Your Appointment

What to bring to the appointment

Please arrive a few minutes before your appointment with a valid Health card, WSIB number if relevant, your list of medications, and your usual mobility aids (cane, walker, brace). During most appointments, the physician will listen to your concerns, ask additional questions and examine you. If you are being seen for an upper limb problem, please wear a T shirt or sleeveless shirt. If you are being seen for a lower limb problem, please bring shorts. Gowns are available, if required. If nerve conduction studies and an EMG are to be performed, please avoid applying a skin moisturizer to your legs, feet, arms and hands. Moisturizers adversely alter the electrical conductivity of the skin.

Electrodiagnostic studies

Some patients will require electrodiagnostic studies. Nerve conduction studies and needle EMG studies are used to help diagnose nerve and muscle damage. In nerve conduction studies, nerves in an arm/leg are electrically stimulated and responses are recorded in a hand/foot. EMG stands for electromyography. In EMG studies, a small accupuncture sized needle is placed in a muscle and the electrical activity within the muscle is measured.

After the appointment

At the end of the appointment, the physician will discuss the results of the testing with you and will discuss next steps, such as further investigations, treatments and follow up. A consultation report will be sent to your doctor and to any other caregivers, if you provide consent to do so. The report is usually faxed to your doctor within one day.