Re: Re: Tethered Cord and EMG's

July 30, 2006

hmmmm........interesting. Are you aware of any medical references

surrounding this?

I wonder if this holds true in regards to(when an EMG is done after Surgery)

damage done by the Surgery itself, which can be the same type that Tethered

Cord can do itself, without Surgery?

I had an EMG about a Month or so after my last Detethering (because of the

Complications). I fought it, Dr. was, well, less than par.....and if I

remember correctly it was stopped early. Now I wonder, even more so, if that

was even useful or wise to have done?!? The results it did provide were

abnormal.

Me

Nebraska, USA

mymocha@...

I'm not sure how many in the group are aware that an EMG tests just

the peripheral nerves. My doc used the EMG as a dignostic tool to

help determine surgery. If your EMG comes back normal yet you have

decreased sensation or muscle tone it indicates that the issues is

with the central nervous system (spine or brain)supporting a Dx of

tethered cord. If my EMG had come back abnormal I would not have been

detethered because the test would have indicated the problem was not

in the spine. The unfortunate thing is it does not do much to help

determine where the central issue is. Sometimes the lack of signal

return from the cord can inidcate the level of tethering but the doc

who did mine said it doesn't happen that way very often. If your doc

uses a normal EMG reading to say you do not have tethered cord be

wary. I'm not saying that is the case for Kathy but I have heard it

from other people before so wanted to post the info.

July 31, 2006

Hi,

Does this apply to SSEP's too? My EMG was abnormal only because I do have a

problem with my left ankle because I did injure the nerve there when I tore

ligaments. That called it a mononeuropathy which means it is in one spot.

However, several orthopedics/neurosurgeons say that I do have a radiculopathy

(it causes pain, and pain points to radiculopathy from nerve root compression

and even tethered cord) stemming from my spine, numbness and tingling. Also,

they say I have left foot drop which is caused by spine too. When I had the

SSEP's done, they said it was normal. My neurosurgeon at Duke took the results

to mean I did not have tethered cord. However, I read that SSEP's are a poor

indicator for whether or not a patient does have tethered cord. Dr. B tells me I

have tight filum, nerve root compressions, annular tears, and herniations in

lumbar area. Can someone please clarify about the SSEP's and whether or not they

can/cannot indicate tethered cord?

Take care,

Life's Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,

but

rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, " WOW, WHAT A RIDE! "