sEMG
What is sEMG?
At East Valley Family Healthcare, we understand that patients require solid, objective, physiological data to determine the best route of care. Surface Electromyography is one proven test
sEMG, which stands for Surface Electromyography is a computerized spinal examination which utilizes a 
sensing device that measures and evaluates the relative levels of electrical activity your muscles release when they are contracting, more commonly known as "muscle tension". It is similar in function to an ECG/EKG (Electrocardiogram), which measures heart muscle activity. Increased muscle tension is associated with misaligned vertebrae.
When patients present themselves with spinal bones (vertebrae) that are misaligned (subluxated), their spinal nerves can become irritated, leading to many negative effects. By interfering with the communication between the brain and the body, a Vertebral Subluxation leads to improper electrical impulses, which can lead to poor health.
Originally developed for use by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to measure the effects of zero gravity and fatigue on their astronauts, it has recently been shown to correlate with neurological reflexes that occur with injury. For our purposes, we are concerned with injury of the spine.
What do the colored bars mean?
Colors indicate levels of muscle tension (spasm): green is average or normal, purple is moderately high, and red indicates high levels of tension. Yellow readings indicate abnormally low or fatigued muscles, which may be a precursor to abnormalities. The arrows indicate an imbalance of muscle tone. The imbalances can indicate the presence of a Vertebral Subluxation. When correlated with X-Ray and other testing we perform, the sEMG gives us additional information to help correct the cause of your symptoms.
In essence, what the test does is measure the amount of muscle activity (or inactivity) going on within a particular group of muscles. If problems are long standing, abnormal muscle fatigue will be displayed in the graph. If problems are more recent, it will show up as abnormally strong, or in spasm. Usually when a muscle has spasms it is to protect a weakened joint and/or nerves. This is due to the laxity (stretching) that occurs in the damaged ligaments that hold the spine in place. Ligaments are somewhat elastic, much like a rubber band. If you have ever stretched a rubber band too far you noticed that it either broke or lost its normal ability to rebound back to the same level of tightness. In your body, the brain notices this loss of elasticity and the instability to the surrounding joints by creating muscle spasm to provide support and protection to these injured and loose areas. These abnormal patterns in muscle activity can give solid evidence that there may be nerve irritation. Both chiropractors and medical doctors have performed a tremendous amount of research to validate this fact.
Once the sEMG static scan is complete, the computer deciphers and interprets the information and displays it in a graphical format that is easy to understand for both the doctor and the patient.
MyoVision FAQ's
Q. Is the test painful?
A. No. It is totally non-invasive and does not cause pain or irritation. This makes it totally safe for infants, children, pregnant women or seniors. This also allows us to create an excellent treatment protocol if a patient is unable to be x-rayed, or does not need x-rays. It simply requires the placement of small probes against the skin, with the test taking only a few minutes to complete.
Q. Why is muscle activity important?
A. Muscles have a tendency to "brace" in response to misalignments known as Vertebral Subluxations. These subluxations interfere with how your nervous system works, affecting muscles, blood vessels, internal organs, and causing pain.
Q. How does this relate to chiropractic?
A. Vertebral subluxations reduce your body's ability to maintain its health. When vertebral subluxations are present, the nervous system is negatively affected resulting in increases or decreases in muscle activity. The sEMG shows the muscular component of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. Our jobs as chiropractors is to detect and correct these vertebral subluxations by a simple and effective procedure called an "adjustment" that restores healthy joint motion and nerve transmission. The MyoVision scan helps show where and when the body is "out of alignment". Follow-up scans demonstrate when your problem has been corrected.
Other facts about MyoVision:
*It was designed by a NASA trained sEMG researcher who specialized in the development and manufacturing of sEMG.
*It is the only chiropractic instrument to have all research papers published in well-respected journals by researchers with no financial ties to the company.
*It is the only multifunctional sEMG with research data of high enough caliber to be considered admissible in court.
*It was recently awarded a unanimous Superior Court (USA) victory as being medically valuable.
Call Today to Schedule your sEMG exam, 480-821-9388
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