Why would a neurologist order 3 tests: EMG, EEG & MRI?
The bedside manner of neurologists is notoriously bad. It looks like the neurologist hasn’t been able to even guess at the cause of your spasms, so he is gathering more information. There’s no need to be scared – this is an odd symptom, so the good thing is that it is not some obvious indication of a serious problem. The bad news is that it might be difficult or even impossible to figure out the cause. The three tests give different info – the EMG looks at local electrical impulses in the muscles – the spasms could be originating in the muscles themselves for some reason. The EEG characterizes your brainwaves/brain activity. An abnormal pattern of activity could show up and be a possible cause for the spasms. Something like narcolepsy can cause these spasms, and it would show up on an EEG. An MRI will show lesions, tumors, or physical abnormalities that could be the cause of an abnormal EEG. Something like multiple sclerosis would show up with an MRI. In the mean time, try taking a mag
