Many people believe they have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The majority have been told by their medical doctor that they have CTS. Others have mistakenly concluded that because they have some numbness and tingling in their wrist or hand, they must have this neurological disorder. Still others have ongoing forearm, wrist, or hand pain (possibly localized to the thumb and/or index finger), and are led by articles they've read on the Internet to diagnose themselves with CTS. Almost all of this is in error.1,2
Why are so many diagnoses of this condition mistaken? The primary culprit is lazy clinical decision-making, compounded by a failure to understand correctly the workings of the musculoskeletal system. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a specific diagnosis which involves mechanical pressure on the median nerve as it passes through a small tunnel in the wrist created by tiny adjoining bones. There's not much room in this carpal tunnel and its dimensions can be narrowed further by inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Pregnancy can lead to CTS owing to increased fluid retention. Repetitive stress may lead to inflammation of tendons that cross the wrist. Such inflammation may lead to soft tissue swelling which compresses the carpal tunnel, causing CTS. Various other disorders should also be considered when CTS is suspected.
Importantly, CTS is not a catchall diagnosis to be used when a person has forearm, wrist, and/or hand pain. If a person really has CTS, he or she will have specific symptoms. The person will awaken at night owing to pain and/or numbness and tingling. Symptoms will be precisely located to the thumb and index finger (possibly involving the middle finger). Wrist pain may or may not be present. Also, the person will demonstrate a weakness of pinch grip involving the thumb and index finger. If these signs and symptoms are not present, the person does not have carpal tunnel syndrome. Usually, the diagnosis is clearcut and does not require special tests such as electromyography.
Remarkably, most physicians, regardless of specialty, are unaware of these important criteria. If the patient has pain and/or numbness in the hand, the patient has CTS. Case closed. This lack of sophistication leads to real harm done to the patient, such as unnecessary tests which waste time, cost a lot of money, and may result in damaging surgery which is not curative as it was directed at a problem that really wasn't there.
In marked contrast, chiropractors are highly trained in accurate analysis of musculoskeletal problems involving the shoulder, arm, and hand.3 When patients have symptoms mimicking those of carpal tunnel syndrome, chiropractors use their broad knowledge and experience to correctly evaluate the situation. For example, spinal dysfunction, muscle spasm, and trigger points can all cause symptoms which appear to be those of CTS. Chiropractors are able to see through this masquerade and effectively address the real underlying problems.
After opening its door in Pompano Beach thirty two years ago, another generation of Pine Chiropractic is in town. Dr. Ross Pine is partnering with his father, Dr. David Pine, who began his practice in 1978. They are committed to combining the traditional principles of chiropractic along with the latest state-of-the-art technology to improve the health and well being of the South Florida residents.
Dr. David Pine was born in Queens, New York and grew up in Port Washington on the north shore of Long Island. There he attended Paul D. Schreiber High School and was a member of the varsity tennis and soccer teams. Dr. David pursued his higher education at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. His extra-curricular activities included the varsity soccer team, a position as chairman of the university's concert committee, and membership in the ZBT fraternity.
The National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Illinois is where Dr. David completed his four year post graduate studies in order to receive his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees. By this time, Dr. David had met and married his wife, Dale, and together they moved to Florida to "thaw out." They co-authored a book entitled Fitness For Couples which endorses exercising with a partner to stay fit and combat the boredom of exercising alone. Their book was featured in "McCall's" magazine and on various television talk shows.
In November of 1978, Dr. David opened his chiropractic office in Pompano Beach. He became active in the community by lecturing and writing health articles for local newspapers and he also became the team physician for the Ely High School football team. Dr. David coached and sponsored a variety of local soccer and baseball teams and in 1994 he authored his second book entitled, 365 Good Health Hints which offers sensible tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Ross Pine is a wonderful addition to his father's well established and much respected practice. While attending Nova High School in Davie, Dr. Ross was a member of the National Honor Society and received numerous awards as an accomplished trumpet player in the high school's marching and jazz bands. He was also a member of the distinguished Florida Youth Orchestra. Dr. Ross earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Tulane University in New Orleans where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He pursued his post graduate studies at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois. In his final year he was a chiropractic intern for the Northwestern University Athletic Department in Evanston, Illinois and the DePaul University Athletic Department in Chicago. In addition to receiving his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2009, Dr. Ross completed many hours of post doctoral studies and is a Certified Kinesio Tape Practitioner. He uses the Kinesio Tape to enhance the athletic performance of his patients and expedite their recovery from various injuries. As certified ProAdjuster practitioners, Dr. David and Dr. Ross utilize instrumentation in their office that is based on NASA science technology. The ProAdjuster provides a computer analysis of the motion of vertebrae and chiropractic treatment can be done comfortably in an upright position without turning, twisting or sudden movements.
Pine Chiropractic Center is keeping in step with all the advances in chiropractic healthcare. They have a computerized scanner to check the arches of the feet and can customize orthotics to correct the foundation of the entire pelvic structure. Dr. David and Dr. Ross offer rehabilitation therapy, cold laser, mechanical traction, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, massage therapy, nutritional counseling and corrective exercise programs. With the merging of two generations of chiropractors, Dr. David and Dr. Ross are able to offer the community traditional methods of chiropractic along with modern breakthroughs in healing.