Nearly 30% of the United States population experiences nerve pain (neuropathy) at some point.
If you’re not sure whether your chronic pain stems from nerve damage, diagnostic testing is available at the offices of Steven Grossinger, DO, in Wilmington, Delaware, and Springfield, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Grossinger is a pain management expert who specializes in electromyography (EMG) technology to confirm or rule out nerve damage as the cause of your pain.
Nerve pain can result from trauma to your body, such as a bad fall, car accident, or sports injury. You might also have chronic nerve pain because of an underlying illness.
As many as 50% of people with diabetes develop nerve pain (diabetic neuropathy) as a complication of the disease. Other conditions that can contribute to nerve pain include:
Autoimmune disorders like chickenpox, Lyme disease, and shingles can also cause chronic nerve pain.
You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at our office if you experience any symptoms of neuropathy that you can no longer treat on your own. Testing is also advisable if your pain limits your physical activities or affects your quality of life.
Early warning signs of nerve damage can include recurrent pins-and-needles sensations in your arms, hands, legs, feet, back, or neck. Symptoms can become progressively worse and cause weakness or numbness in the area of the damaged nerve.
If you have severe nerve damage, you might have more intense nerve pain that feels like a burning, stabbing, or throbbing sensation. Pain can also feel like a jolt of electricity with certain movements.
An EMG is a minimally invasive test that helps Dr. Grossinger assess your nerve function. During your procedure, we insert a needle electrode into your muscle to record the electrical activity when your muscle is at rest and when it contracts.
We also apply electrode stickers to the surface of your skin to evaluate how fast your signals travel between two or more points.
After your EMG is complete, Dr. Grossinger carefully reviews your test results to identify abnormal patterns that can indicate nerve damage.
Most people can get right back to their usual routine following an EMG.
If your EMG shows nerve damage, Dr. Grossinger can discuss your options for treatment. You might also need additional diagnostic testing if an EMG doesn’t provide enough information.
We offer several effective treatments to relieve chronic, nerve-related pain. Depending on the underlying cause of your neuropathy, you may benefit from oral medications or steroid injections to reduce inflammation and pain.
Dr. Grossinger also specializes in regenerative medicine therapies that harness your body’s own power to heal itself. We inject platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells that come from your blood to heal damaged nerves and soft tissues.
The regenerative medicine approach can reduce your reliance on pain-relieving medications. You might also be able to avoid surgery and still find long-term pain relief.
To schedule an EMG for chronic nerve pain, call the office of Steven Grossinger, DO, nearest you today.
