Pros and Cons of Wearing a Wrist Brace for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Would you like to know the pros and cons of wearing a wrist brace for your carpal tunnel symptoms? Let's discuss the possible benefits of wrist braces, and at the same time, also talk about some alternative, or complementary, ways that you can start to get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Alternative medicine is also called complementary because it can be used along with conventional medicine (which is what your doctor does.) Sometimes, alternative therapies like massage are used on their own with great benefit. That largely depends on the skill and knowledge level of the massage therapist.

So, are you wondering whether to use a splint or wrist brace for your carpal tunnel symptoms? Or, maybe you have been using a wrist brace and are wondering if it is the right thing for you. You might wonder whether you are wearing it correctly.

If you break a bone, it often needs to be splinted to prevent movement so the bone can heal. Splinting works very well for bones. It's what bones need. If your broken bones are not held together, it is very hard for them to heal because the broken edges can move.

But muscles are not bones. Muscles are much different. Muscles NEED to move.

Muscle movement keeps your fluids--blood and lymph--moving. When your body fluids move, they transport metabolic (body) wastes away from your wrist. Your blood and lymph also supply healing nutrients to your tissues, so when your body fluids are moving, your carpal tunnel benefits.

If you wear a tight brace, or a bracelet or a watch band, it will prevent nutrients from traveling into your hand and wrist area. This is not good.

And, if you use a wrist brace, other muscles will try to take over the work of the muscles that can't move (because of the brace.) That can cause muscle strain in your elbow or shoulder. Your elbow and shoulder muscles are now trying to do the job of your wrist muscles and you might hold them strangely.

Also, when you wear a brace, your muscles don't have to work, so they weaken. Muscles are built to work. They need to move.

So, should you wear a wrist brace? There may be times when you feel it is really helpful or necessary. For instance, if you wake up with your hands all curled up and are in pain, a wrist brace while you are sleeping will help you keep your wrists from bending.

If you wear the wrist brace somewhat loosely, so your blood and lymph can keep moving, that is better than a tight fit. If you wear the wrist brace loosely, it also allows some slight movement in the muscles around your carpal tunnel, and that's good for them.

But, here is a question: Everything that happens in your body happens for a reason. Is it possible that there is a reason your hands curl up when you sleep? Your muscles do get into "habits."

Maybe the muscles on the palm side of your lower arms and the palm side of your hands and fingers are in contraction (short.) If so, perhaps massaging your lower arms and palms would help more than the brace would. Massage can be done daily and you can do it yourself.

What about wearing a wrist brace during the day? If you can't stop flexing your wrists while you are working or playing, and if it causes uncomfortable sensations in your carpal tunnel area, you might feel that wearing a brace is the answer. Maybe it is.

Or, perhaps, a better or additional solution would be to "re-work" yourself. Reposition your equipment, table, desk, chair or footrest so that you don't have to work with your wrist curled, tilted or bent.

Lots of times we do things in a certain way regardless of what our body would prefer. We get into habits, and they're not all good. You could be doing things that cause carpal tunnel pain without even realizing it.

We humans sometimes do things like that. We are so buy thinking, typing, working or whatever--we get so involved--that we don't pay attention to our body until it starts to scream at us. Including, of course, your carpal tunnel. It can "scream" pretty loudly.

So, where can you find another solution beside a wrist brace? One solution would be to learn how to work in a position which is appropriate for your body. (No two bodies are the same; each body is different.)

You can discover how to position yourself correctly and work with all of your body parts in neutral. When you use positions and postures that are right for you, you can work without pain at your work station, desk, table or computer.

Working in the correct position for your body could eliminate the need for a wrist brace, at least a good deal of the time. If you can get rid of the causes of your carpal tunnel symptoms, that is much better than just treating symptoms. If you only treat the symptoms, but not the cause, the pain, numbness and tingling can come back.

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