Indications For Testing

HOME
YOUR DOCTORS!
Dr. Miller
Dr. Morris
TESTS PERFORMED
INDICATIONS FOR TESTING
PATIENT INFORMATION

Indications for Electrodiagnostic Testing: » Confirm diagnosis of neuropathy, radiculopathy or plexopathy. » Evaluation of radicular pain without any definite clinical signs of radiculopathy. » Evaluation of pain radiating in a particular nerve distribution suggestive of localized neuropathy that without any definite clinical signs supporting it. » To demonstrate nerve compression in the degree of compression. » To localize an area of injury along the course of the nerve. » To assess the degree of injury to nerve. » To monitor recovery from a nerve injury. » To monitor recovery from surgery for compression neuropathy. » To assess the degree of recovery after surgery for radiculopathy or neuropathy before final release. » To assess the type of peripheral neuropathy and its severity. » To monitor peripheral neuropathy. Value of electrodiagnostic tests: » Improve patients care by providing objective information that could lead to therapeutic decisions that will result in a more successful treatment plan. » Provide objective information to increase accuracy of the prognosis. » Document pathological changes in patients with negative imaging studies. » Document nerophysiological abnormalities in patients with abnormal imaging study (CT or MRI) since abnormal MRI and CT can be observed in normal individuals. » Substantiate without the appropriateness of care provided or to be provided. » Evaluate severity of injuries for appropriate settlements. » Documentation of abnormalities when IME's opinion is adversarial. » More comprehensive evaluation of patients when they feel their progress to be slow or has reached a plateau.

Symptoms that may lead to indications for tests:

Neck pain	Leg or foot cramps	Shoulder pain
Pins/needles in extremities	Neck pain radiating to arms	Low back pain
Weakness of extremities	Low back pain radiating to legs	Wrist pain
Weakness specific to hands	Muscle atrophy in extremities	Wrist drop
Numbness in extremities	Pain/numbness little finger & elbow	Hand pain
Pain radiating to gluteal area	Sensory loss of extremities	Foot drop/pain

CUSTOMARY DIAGNOSIS:
UPPER EXTREMITIES:

Neuropathy of upper limb	Cervical radiculopathy	Brachial plexopathy
Median nerve neuropathy	Nerve root compression	Ulnar nerve neuropathy
Cervical myelopathy	Wrist drop	Thoracic outlet syndrome
Radial nerve neuropathy	Mono neuritis multiplex	Carpal tunnel compression

LOWER EXTREMITIES:

Lumbar radiculopathy	Lumbosacral plexopathy	Mono neuritis multiplex
Sciatic neuropathy	Radial neuropathy	Tibial neuropathy
Tarsal tunnel syndrome	Flipped drop	Thoracic myelopathy
Lumbar myelopathy	Cauda equina syndrome	Plantar nerve neuroma/neuralgia