Published in UAB Insight, Spring 2008
Electrodiagnostic Studies, Musculoskeletal Evaluations, Occupational Medicine, Physical Therapy
At UAB Highlands’ new electromyography (EMG) lab physicians evaluate neuromuscular symptoms to diagnose, confirm, or rule out suspected neurological or muscular disorders. The lab offers comprehensive electrodiagnostic services, combining nerve conduction studies and needle EMG with patient histories and physical examinations.
“EMG lab physicians use this information to form a complete clinical interpretation that defines diffuse versus focal abnormalities as well as the severity of a patient’s disease,” says physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and EMG Lab Director Paige C. Roy, MD.
Typical indications for consultations are numbness, tingling, pain or cramping, or weakness in the extremities. The lab accepts referrals for adult and adolescent patients. “We evaluate entrapment neuropathies such as carpal and tarsal tunnel syndromes and issues involving the brachial plexus or nerve roots in the lumbar or cervical spine,” Roy says. “We also encourage referrals for more diffuse problems such as polyneuropathies, myopathies, and conditions that affect the neuromuscular junction such as myasthenia gravis.”
Roy and her EMG lab colleagues Mark Carter, DO, and Keneshia M. Kirksey, MD, also assess new problems in patients who have had previous surgeries, trauma, or entrapment neuropathies. Symptoms may be due to old problems but sometimes can indicate a new issue. “During patient evaluations we combine the clinical picture and the electrodiagnostic data to develop a comprehensive diagnosis. When it is clinically indicated, we go beyond more limited studies that might focus on a single area to look at multiple nerves and diffuse processes,” says Roy, who has completed several years of specialty training in EMG.
The Workplace
The EMG lab is part of the Workplace at UAB Highlands, a multidisciplinary facility that includes physical medicine and rehabilitation programs for individuals with musculoskeletal injuries. The Workplace accepts many insurers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, VIVA Health, Medicare, and others.
The Workplace also is home to SpineNet, an innovative program that serves as a single entry point to a network of experts who evaluate patients with back and spinal disorders for conservative and surgical care. Many patients with back pain benefit from conservative strategies including physical therapy, spinal manipulation, spinal and botulinum toxin injections, and nerve blocks.
The occupational medicine clinic offers walk-in care for individuals who are injured on the job and gives local businesses easy access to cost-effective services, from pre-employment screening to treatment for work-related injuries.
The Workplace’s clinic offers quick access to UAB physiatrists, anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, orthopaedists, physical and occupational therapists, and other specialists. The facility is located in Birmingham at 1201 11th Ave S in a neighborhood setting and offers convenient, no-cost parking to its patients. “We are here to serve the community — its businesses, residents, and referring physicians — by providing a one-stop shop for expert assessment and care for a range of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders,” says Workplace and SpineNet Program Director Michael W. Perley.
For more information:
www.theworkplace.net
205.933.5300
1.800.UAB.MIST
mist@uabmc.edu