Question

Cale Makar walks in with complaints of bilateral "tingling and numbness" in his hands. You run an examination and things SEEM to be pointing towards CTS. He has no significant neck pain.

Do you order imaging? If so, what kind?

Answer 1

The patient should not undergo imaging. Nerve conduction studies or electromyography should be conducted to confirm the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Step-by-step explanation:

In this scenario, the patient presents with bilateral tingling and numbness in his hands, which suggests a problem with the sensory systems between the spinal cord and the brain. As the patient has no significant neck pain, ordering imaging is not necessary at this point. Instead, a more appropriate course of action would be to start with a less invasive approach, such as conducting nerve conduction studies or electromyography (EMG) to confirm the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).