Henry H. Sloan  E-mail
Annapolis Myotherapy
3 B Sheridan Road
Arnold, MD 21012
410-271-5041

Hand Clinic at Union Memorial Hospital has been in existence for many years in Baltimore MD.

I suggest you contact Dr. Lee Dellon at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland as he is the ulnar nerve expert. His # is 410-832-7600. He has extensive literature published on the success and failure rate of this surgery and can advise you properly. He came highly recommended to me by several people including my doctor of one year at UCLA in Los Angeles.

...You also are very close in proximity to a one of the best hand clinics in the U.S. It is called the Raymond Curtis Hand Center at the Union Memorial Hospital in Lutherville, Maryland. Their # is 410-296-6232. The Towson Times published an excellent article about this clinic in the July 19, 1995 edition. I suggest you get a copy of this article.

Here is some more info on the Peripheral Neuropathy specialist I mentioned:

Dr. John Griffin
Neurological Consultation Center
Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery
601 North Caroline Street, Room 5032
Baltimore, MD 21287-0870
(410) 955-6484

I would personally recommed Keith Segalman from the Curtis Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, or Kyle Bickel, MD, chief of plastic and hand surgery at Johns Hopkins who also trained at Curtis. Thet are both excellent.

- I was one of the chorus who recommended Dr. Segalman, and I have to say he was the most thorough diagnostician of any of the doctors I've seen. He was the first to do a thorough exam from back/neck down to my fingertips and identified such things as bilateral cubital tunnel entrapment which had escaped previous diagnoses.

The Curtis Hand Clinic at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore MD was the first in nation founded in 1975 Congress recently designated the facility as the National Center for the Treatment of the Hand and Upper extremitiy with a 1.2 million federal grant I went to clinic from CA for consultation and was grateful for evaluation. Perhaps there others in locality who could offer more specifics on MDs.

I spoke with Dr. Pascarelli's office a few weeks ago and in the DC metro area, Dr. Pascarelli recommends Dr. Margit Bleeker in Baltimore, a neurologist with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology, Childrens' Hospital Professional Building, Suite 101, 3901 Greenspring Ave, Baltimore MD 21211. phone number: 410/669-1101.. There is also a therapist there: Virginia Moratz, Dir, Occupational Therapy, 410-462-6800, x3355 is in hospital bldg. I think they're both very good.

Patient Recommendation

I've seen five doctors in the DC area. The only one I would recommend is Margit (sic) Bleecker in Baltimore. I didn't want to go that far out of town to see a doctor at first, but trust me, she is worth it. She is the only doctor I've had who understand ergonomics. She is the only one who tested me on biofeedback monitors to see if my muscles were tense. She is the only one who recommended deep muscle massage which made a world of difference. She is the only one who told me that although I tested within the normal range on the nerve conduction study, I was borderline for carpal tunnel syndrome.

.... Dr. Margit Bleecker in Baltimore is extremely thorough, professional, knowledgeable, and respectful. She has saved me from permanent disability after bouncing around among various orthopedic hand surgeons and eventually developing RSD, a painful offshoot that occasionally can result from poorly treated RS I. Her therapist, Sheri, is also very good—and the office library encourages you to obtain as much knowledge about your condition as possible. Her contact information is listed elsewhere in this Maryland page, but I cannot urge you enough to see this woman. She listens, she knows, and she can be your advocate.

Doctor -- Dr. Margit Bleecker, Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology (COEN), Baltimore, MD,http://www.coen1.org/ - she specializes in RSI, and her therapist, Sherri Barnes, is extremely knowledgeable about RSI conditions. Dr. Bleecker recommended the nerve glide stretches and yoga as the only exercise I am to do with my hands, as these are the only things that have proved to be helpful.

National Arts Medicine Center & Center for Repetitive Motion Disorders
National Rehabilitation Hospital
3 Bethesda Metro Ctr. Suite 950
Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 654-9160
Director: Dr. Richard Norris

I haven't seen Dr Norris, but everything I have experienced through NRH has been very helpful. My myofascial pain syndrome and irritated nerve (resulting in RSI-type sypmtoms of arm pain, numbness, tingling) has been improving over the course of therapy at NRH. [ . . . ] I recommend NRH and indirectly, the Bethesda group (I go to the DC facility) for anybody that lives in the Washington area and hasn't found good answers or relief for their pain.

. . .While I haven't seen Dr. Norris for treatment, I did have the pleasure of an examination with him for workers compensation insurance company. I think it is unusual for one to be so impressed with a physician under these circumstances. Dr. Norris is the only physician I have seen (and I've seen 8) to relieve and re-create my pain on examination. He spent a lot of time explaining to me what exactly is going on - he showed me pictures in books and he even made recommendations on equipment and braces. The best part is that his assessment of my condition has since been confirmed by my treating physician with further diagnostic testing. If not for my attorney he'd be my treating physician!!! I would highly recommend him to anyone with RSI.

I saw Dr. Edward Bieber (301-530-1010) in the Bethesda area (calling it Bethesda is a stretch)... He was recommended by several people who had repetitive strain problems that were successfully treated. He's also on both Washingtonian's and Washington Checkbook's list of top doctors. He was pretty blunt about my options, and had me get voice recognition software. Unfortunately his last recommendation was surgery, but couldn't really say that it would produce improvement. He encouraged me to get another opinion, which brings me to the second recommendation.

The RSI find a doc list mentioned Keith Segalman a couple of times (at the Ray Curtis Hand Clinic at Union Memorial hospital in Baltimore). At least one other doctor in his practice, Greater Chesapeake Hand Specialists, was also mentioned, and my boss saw yet another doctor there for reconstructive work.

I saw Dr. Segalman (410-296-6232) the Monday before Christmas and kicked myself the rest of the day that I hadn't gone to him when I first found the RSI find a doc list last summer. He doesn't particularly have the answer, but he did provide a whole lot more explanation of what's happening in my arm/wrist skeletal structure than anyone to date - and I've been dealing with doctors with increasing frequency for almost two years. And - - duh! - - the first thing he wanted done was a very extensive blood work up to make sure that it's not something systemic causing the problem, such as Lyme Disease or Lupus. He also didn't hold out any false hope; a systemic problem was a long shot, but the alternative is at least one surgery.

Another patient adds: "At the recommendation of one of my doctors, I went to see Dr. Edward Bieber. I was told to arrive 15 minutes before the appointment and did. Once I was escorted into a patient examination room, I waited a full half hour beyond the appointment time. He made no apology for his tardiness. I had a 2 - 3 minute session with him. (It was a follow-up to a longer initial appointment that lasted perhaps 7 minutes.) Before he examined me, an unidentified assistant talked to me. I do not know whether she was a nurse, a medical technician, or someone with no medical training. I do not know the purpose of my conversation with her or what, if anything, she conveyed to the doctor. I do not know whether I received adequate treatment for my problem or not, but will probably look for another physician when I think I need a third visit." See this explanation regarding negative comments found on this site.

Dr. Steve Silverston, , Normandy Business Center, 8492 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21043, 410 461-3435. He helped me tremendously while I was recuperating from a broken finger and still had to perform at the computer. Using accupressure, trigger point therapy, manipulation , ultrasound, water therapy and exercise, he helped restore my hand to normal functioning. He's a great chiropractor.

Here are some referrals you may want to check out in the Baltimore area.

1. Dr. Lee Dellon is an ulnar nerve specialist at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. My sister and a friend of mine from the west coast has seen him and was very impressed. He can be reached at (410)832-7600. Dr. Dellon has also authored articles with Dr. Susan Mackinnon, a renowned RSI specialist at the Washington Univeristy School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

2. Raymond M. Curtis Hand Center at the Union Memorial Hospital in Luthersville, Maryland. A friend of mine from the west coast saw Dr. Gaylord Clark and was very impressed with him. Congress recently designated the Union Memorial facility as the National Center for the Treatment of the Hand and Upper Extremity and awarded its administrators a $1.2 million federal grant. Dr. E. F. Shaw Wilgis is the director. There was an excellent write up in the July 1995 Towson Times in the Health section authored by Lisa De Nike.

3. Dr. Scott Brown, the former director of Loma Linda Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Loma Linda, California just moved over to Baltimore to work at Sinai Rehab Center. He personally recommended I go see Dr. JienSupKim at LLPMR because he trained him. He can be reached at (410)578-5597. I was very impressed with Dr. Kim. Dr. Brown also took the time to listen to my patient history over the phone before he gave me a recommendation.

Johns Hopkins University
Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle Clinic Founded 1978
Baltimore, Maryland 21224

AOEC Contact: Edward J. Bernacki, MD, MPH 410-550-2322 FAX 410-550-3355

Occupational Health Project
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Div. of General Internal Medicine/University of Maryland
405 West Redwood Street Clinic Founded 1978
Baltimore, Maryland 21201

AOEC Contact: James Keogh, MD 410-706-7464 FAX 410-706-4078 Janie Gordon, ScM e-mail OHP@MEDOCCMED.ab.umd.edu Kate McPhaul, Registered Nurse, MPH For new referrals call Kate McPhaul at 410-706-7464

Jan Stoughton,
Myotherapy Pain Control Center
20101 Darlington Dr.
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
301-258-0205
Personal Exercise Training Workshops & Company Seminar Presentations Also Available

I've been in the computer industry for 20+ years and began developing
hand/wrist problems about 4 years ago.  I was diagnosed with severe
tendonitis.  I've had nerve conduction studies and they were negative.  No
one could seem to help me and my right hand for the most part "locked up"
and I was in severe pain.   I haven't heard any real success stories on
surgery and the fact that you lose the use of your hands for weeks after
surgery was not especially attractive to me (especially as a consultant). 

I began to see an acupuncturist in Maryland.  After the first treatment, I
left his office pain free.  Initially, the pain only went away for about a
day and returned, but not as bad.  After subsequent treatments, the length
of time the pain was gone increased.  I continued treatment for
approximately 3 months until I was pain free.  I return to him about once a
year and haven't had any problems.  

Recently, my left hand began to experience the same symptoms.  I went to see
him and treatment is beginning on my left hand.   My first visit was
promising as I left his office able to move my wrist without serious pain.

I highly recommend Dr. Daohe Fang in Severna Park.  His phone number is
410-518-6368.  Credentials:  Diplomate of National Commission for the
Certification of Acupuncturist.  Assistant Professor in Chengdu University
of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Clinic Instructor of MD Acupuncture
School.  He is an M.D. in China.