Is an EMG (electromyography) painful?

Right on brother!!

Who is treating you at Duke? I'm in Cary, NC. Am already in the Duke system as a patient in other departments.

Have had done at least three times. It was painful each time tested an area, but was quick. They got some very useful info about my condition. I’d suggest you have it done if you think they might find something that would help them better treat you. Best to you!

Dr. Lisa Hobson-Webb

The EMG test is not something that will cause great pain. It can be a little uncomfortable but quick and useful.
It is not something to skip because of pain. Ask any woman who has had a child about EMG pain as I did and you will get the stink eye. It’s not that bad. My advice since you asked “Go get it done. 😀”. Let us know how it goes.

Try pain meds and a lorazepam that help me and think about your happy place. It's better than a punch test 😁

I have had more painful blood tests, than my last EMG. If we were talking about how they did the test 30 years ago, I would not do that version of the test ever again (never ever). The last (a year ago) was not excruciating, more like a cat kneading you and not letting go. Not fun, but there is an end in sight. I could go on... believe in yourself and it can be done.

I have had two EMG's. To me they were very uncomfortable, but not as painful as when my hip replacement dislocated 4 times in 9 weeks!

It depends on each person’s pain tolerance. I have little tolerance to pain unfortunately.
No one warned me how painful the EMG test would be when I had it done in 2023. I strongly recommend talking to your doctor about taking pain medication beforehand. During the test, I screamed and cried every time the doctor inserted the long needle into my muscles, it was excruciating. The pain was so intense that the test couldn’t be completed fully.
According to the doctor who performed it, the partial results were probably acceptable. But I still wonder if my diagnosis was ever fully determined because of the incomplete test.
I have continued experiencing numbness and tingling in my feet and the lower part of my legs. When my circulation gets bad, my left hand also goes numb. This all started after I experienced an intense, 45-minute episode of cramping in my legs and feet following a bike ride.
If you’re facing an EMG, I wish you the best and please prepare yourself. I wish someone had told me what to expect.

I have had 5 EMGs over the last 3 years. As the shock part of the test it can be very uncomfortable, but it does not last forever. It is a very important diagnostic test.