Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, including details on symptoms, causes, trauma, diagnosis, physiotherapy.

Impact of electromyographic findings on choice of treatment and outcome.

Rigler I, Podnar S

Institute of Clinical Neurophysiology, Division of Neurology, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The subsequent clinical course of patients examined in the EMG laboratory has not been adequately studied before. It is not known how EMG findings in practice affect patients' final diagnosis, treatment and outcome. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that EMG results have an important impact on the choice of patients' treatment and on outcome. Three years after EMG examination, a short questionnaire asking about initial symptoms, the final diagnosis, treatment and current symptoms was sent to 300 consecutive EMG patients. Responses concerning 186 of them (39% men) were received either from patients and/or from their referring physicians. Information obtained during EMG examination was also added. Data was analyzed using methods of bivariate and multivariate statistics. We found that patients with a pathologic EMG had a better clinical outcome 3 years later. Pathologic EMG has an independent effect, pointing to more favorable disease courses, which was further improved by more active treatment approaches received by these patients. The study demonstrated the important impact of EMG findings on the treatment choice and clinical outcome in population consisting mainly of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy. Studies in other patient populations are needed.

Published 27 June 2007 in Eur J Neurol, 14(7): 783-7.
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