How a Nerve Conduction Study is Performed?
• For this test, several flat metal disc electrodes are attached to the skin. A shock-emitting electrode is placed directly over the nerve to be studied, and a recording electrode is placed over the muscles supplied by that nerve. Brief electrical pulses are administered to the nerve, and the time it takes for the muscle to contract in response to the electrical pulse is recorded. The speed of the response is called the conduction velocity. The corresponding nerves on the other side of the body may be studied for comparison. • Nerve conduction studies are usually done before an EMG if both tests are being performed on the same day. Nerve conduction testing may take from 15 minutes to 1 hour or more, depending upon how many areas of the body are studied. • With the nerve conduction studies, you will feel a brief, burning pain, a tingling sensation, and a twitching of the muscle each time the electrical pulse is applied. This testing can also be quite uncomfortable. How is a CPT Exam Per
