TAMC offers new resource for diagnosis
of acute musculoskeletal illnesses, injuries
PRESQUE ISLE — TAMC Orthopedics and Sports Medicine offers Aroostook County residents a new resource for diagnosing musculoskeletal illnesses and injuries. Dr. Anna Nikachina, MD, is now performing electromyography (EMG) at TAMC’S Orthopedics and Sports Medicine facilities.
Dr. Nikachina is one of only two Aroostook County providers who offer EMG, both of which are part of TAMC’s active medical staff. She also serves as medical director for TAMC’s Rehab Services, the only accredited acute rehab north of Bangor.
An EMG is a low-risk diagnostic procedure used to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. Your provider may order an EMG if you have signs or symptoms that may indicate a nerve or muscle disorder. Some symptoms may include tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and muscle pain or cramping.
Using tiny devices called electrodes, an EMG transmits or detects electrical signals and records the electrical activity in that muscle. Another part of an EMG is a nerve conduction study that measures the speed and strength of signals traveling between two or more points. An EMG translates these signals into graphs, sounds or numerical values. Results can reveal nerve dysfunction, muscle dysfunction or problems with nerve-to-muscle signal transmission.
EMG results are often necessary to help diagnose or rule out a number of conditions. Some conditions include muscle disorders, diseases affecting the connection between the nerve and the muscle, disorders of nerves outside the spinal cord, or disorders that affect brain or spinal cord verve cells.
In July 2012, Dr. Nikachina became a member of TAMC’s active medical staff, joining orthopedic surgeons Dr. Merrill Hersey, Dr. William Rice and Dr. Russell Donnelly at the Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center.
From diagnosis to physical therapy, Dr. Nikachina, a physiologist, treats the entire patient, not just their symptoms, helping patients manage pain associated with musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. Dr. Nikachina concentrates on restoring a patient to their highest level of function. She works closely with the orthopedic surgical team as well as physical and occupational therapists to keep her patients active at any age. Dr. Nikachina provides expert diagnosis, injections, physical and occupational therapy plan of care, and prescription of prosthetics, assisted devices and/or orthotics.
For more information, or to find a health care provider, go to www.tamc.org.
