EMG muscle scanning: comparison to attached surface electrodes

Electromyographic (EMG) muscle scanning measures brief samples of integrated muscle action potentials from individual muscles using a hand-held scanner with post-style electrodes. This "scanning" technique is widely used by biofeedback practitioners to quickly assess muscle activity in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders. In an effort to compare muscle scanning with the established technique using attached surface electrodes, ten healthy subjects (25-35 years old) were scanned using 2-second sampling at five bilateral muscle sites while simultaneously monitoring the same sites with surface electrodes. This was repeated using 10-second scanning samplings. Pearson's product-moment correlations between scanning for 2 seconds and prolonged surface recording at all sites were 0.54-0.89. Scanning for 10 seconds improved the correlations to 0.68-0.91. EMG scanning for 2 seconds compares favorably with attached surface electrode recording. Comparisons are further improved by 10-second scans.