What Electroneuromyography Is — and What It Is (and Isn't) For

Electroneuromyography (ENMG) is a neurophysiological study that evaluates the peripheral nervous system — nerves, muscles, and the neuromuscular junction. It has two parts: nerve conduction studies, using short surface electrical stimuli, and needle electromyography, using single-use electrodes placed in the muscle.

It is indicated to investigate weakness, numbness, tingling, and neuropathic pain, and to differentiate polyneuropathies, radiculopathies, myopathies, myasthenia gravis, ALS, and compressive neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

It is equally important to know what ENMG does not do: it does not evaluate the central nervous system, does not diagnose migraine, does not replace MRI, and is not a screening test. It is a complementary study, always interpreted together with the clinical assessment.

The quality of an ENMG depends deeply on who performs it. Proper technique, the right choice of which nerves to study, and careful interpretation make all the difference between a useful report and one that merely lists numbers.