The electrodes will be moved around, and the procedure repeated until the physician has the information needed regarding the nerves, their strength or any damage that they may have. This may be uncomfortable, like a quick shock, but should not be painful. The physician will apply electrodes to the body part to be tested and will run a mild current between the two electrodes. The patient will be laid on a table and made comfortable. Try to keep your hands and feet warm before the test. We also ask that you not wear rings, bracelets or a wristwatch to your test. We do ask that your skin be free from lotions, oils, or creams because they can interfere with the conductivity of the electrode pads. No special clothing, fasting, diet or drink is required. Notify your physician if you have a pacemaker or any other implanted electrical device. If you are on blood thinners other than aspirin, you may be asked to stop taking them for three days before this test, as it is typically done in conjunction with an EMG, which requires needle sticks and may cause bleeding.
Let your doctor know if you have any type of bleeding disorder. A NSC is typically ordered when these conditions are suspected: (this list is not all inclusive, but these are more commonly seen) The physician may ask the patient to perform certain physical movements and ask many questions about the problem but may want an objective measurement of the patient’s nerve response to confirm or rule out the suspected diagnosis. The Nerve Conduction Study is ordered by a physician typically when the patient describes a neuropathic or nerve-related pain, numbness, tingling or loss of function in a particular body part. In this article, I will discuss the NCS, why it is ordered, what to expect during the test and what the results will tell you and your doctor. The two tests are typically performed together. An NCS is part of a test called an EMG – Electromyography, which tests muscle interaction with nerves. We know how nerves function, where most nerves are “supposed” to be in the human body and we have averages for how quickly and strongly they should respond, so we can measure a patient against those standards to check for nerve damage. A Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) is basically that – a way of determining the speed and intensity of nerve signals being carried away from the brain, through the spinal cord and through the outlying nerve branches. Physicians order many diagnostic tests to help them pinpoint exactly what condition or illness a patient may have when the answer isn’t immediately clear.
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