These guidelines are designed to help providers determine when a referral for an electrodiagnostic medicine consultation may be useful for a patient. During the consultation, the provider evaluates nerve and muscle function, and this is a direct extension of the clinical history and neuromuscular examination. This list is not exhaustive but serves as a reference for frequently encountered problems.
Symptoms
Generalized Weakness
Diagnoses
Neuropathies Myopathies Motor system disease (i.e., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Neuromuscular junction disorder (i.e., myasthenia gravis)
Shoulder and arm pain, numbness, altered sensation (i.e., pins and needles), weakness, cramps, fasciculations, muscle atrophy or hypertrophy (focal or diffuse)
Diagnoses
Cervical radiculopathy Brachial plexopathy Polyneuropathy Focal neuropathy (i.e., carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve injury at the elbow, suprascapular nerve injury at the shoulder) Myopathy Motor system disease (i.e., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
Symptoms
Hip and leg pain, numbness, altered sensation (i.e., pins and needles), weakness, cramps, fasciculations, muscle atrophy or hypertrophy
Diagnoses
Lumbosacral radiculopathy Lumbosacral plexopathy Polyneuropathy Focal neuropathy (i.e., tarsal tunnel syndrome, femoral [focal or diffuse] mononeuropathy) Myopathy Motor system disease (i.e., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
Symptoms
Distal paresthesias
Diagnoses
Carpal tunnel syndrome Peripheral neuropathy
Symptoms
Cramps
Diagnoses
Peripheral neuropathy Motor neuron disease (early) Myopathy