Hand surgery may be performed by a general surgeon, an orthopedic surgeon, or a plastic surgeon after illness or injury, or to repair a congenital condition. A hand surgeon has special training in medical, surgical and rehabilitative means of healing the hand and arm, and sometimes recommends a non-surgical approach. The surgeon excels at diagnosis, preservation and restoration to the form and function of the hand, wrist and arm after disorders such as carpal tunnel, arthritis, fractures, tendonitis, or when amputation is required.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, including carpel tunnel syndrome.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. California has 358 practicing hand surgeons. Broken out by city, hand surgery doctor density in Anaheim is 8, in Apple Valley is 1, in Bakersfield is 3, in Baldwin Park is 1, in Barstow is 1, in Bellflower is 3, in Berkeley is 4, in Beverly Hills is 11, in Brentwood is 2, in Burbank is 2, in Burlingame is 2, in Camarillo is 1, in Campbell is 1, in Chula Vista is 1, in Corona is 3, in Daly City is 1, in Davis is 2, in Downey is 11, in El Centro is 1, in Encinitas is 3, in Fairfield is 1, in Folsom is 2, in Fountain Valley is 2, in Fremont is 4, in Fresno is 8, in Fullerton is 2, in Garden Grove is 1, in Glendale is 3, in Hanford is 1, in Hawthorne is 1, in Hayward is 2, in Huntington Beach is 3, in Indio is 3, in Irvine is 4, in Laguna Hills is 3, in Laguna Woods is 2, in Lakewood is 2, in Lancaster is 1, in Lawndale is 1, in Loma Linda is 6, in Long Beach is 12, in Los Alamitos is 2, in Los Angeles is 39, in Los Gatos is 4, in Manteca is 1, in Modesto is 5, in Montebello is 1, in Monterey is 3, in Monterey Park is 3, in Moreno Valley is 1, in Mountain View is 5, in Newport Beach is 9, in Oakland is 13, in Oceanside is 3, in Ontario is 1, in Orange is 6, in Oxnard is 6, in Palm Springs is 2, in Palo Alto is 9, in Paramount is 1, in Pasadena is 5, in Placentia is 1, in Rancho Cucamonga is 1, in Rancho Mirage is 2, in Redlands is 4, in Riverside is 10, in Roseville is 3, in Sacramento is 13, in San Bernardino is 8, in San Diego is 32, in San Dimas is 2, in San Francisco is 26, in San Jose is 12, in San Leandro is 1, in San Mateo is 5, in San Ramon is 7, in Santa Ana is 7, in Santa Barbara is 8, in Santa Clarita is 2, in Santa Cruz is 1, in Santa Monica is 7, in Santa Rosa is 3, in Simi Valley is 2, in Solvang is 1, in Stockton is 2, in Sunnyvale is 1, in Thousand Oaks is 4, in Torrance is 9, in Tracy is 2, in Union City is 1, in Vacaville is 1, in Visalia is 1, in Walnut Creek is 6, in Watsonville is 1, in Westlake Village is 3, in Westminster is 2, in Whittier is 2, in Yorba Linda is 1, in Yuba City is 2, and in Yucca Valley is 1.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.