Diagnostic Testing

Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography

The term "EMG" refers to a set of diagnostic procedures including nerve conduction studies and electromyography. These procedures can be extremely useful in the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders. A typical EMG study can last 30 to 60 minutes. It occurs with the patient lying down, while an EMG-trained physician administers a series of individual tests of nerve and muscle function. Most patients tolerate this procedure without difficulty. EMG studies have a special role to play in documenting whether accidents have resulted in nerve damage.

Nerve conduction studies involve stimulating specific nerves with low amounts of electrical current, and tracing the resulting electrical signal as it moves through a distant point along that nerve, or as it moves into a muscle supplied by that nerve. Electromyography studies involve the placement of thin needles into specific muscles, and listening to the electrical discharge patterns produced during insertion, rest, and activation of the muscle. Taken together, the EMG study produces data whose interpretation allows your physician to determine whether nerve or muscle damage exists. This information can help your physician better understand what's wrong, and how best to treat your condition.

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Ultrasound technology can be used for both diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Musculoskeletal ultrasound uses energy reflected back to a transducer to produce an image. The images can be used to assess muscles, tendons, bursae (lubricating sacs around certain joints), ligaments, nerves, skin, and bone. Musculoskeletal ultrasound offers a painless and inexpensive methods to assess shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, spine, hips, knees, ankles, and feet.

X-Ray

X-ray units send energy through tissues an onto a cassette holding special film. When processed, these films can tell a great deal about alignment of the bones making up the spine and joints, as well as the presence of bone fractures or of degenerative joint disease or various forms of arthritis. Films will also show calcification of soft tissues, and can reveal bone thinning or space-occupying lesions.

X-ray capabilities are extremely important in physical and chiropractic forms of medicine. They are routinely needed prior to the use of manipulation or mobilization techniques.

Bone Density

Bone density screening is needed to determine whether significant bone thinning has occurred as the result of aging, disease, medication use, or lack of exercise. Bone density can now be conveniently determined in office settings with tabletop units using peripheral DEXA technology. A form of very low dose x-ray technology is used to image the mineral density of a finger bone. Results show a 95% correlation with more extensive DEXA testing of the lower back and hip. If peripheral DEXA indicates significant osteoporosis, follow-up testing DEXA measurements of the lower back and hip may be recommended. Bone density screening is an important part of planning for osteoporosis prevention and reversal.

Gait Scanning

Computerized gait scanning can help identify asymmetries in gait capable of producing foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain. Problems with gait can even result in neck pain and headaches. For example, tarsal torsion can produce valgus stress on the knee, resulting in tension that can migrate up to the hip and lower back via the iliotibial band. Gait scanning can identify the problem at the foot level, resulting in computer-designed orthotics (shoe inserts) to correct the problem. When combined with a podiatry consultation, gait scanning can be a surprisingly effective treatment for chronic pain conditions involving the back or lower extremities.

Routine Lab Testing

Convenient, on-site lab testing is available at both locations, where blood and urine specimens can be obtained and sent to a fully accredited central reference laboratory which offers a full range of lab procedures. Lab personnel are also able to administer intravenous infusion therapies.

Functional Medicine Testing

A specialty of Illinois Multi-Med is our range of laboratory testing. We do both basic lab work and the sophisticated functional medicine testing done by such labs as Great Smokies. These tests often help reveal underlying causes for chronic, mysterious, or debilitating conditions. We also make them affordable, in case they are not covered by insurance.

Of special interest is the developing field of clinical genomics. Great Smokies has developed several genomic profiles that assess your genetic predispositions for heart disease, osteoporosis, detoxification abnormalities, and immune system imbalances. These tests are not covered by insurance, and are kept strictly confidential.