Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Sep;54(3):422-6.
doi: 10.1002/mus.25069. Epub 2016 Feb 26.

Perception of pain during electromyography in children: A prospective study

Nahla M Alshaikh  1 , Jeimmy Pinzon Martinez  1 , Matthew C Pitt  1
Affiliations

Perception of pain during electromyography in children: A prospective study

Nahla M Alshaikh et al. Muscle Nerve. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Introduction: Electrodiagnostic examination is perceived as a painful examination. An accurate assessment of its discomfort would be valuable to children, their parents, and clinicians.

Methods: We performed a prospective study of pediatric patients seen over 3 months at 1 center. Pain was scored for both nerve conduction studies and needle electromyography (EMG) on validated scales, depending on the child's age and in comparison with venipuncture.

Results: In 100 cases the pain recorded fell within the moderate range on the scoring systems used. Sixty-six percent of patients described the pain to be equivalent or less than that with venipuncture. EMG of > 1 muscle or a proximal muscle produced more pain in patients <4 years of age.

Conclusions: When discussing the test with patients, the physician should reassure the patient and parents regarding the degree of pain that may be encountered, which is not materially different from venipuncture. Muscle Nerve 54: 422-426, 2016.

Keywords: FLACC; FPS-R; needle EMG; nerve conduction study; pain scores; pediatrics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Balancing placebo and nocebo effects during electromyography in children.
    Ruan X. Ruan X. Muscle Nerve. 2016 Oct;54(4):811. doi: 10.1002/mus.25161. Epub 2016 May 30. Muscle Nerve. 2016. PMID: 27121028 No abstract available.
  • Reply.
    Alshaikh NM, Martinez JP, Pitt MC. Alshaikh NM, et al. Muscle Nerve. 2016 Oct;54(4):812. doi: 10.1002/mus.25165. Epub 2016 May 30. Muscle Nerve. 2016. PMID: 27126458 No abstract available.