Dr. Robert Spitzer of Island Invents a Glove To Aid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
"They just do what they were meant to do: Protect the human hand."
By Sean Ely

Dr. A. Robert Spitzer shows off a pair of the Ironman Elite bicycle riding gloves he developed to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in bicycle riders. He points to the channel in between two pieces of padding, which is key in preventing the injury. The channel helps when placing one's hands on the handlebars of a bicycle, because they will no longer be pressing on their nerve when gripping the handles. The Woodbluff summer resident perfected the special gloves while bicycling here. Riders using them report their hands are no longer numb, tingly, or in pain, he says.

Tingling fingers after an extensive bicycle or motorcycle ride, throbbing nerves and pains in the hands after a sports or recreational activity, and numbness while performing an industrial-type of action could lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), and Woodbluff resident A. Robert Spitzer, a medical doctor, has invented a glove to help prevent it.

Actually, the feelings that cause the hand to twinge or feel weak could mean one has already developed the disease, said Dr. Spitzer, and after a ride around Mackinac Island one day, he refused to accept the pain any longer. There had to be something that could help.

"I figured out exactly what these pains were caused from, and I experimented with a number of different pads," said Dr. Spitzer, a neurologist with a private practice in Southfield. "When you are leaning on your hand grips while bicycle riding, you are damaging your nerves. Bike riding can cause pressure on your hands while squeezing and gripping the handlebars. I developed these pads in gloves, patented them, and put them on the market for everyone to use."

Dr. Spitzer earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University and attended medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He is also a clinical associate professor in the Departments of Neurology and in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Wayne State University.

The company that Dr. Spitzer's gloves were patented by is called Shock-Tek. The technology was patented in 1996 and been proven to help prevent, protect, and provide relief for CTS, according to Dr. Spitzer's Web site.

The protection from CTS revolves around a channel in the glove, formed between two padded areas over the palm of the hand. The design has undergone extensive testing in sports and industrial applications for more than five years to determine the best location and dimensions of the channel.

His gloves have been used by people with CTS, as well as those who have already undergone surgery for it. They are best suited, however, for those who are trying to prevent the disease, Dr. Spitzer said. There are many applications to sports and industry, and for other tasks where the hand suffers from heavy pressure or vibrations, so the company has created a number of glove variations. Use of the gloves, he said, has shown the signs of CTS to disappear in people who had aching, numb hands.

Dr. Raymond Jackson has used the gloves for 100-mile bicycle trips, and he enjoys telling people how effective they can be.

"The gloves are great," Dr. Jackson said. "They've eliminated the numbness and tingling I used to get when riding."

Dr. Spitzer said he has had many people come back to him after using them and say, "They've saved my hands and my ability to play sports."

Individuals on crutches and in wheelchairs who put pressure on their hands for mobility also report relief, Dr. Spitzer said.

He enjoys all the feedback he gets from people around the world.

Jim Fisher, owner of Mackinac Wheels on the Island, is selling the Spencos Ironman brand of Dr. Spitzer's gloves.

"Riding a road bike, there is a lot more pressure on your hands," Mr. Fisher said.

The Ironman competition is a triathlon that is held in Hawaii, so these gloves were developed around that competition. It was a bit of a marketing gimmick, and the companies that Dr. Spitzer was working with linked together to gain product recognition for the gloves, which were described as a "special and unique product that does something for the cyclist," by the Ironman company.

"Ever since we did that, things have been going very well. The product recognition is great," Dr. Spitzer said.

Shock-Tek now features gloves for home work, industrial work such as on an assembly line, heavy duty work such as construction, motorcycling, bicycling, and recreation.

In the automobile industry, some companies have been issuing the gloves to employees who have had surgery for CTS and are returning to work.

"Now, the companies are realizing that they should give the workers these gloves as soon as they start working, when they are hired, so that they don't have to have surgery in the future," Dr. Spitzer said. "Why wait? Auto companies are finding that these gloves are successful. Giving them to the workers up front is the best bet. They wont develop a problem to begin with."

Dr. Spitzer rides frequently around the Island, with protective gloves, of course.

"I go riding here yeararound, especially when my whole family is here together," he said. "We had stacks of gloves laying around the house, but my wife keeps giving them away. They are really popular, especially with my family. I still use mine all the time. They're a great product. They just do what they were meant to do: Protect the human hand."