Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy and occurs when the tendons in the carpal tunnel region of your wrist swell, putting pressure on the median nerve. The median nerve is responsible for the sensations of your thumb and fingers on your palm side. When pressure from the carpal tunnel is present on the nerve, it can cause pain and numbness in your hand and wrist. A wide variety of braces are available to alleviate this pain. However, only some styles of these braces have been scientifically tested for their effectiveness at pain relief.
Custom Splints
A custom-designed splint to fit your wrist and specific inflammation of the carpal tunnel is often recommended by physicians. While prefabricated splints are available, these may place your wrist at an angle while worn, which can aggravate your condition further. According to research published in the February 2007 edition of "American Family Physician" by Drs. Jocelyn Gravlee and Daniel Van Durme, custom-designed wrist splints that keep the wrist in a neutral position without flexion improve the symptoms of carpal tunnel patients if worn for at least four weeks. It is recommended that the splint is worn full-time, rather than just at night.
Soft Braces
Soft hand braces worn exclusively at night, such as the MANU hand brace, were shown to be as effective as wrist splints in one study. The research was carried out at the University G. d'Annunzio in Italy and was published in the "Acta Neurologica Scandinavica" journal in January 2009. The researchers randomized 120 patients into groups wearing the MANU braces and those wearing hard splints. Each group was tested after three months and after nine months. The researchers concluded that the soft braces, which wrap the wrist and separate the two inner fingers from the two outer fingers, provided similar benefits to a hard splint worn only at night.
Polycarpal Braces
Polycarpal braces are a semi-rigid style brace that may be worn day or night and do not limit the motion of your hand. The brace is made of two pieces that wrap around the wrist and limit the flexion of that joint. The brace does not wrap around the fingers or hand, thus allowing freedom of movement. A 1998 study published in the "Neurological Sciences" journal found that subjects with minimum, mild and medium carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms saw a reduction in their pain and mobility issues after wearing polycarpal braces. However, continued research into this style of brace still needs to be completed.
References
- University of Washington: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome--Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release
- PubMed: Efficacy of a Soft Hand Brace and a Wrist Splint for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Study
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Braces and Splints for Musculoskeletal Conditions
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet
- Carpal-Tunnel.org: Carpal Tunnel Literature
