Electrodiagnostic medicine is the medical subspecialty that applies neurophysiologic techniques to diagnose, evaluate, and treat patients with impairments of the neurologic, neuromuscular, and/or muscular systems.

An electrodiagnostic examination is a medical consultation in the specialized area of neuromuscular diseases using electrophysiologic techniques. The electrodiagnostic medicine consultant must be able to elicit the pertinent history and perform the necessary physical examination to define the clinical problem and differential diagnoses. The electrodiagnostic medicine consultant must then be able to select and perform a logical sequence of electrophysiologic tests and interpret the data to arrive at the probable diagnosis. Because the electrodiagnostic evaluation often must be modified during the procedure as findings unfold, a set protocol for all patients is inappropriate.

Qualified practitioners require knowledge in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, histology, and pathology of the brain, spinal cord, autonomic nerves, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, neuromuscular junction, and muscles. They must know clinical features and treatment of diseases of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, as well as those of neuromuscular junction and muscle. Practitioners also require special knowledge about electric signal processing, including waveform analysis, electronics and instrumentation, stimulation and recording equipment, and statistics.