"mild ulnar neuropathy"

[lotusbri]

I guess that first EMG wasn't as clean as I first thought. I finally got the transcript from the states and everything looked good until the summary at the bottom which said "mildly abnormal" and listed ulnar neuropathy. At the time the doc dismissed it as carpel tunnel.

Crap!

Am I in the dirty category now? I swear my anxiety is going to kill me tonight : (

 

[Tokahfang]

EMG's aren't "clean" or "dirty", those are just terms used with worriers. EMG's either do or don't detect abnormalities. Remember, they are used for diagnosing many more conditions than just ALS! It's your anxiety that is warping your thought to think all abnormalities point ALS-ward. Stay with us, don't go into that spiral.

Neuropathy is one of the major things EMGs are used to detect. Your ulnar nerve is how you move and feel things in a large part of your hand. Ulnar neuropathy can be caused by things as diverse as malnutrition, cut off blood supply, nerve entraptment, things that cause general neuropathies (diabetes, for instance), smoking.... check out wiki's list, it's huge. Notice ALS isn't on that list, nor is any other motor neuron disease.

Docs understand neuropathies pretty well, you should have some treatment options. Just try and keep your head, the more sane you can stay the better the process will go.

 

[wright]

Ulnar neuropathy is as common in adults as the air we breathe. It means absolutely nothing!

 

[lotusbri]

Yes I can definitely gather that, however does that make my EMG dirty?

Thank you for the response!

 

[wright]

Yes, it's a little "dirty" . . . but whoopty doo; it means absolutely nothing.

 

[lotusbri]

Thank you Wright. I guess I'm just adding it all up, like pieces to a puzzle. I was clinging to the idea of clean EMG no ALS, but it's a little dirty, and then these latest set of symptoms make me catatonic with fear. Main issue is my back. I am in significant pain, but I believe the pain comes from me struggling to hold myself upright as my neck and core constantly feel like they want to crumple. I've been trying to read as much as possible here, but I mainly here about arms, legs, fingers, feet. I haven't seen too much about backs? Anyway, neuro appointment is tomorrow. I need to be up in a few hours for the flight, but here I sit staring out the window, paralyzed with fear, admonishing myself for being such a worrier (hey I'm a Virgo!) and just hanging on everyone's words here.

Thank you for your patience. I know it's difficult.

 

[wright]

Your EMG is not the EMG of someone with ALS. It's not even close.

You don't have ALS. It's as simple as that.

Read those two lines over and over again.

R . . . E . . . L . . . A . . . X

 

[Toto's Dorothy]

Thanks Wright. You're the man.

Lotus, please, please listen to Wright. He's our go to guy. There are many reasons for an abnormal emg and as Wright said, many levels too. I will take your results anytime!

 

[lotusbri]

Thank and blessings to you both!

 

[notme]

It means there is a mild issue with your ulnar nerve bei g trapped somewhere. Commonly in the elbow. See an ortho if you're concerned. Has nil to do with ALS at all. Not the ALS 'dirty' we talk about here.

 

[Tokahfang]

In case you missed it, as it was modded for a while, check out my reply much earlier about dirty vs clean.