EMG test and nerve conduction study,
read by your physician.

These studies are considered for numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs; for a suspected pinched nerve in the neck or lower back; for carpal tunnel syndrome and other nerve entrapments; and for peripheral neuropathy. They help distinguish a nerve problem from a joint or muscle problem that can look similar.

Nerve conduction studies use small electrical pulses on the skin to measure how quickly and strongly signals travel; most people describe a brief tapping or snapping sensation. EMG uses a very fine needle electrode to listen to muscle activity at rest and with gentle contraction. The visit usually takes under an hour, and you can drive yourself home.

Electrodiagnostic testing is part of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Your physician adjusts the study in real time based on what it shows, then interprets the results in the context of your history and examination, rather than reading a report in isolation.

Findings help decide what comes next: rehabilitation, splinting, an image-guided procedure, or a surgical opinion only when nerve compression is significant and truly needs it. A normal study is useful too, because it points the search elsewhere.