For patients

What to expect at your appointment

Nothing in the standard assessment involves a needle, an injection, a dye or radiation. You stay dressed, you lie down for most of it, and you go home able to drive.

Before you arrive

Most of the history is collected beforehand so the appointment itself is spent measuring rather than typing. You will be asked about symptoms, past medical history, family history, and — importantly — every medication and supplement you take, because several of them change what the autonomic measurements show. How to prepare has the full list.

The sequence

1. Height, weight, waist measurement, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation. Five minutes. These anchor everything that follows.
2. Body composition. You stand on a platform and hold two handles while a very small current passes through you. You will not feel it. About two minutes.
3. Vascular study. Cuffs go on both arms and both ankles, and optical sensors clip to a finger and a toe. The cuffs inflate firmly, one at a time, and release. This produces the ankle-brachial and toe-brachial indices, the pulse volume waveforms and the stiffness index.
4. Sudomotor assessment. You place your palms and the soles of your feet on metal plates for about three minutes. A very low voltage stimulates the sweat glands. Most people describe it as feeling like nothing at all.
5. Autonomic testing. You rest quietly while heart rate and pulse waveform are recorded, then perform simple maneuvers — deep timed breathing, standing up, and a brief controlled exhale against resistance. Each one asks the nervous system a different question.
6. Metabolic rate. You breathe normally into a mask or mouthpiece for around ten minutes while resting. Nothing is asked of you except to stay still and awake.
7. Balance and vestibular testing, if indicated. Eye movement recording and positional testing, usually under 25 minutes.
8. Cognitive screening, if indicated. A short structured pencil-and-paper assessment, roughly ten minutes.
9. Blood draw, if laboratory work has been ordered. An ordinary venous sample.

How long the whole thing takes

A full assessment occupies most of a morning or an afternoon. A focused assessment — say, vascular plus sudomotor because of numb feet — can be under an hour. The plan is agreed before you book, so you will know which it is.

Afterwards

You can drive, eat, work and exercise immediately. There is no sedation, no recovery period and no restriction on activity. Results are compiled into a single report and reviewed with a clinician; the report goes to whichever physician you name.

If you use a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or another implanted electrical device, say so when you book. Some of the assessments are adjusted or omitted.

If you are a clinician: the same subject written for the person ordering the test is at staffing and workflow.

Common questions

Does the sudomotor test hurt?

It is not painful. The current is very low and most people report feeling nothing. What the appointment feels like.

Will I be sedated?

No. Nothing in the suite requires sedation and there is no recovery period. Read the walkthrough.

Can I bring someone with me?

Yes, and it is a good idea if part of the visit is cognitive screening or balance testing. What happens before your appointment.

How soon do I get results?

Most of the in-office measurements are available the same day; laboratory work follows. How to read your report.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP, medical director of Measura. Last reviewed August 20, 2026.