I receive a lot of emails from people who have questions about the usefulness of carpal tunnel wrist braces and night splints. To be honest, when it comes to these devices I have mixed feelings, since I’ve seen many patients who have been fitted for a wrist brace or who wear night splints to relieve the pain they suffer from carpal tunnel. Occupational therapists design these braces in order to immobilize the hand; this reduces the swelling and inflammation of the carpal tunnel, which in turn eases the discomfort. The reason these devices make me uneasy is because they require immobilization, and any time a muscle or joint is immobilized, it loses function.
Reducing movement of the afflicted area might reduce pain, but it’s important to remember that it’s not a cure for your carpal tunnel symptoms. Using a wrist brace or night splint to rest the joints and muscles in question can indeed be helpful, but our bodies require movement and motion to properly function. Ultimately, using a brace for your carpal tunnel isn’t a cure, it’s a band aid. Real solutions will only be reached by working on postural muscle imbalance and discovering and eliminating the causes of your body’s imbalance in the first place.
When your body remains in the same position, day after day, for too long – for instance when you have to sit in the car or in front of a computer for hours every day – a condition known as postural muscle imbalance can develop. Certain muscles become underdeveloped and gradually lose their function, while other muscles increase to compensate. Over time, these muscles will stop maintaining the normal S-curve of your spine and peripheral joints such as elbows, shoulders and wrists. This is what causes the symptoms of carpal tunnel.
The longer this occurs, the more extensive the damage will become, which could eventually cost you the use of your hand for several months. This isn’t merely inconvenient, it could impede your ability to provide for yourself and your family. Other symptoms such as lower back pain, headaches, and “frozen shoulder” are also the results of postural muscle imbalance.
If all of this sounds a little alarming, it’s supposed to. When it comes to your health and your future, you simply can’t be too careful. The sooner you deal with the source of your carpal tunnel pain, the better. To resolve your issues with carpal tunnel, you’ll need to regularly follow a series of simple postural muscle balance restoration exercises. Wearing a wrist brace or night splint is not the solution, since these devices only offer temporary relief.
