Original scientific paper
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REDUCTION OF PAIN DURING ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND NERVE CONDUCTION STUDIES
Valentina Delimar
; Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation Krapinske Toplice, Krapinske Toplice, Croatia
Olga Miloš
; Community Health Centre Zagreb-East, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirea Hančević
; Clinic for Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Hrvoje Bilić
; Clinic for Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Magdalena Krbot Skorić
; Laboratory for Cognitive and Experimental Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Iva Milivojević
; Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation Krapinske Toplice, Krapinske Toplice, Croatia
Barbara Sitaš
; Clinic for Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Katarina Bilić
; Clinic for Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ervina Bilić
; University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Background: Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) are an unpleasant and sometimes painful
examinations. Pain can reduce patient’s compliance and have a negative effect on the examination results. Different studies rep ort
that music affects pain perception by acting as a distractor, by inducing positive emotional valence or through the concept of
convergence of different sensory modalities. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of music and different environment al and
sociodemographic factors on pain perception during EMG and NCS.
Subjects and methods: Sixty patients with suspected neuromuscular disease were randomized into music and control group.
Specific questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, examination waiting time, examination extent
and biometeorological forecast. The numerical rating scale was used for the evaluation of pain. The examiner evaluated patient’ s
compliance after the examination.
Results: NCS was less painful for patients in the music group (p=0.03), as well as for more cooperative patients (p=0.011). For
patients who previously underwent EMG/NCS, present NCS was more painful (p=0.001), regardless of the music intervention
(p=0.019). EMG was more painful for older patients (p=0.041). Patients with lower level of education reported lower pain during
NCS (p=0.026). Gender, financial satisfaction, biometeorological forecast, diabetes, depression or malignant disease, use and
dosing of analgesics or antidepressants, symptoms, examination waiting time and the examination extent had no effect on pain
perception.
Conclusions: Music significantly decreased the perception of pain associated with NCS, but not the EMG portion of the
examination. During EMG pain level was not significantly reduced, but the median of pain was still lower. Generally, the pain l evel
during NCS, unlike the one during EMG, was affected by patients' compliance, level of education and painful predetermination. W e
propose using music during EMG/NCS because it can make the examination more comfortable for the patient and thus contribute to
better quality of this examination.
Keywords
music; pain; electromyography; nerve conduction studies; electromyoneurography
Hrčak ID:
269455
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2019.
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