A wrist brace is a device made of fabric or plastic that is worn around the wrist to provide support for the wrist joint. A wrist brace may immobilize the joint or simply provide flexible support for those suffering from chronic conditions like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. The level of flexibility of the brace depends on the injury or condition that affects the wrist.
Flexible Support
Flexible support wrist braces are made of stretch fabric that wraps around the wrist or covers the wrist and the bottom of the hand. Some braces come in one piece that slides over the hand while others wrap around the wrist and are adjustable in width. The flexible support wrist brace limits the wrist’s range of motion to prevent injury while allowing some movement for everyday tasks.
Immobilizers
Immobilizing wrist braces cover the wrist and the bottom part of the hand with harder material like plastic, a nylon shell or internal aluminum bars. They are designed to wrap around the wrist with adjustable straps. These harder materials prevent the wrist from bending or twisting, but allow finger movement. Sometimes the brace is built to be flexible with spaces to insert hard components, allowing the wearer to adjust the amount of immobilization. Immobilizing wrist braces are usually lined with soft material for comfort and moisture control within the brace.
Wrist/Thumb Braces
Wrist/thumb braces are designed to provide support for those with tendinitis affecting the thumb side of the wrist. These braces cover the wrist, bottom of the hand and the thumb joint. Wrist/thumb braces can provide flexible support to limit the thumb’s range of motion or completely immobilize the wrist and thumb.
