Johnny
 
You don't have als. My neuro said a similar thing 3 years ago - I latched onto it and had panic for 2 years. You've even had several emgs...no worries at all.
 
Thanks y'all. Well I only had one EMG, at the onset of twitching, so that's what led me to ask the question about the need of additional EMGs after (normal) clinical exams. To follow up on the "most likely/certainly" semantic issues, I actually had the neuro call me back, and he told me that I was not followed for possible ALS, that an additional EMG was not needed in my case. When I asked him about this "uncertainty" about the benign diagnostoc, he told me that the probability to have ALS was so remote that he could tell me that indeed I don't have ALS. He almost yelled at me :), which is something I might have needed actually. Take care,Jeje
 
H'mm sciatica like pains from the butt to the sole of the foot, I have that and my GP says it is sciatica.In my experience Neuros only carry out EMG's because they think you won't go away unless they do. Actually I think they ought to carry them out as a matter of routine because I have more faith in the tests than the neuro's powers of diagnosis.
 

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