One of the most common complaints in post industrial societies is wrist pain; documented back to the Industrial Revolution as "weaver's wrists", it actually covers a lot of conditions. One of the most common tools to aid in the recovery of wrist pain is a wrist brace.
Nowadays, wrist pain is caused from either tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome or a sprain a person has suffered. The function of the wrist brace in each instance varies a bit, and being diagnosed will aid in you in properly wearing your wrist brace to recover fast.
For tendonitis, the tendon sheath gets inflamed from over use - this is common with athletes doing sports that put a lot of torque on the wrist, like racketball or tennis. A wrist brace, in this case, is meant to keep the tendon sheathe from moving; it's usually done in conjunction with anti inflammatory drugs or icing the wrist, and the brace is removed for physical therapy. A brace in this case usually allows the wrist to flex up or down, but not side to side.
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when there has been compression and inflammation of the nerve sheath for the median nerve that goes over the joint of the wrist. Sufferers usually feel pain in their wrist as well as 'funny bone' pinched nerves in the hand, which will begin at the base of the thumbs and travel up to the forearm to the elbow.
Carpal tunnel syndrome develops from repetitive stress injuries such as typing too much or using a mouse too often. In severe instances, it can prevent the use of the hand. Wrist braces work in this case to try to prevent the wrist from moving in a vertical fashion, because the general cause of this issue comes from poor posture when typing because people do not move their wrists at the appropriate angle where the nerve can be compressed.
Good wrist braces for carpal tunnel syndrome are nearly identical to a wrist brace for tendonitis, they're just adjusted differently - they're usually not as tight on lateral motion, and offer more support to the underside or inside of the wrist. Most will also have a rigid insert on the underside of the wrist to keep you from flexing your wrist like a hinge.
Wrist sprains and wrist breaks are the result of injuries to the ligaments around the wrist joints; unlike tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, these are likely to get better without extreme amounts of physical therapy. A wrist brace for a sprain is designed to immobilize the wrist and keep you from flexing it in any direction. It also really hampers how you can use the affected hand a great deal.
No matter what ailment you get a wrist brace for, make sure to take the time to read the instructions on your wrist brace. When putting it on, try not to tighten it to the point where it'll constrict blood flowand if you're suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, wear it any time you feel a twinge.
Nowadays, wrist pain is caused from either tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome or a sprain a person has suffered. The function of the wrist brace in each instance varies a bit, and being diagnosed will aid in you in properly wearing your wrist brace to recover fast.
For tendonitis, the tendon sheath gets inflamed from over use - this is common with athletes doing sports that put a lot of torque on the wrist, like racketball or tennis. A wrist brace, in this case, is meant to keep the tendon sheathe from moving; it's usually done in conjunction with anti inflammatory drugs or icing the wrist, and the brace is removed for physical therapy. A brace in this case usually allows the wrist to flex up or down, but not side to side.
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when there has been compression and inflammation of the nerve sheath for the median nerve that goes over the joint of the wrist. Sufferers usually feel pain in their wrist as well as 'funny bone' pinched nerves in the hand, which will begin at the base of the thumbs and travel up to the forearm to the elbow.
Carpal tunnel syndrome develops from repetitive stress injuries such as typing too much or using a mouse too often. In severe instances, it can prevent the use of the hand. Wrist braces work in this case to try to prevent the wrist from moving in a vertical fashion, because the general cause of this issue comes from poor posture when typing because people do not move their wrists at the appropriate angle where the nerve can be compressed.
Good wrist braces for carpal tunnel syndrome are nearly identical to a wrist brace for tendonitis, they're just adjusted differently - they're usually not as tight on lateral motion, and offer more support to the underside or inside of the wrist. Most will also have a rigid insert on the underside of the wrist to keep you from flexing your wrist like a hinge.
Wrist sprains and wrist breaks are the result of injuries to the ligaments around the wrist joints; unlike tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, these are likely to get better without extreme amounts of physical therapy. A wrist brace for a sprain is designed to immobilize the wrist and keep you from flexing it in any direction. It also really hampers how you can use the affected hand a great deal.
No matter what ailment you get a wrist brace for, make sure to take the time to read the instructions on your wrist brace. When putting it on, try not to tighten it to the point where it'll constrict blood flowand if you're suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, wear it any time you feel a twinge.
About the Author:
Tom Nicholson spends his time caring for sufferers of carpal tunnel syndrome. Please click here to find out more about having asore wrist.
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