Finding the best carpal tunnel doctor to take care of your symptoms is a big step. You need to make the right choice because your hand's health depends on it.

There's no greater satisfaction than finding the right doctor for your surgery. And there's simply no substitute for an experienced and knowledgeable doctor. 

Choosing a great carpal tunnel doctor is the first and most important step in diagnosing and treating your condition. A doctor who knows this disorder inside and out is invaluable. But it’s unfortunate that some doctors don’t understand the basics of carpal tunnel syndrome. For instance, many primary doctors can't tell the difference between carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist tendonitis.

• FIND OUT: do you have carpal tunnel? No strings attached self-test.
  

Actually, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates that doctors who practice general medicine (i.e., who don’t specialize in hand disorders) misdiagnose another hand problem as carpal tunnel syndrome 83% of the time.

In other words, a patient diagnosed with carpal tunnel does NOT have it MOST of the time! (Even worse, carpal tunnel surgery is often recommended to them.)

The usual confusion doctors have is between carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and tendonitis. The symptoms of each condition are nearly identical. But most importantly, they're treated differently.

Therefore, the most experienced carpal tunnel doctor will know how to tell the difference by using the proper diagnostic methods.

Another alarming statistic comes from the National Institutes of Health and other medical resources. They estimate more than 50 percent of patients who undergo carpal tunnel release surgery to treat their symptoms don’t have carpal tunnel syndrome to begin with!

• That's 50% unnecessary surgeries!

Carpal tunnel release surgery is the second most common surgery in the USA today. So this statistic comes as no surprise given the wild over-diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome in recent years.

Therefore, be very skeptical if any doctor rushes to advise hand surgery without being absolutely sure this is the treatment you need.

One major issue that “experts” often ignore is that carpal tunnel syndrome is a disorder that has no cure. But in contrast, tendonitis is curable.

Also contrary to popular belief, no single factor (like repetitive stress) causes carpal tunnel syndrome. You’re either prone to getting it or you’re not.

• It’s very much like having diabetes: it’s a disease you’re either susceptible to getting or you’re not. Overeating can trigger diabetes if you're prone to getting it. But if you're not prone to diabetes, you can be massively obese but will never get it.

• Likewise, if you're prone to getting carpal tunnel syndrome, then stressing your hand can trigger its onset. But if you're not prone to getting carpal tunnel syndrome, all the hand activity in the world won't trigger onset.

Bottom Line: repetitive stress doesn't CAUSE carpal tunnel syndrome. It only triggers onset if you're prone to getting it. 

And like diabetes (treated with insulin), you can treat carpal tunnel syndrome with surgery or with non-surgical remedies.

Along these lines, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says that most nonsurgical remedies help patients with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Only the small proportion of patients where nonsurgical alternatives did not help them should consider hand surgery.

The differences between carpal tunnel syndrome and another hand pain condition are not usually clear-cut to most patients. But they’re obvious to anybody who truly understands disorders of the hand. Since symptoms can vary from one patient to another, an appropriate physical exam is necessary.

An experienced carpal tunnel doctor will perform a physical exam immediately. Then he or she will be able to pick up on what's causing your problem with precision, not guesswork.

Doctors who rely solely on electrodiagnostic testing (EMG) for carpal tunnel syndrome are gravely mistaken. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, in a large percentage of cases, EMG tests are not reliable.

That means the best diagnosis comes from the knowledge and experience. The best carpal tunnel doctor knows that, and will not rely on EMG testing for a diagnosis.

Remember, a correct diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (versus tendonitis, repetitive strain injury, fracture, sprain, etc.) is crucial. That’s because you can cure most of the those conditions, but you can’t cure carpal tunnel syndrome.



Be aware of these issues when you see a doctor for hand pain and other symptoms. Double-check the doctor’s advice. Learn what you can about what they're saying, and ask questions until you're comfortable. Remember, you must be your own healthcare advocate.

Finally, hand surgery obviously is very delicate. When it goes right you’ll probably be satisfied. However, so many things could go wrong and complications can arise. That inevitably results in absolute misery.

When searching for the best carpal tunnel doctor, make sure he or she offers the latest diagnoses and treatment plans. Most importantly, check that the doctor has extensive experience with hand issues. You want a doctor who has successfully treated thousands of carpal tunnel syndrome patients, not just a hundred. Yes, you’ll surely pay extra for a high-rated carpal tunnel doctor. But your hand is worth every penny.

Choosing the best carpal tunnel doctor you can find is crucial for treating your carpal tunnel syndrome. Mainly, look for somebody with a lot of surgical experience, and with up-to-date knowledge on the science.