Comparison of the Effects of Vapocoolant Spray and Topical Anesthetic Cream on Pain During Needle Electromyography: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The study was conducted on patients with patients that underwent needle EMGs in the lower extremity between July and August 2011 at the university hospital. The patients were divided into a total of three groups by random assignment: a control group that did not receive pretreatment, a group that received ethyl chloride vapocoolant spray and a group that received topical anesthetic cream (EMLA cream®).The patients with spray group, they were sprayed with ethyl chloride vapocoolant spray for 5 seconds from a distance of 30 cm just before the needle EMG, and patients with EMLA cream, they received an application of topical anesthetic cream on the needle electrode insertion site 60 minutes before the needle EMG. The 37-mm monopolar needle electrode was vertically inserted into the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle in all patients.

To assess the degree of pain for each group, patients were asked to indicate their level of pain on a 100 mm VAS (0, no pain; 100, worst intolerable pain) after the needle EMG in the gastrocnemius muscle.

In both experimental groups, a 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate patient satisfaction with the pain reduction method used and their willingness to use the same analgesic method in another EMG.