Generally, the pain level during NCS, unlike the one during EMG, was affected by patients' compliance, level of education and painful predetermination. During EMG pain level was not significantly reduced, but the median of pain was still lower. Music significantly decreased the perception of pain associated with NCS, but not the EMG portion of the examination.

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. Patients with lower level of education reported lower pain during NCS (p=0.026). EMG was more painful for older patients (p=0.041). For patients who previously underwent EMG/NCS, present NCS was more painful (p=0.001), regardless of the music intervention (p=0.019). NCS was less painful for patients in the music group (p=0.03), as well as for more cooperative patients (p=0.011). The examiner evaluated patient's compliance after the examination. The numerical rating scale was used for the evaluation of pain.

Specific questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, examination waiting time, examination extent and biometeorological forecast. Sixty patients with suspected neuromuscular disease were randomized into music and control group. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of music and different environmental and sociodemographic factors on pain perception during EMG and NCS. Different studies report 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. Pain can reduce patient's compliance and have a negative effect on the examination results. Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) are an unpleasant and sometimes painful examinations.

Emg painful