For Members:
- What is Nerve Conduction Study?
- A nerve is a group of long, thin fibres (thread like structures) that carry information or instructions between the brain and other parts of the body.
- Nerve signals are electrical impulses that travel quickly throughout your nervous system. Sometimes, problems with the electrical activity in the nerves can cause pain, tingling, or weakness in your muscles.
- Nerve conduction study (NCS) is the stimulation and recording of electrical activity of the nerves to determine normal activity, to explore abnormal findings, speed and strength of the impulse in the nerve.
- The test can tell if a nerve is damaged or not. It also helps in the differentiation between nerve and muscle disorders.
- This study involves activation of the nerves with a very small safe electrical pulse on several points on the skin of the limbs (legs and arms) to measure the responses obtained from nerves.
- Always check benefits and exclusion list in your health insurance policy. All eligible services/benefits require prior-approval from Nextcare.
- What are the Indications? Nerve Conduction studies are performed in following situations:
- Ongoing Pain or Cramping in the limbs.
- Continuous Tingling or Numbness of the limbs.
- Muscle weakness.
- Detection of the level of a nerve damage or defect.
- Determining the progress of nerve damage or improvement after treatment.
- Carpal Tunnel.
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.
- Pinched Nerve (Radiculopathy).
- Single nerve damage (Mononeuropathy).
- Multiple Nerve damage (Polyneuropathy).
- Gradual Muscle weakness and wasting (Motor neuropathy).
- Compression of nerve by blood vessels (Plexopathy).
- What are the common risks/complications?
- The amount of current given can be uncomfortable but it is safe and tolerable. Your treating physician should explain the procedure in detail.
- It is highly advisable, not to consume caffeine (tea/coffee) and avoid smoking before the test.
- In particular, there are no long term side effects of this study.
For Healthcare Providers:
Recommendations:
- All Nerve Conduction Studies (NCSs) require pre-approval from Nextcare.
- It is highly recommended that Physicians should test the fewest number of nerves, needed to assess or diagnose a medical issue when performing an NCS.
- NCS reports should document the nerves evaluated, the distance between the stimulation and recording sites, the conduction velocity, latency values, and amplitude.
- Motor Nerve Conduction Study (CPT codes 95900 and 95903) are performed by applying electrical stimulation at various points along the course of a motor nerve while recording the electrical response from an appropriate muscle. Response parameters include amplitude, latency, configuration, and motor conduction velocity.
- Sensory NCSs (CPT code 95904) is performed by applying electrical stimulation near a nerve and recording the response from a distant site along the nerve. Response parameters include amplitude, latency, configuration, and sensory conduction velocity.
- NCS Codes (BILL ONE CODE PER PATIENT PER DAY only).
| CPT |
Description |
Frequency |
| 95907 |
1-2 nerves |
Once per day per patient |
| 95908 |
3-4 nerves |
Once per day per patient |
| 95909 |
5-6 nerves |
Once per day per patient |
| 95910 |
7-8 nerves |
Once per day per patient |
| 95911 |
9-10 nerves |
Once per day per patient |
| 95912 |
11-12 nerves |
Once per day per patient |
| 95913 |
13 nerves or more |
Once per day per patient |
| 95900 |
Nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study, each nerve; motor, without F-wave study. |
Once only for each nerve even if multiple sites at same nerve tested. |
| 95903 |
Nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study, each nerve; motor, with F-Wave study. |
Once only for each nerve even if multiple sites at same nerve tested. |
| 95904 |
Nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study, each nerve; Sensory. |
Once only for each nerve even if multiple sites at same nerve tested. |
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