Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wrist Braces Are An Effective Way to Fixing Wrist Pain

By Tom Nicholson


One of the most general issues in postindustrial times is wrist pain. This problem has been dated back to the Industrial Revolution and was then referred to as "weaver's wrists", which covered a few conditions. A popular device that helps in the treatment of wrist pain is the 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.

Tendonitis happens when the tendon sheath becomes inflamed from overuse. This is very common for athletes that play sports that require you put a spin on the wrist such as racket ball or tennis. The wrist brace will prevent the tendon sheath from moving. This is generally combined with anti-inflammatory drugs or icing. The wrist brace used for this problem will let the wrist flex up or down however not side to side.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is compression and inflammation of the nerve sheath for the median nerve that goes over the joint of the wrist. People usually feel both wrist pain and 'funny bone' pinched nerves in the hand, which will go from the base of the fingers all the way up the forearm to the elbow.

People get carpal tunnel syndrome from repetitive stress injuries such as typing excessively or using a mouse too much. In serious instances, it can impair the use of the hand. Wrist braces for carpal tunnel syndrome function by preventing the wrist from moving in a vertical motion because most of the time this issue is caused by people having bad posture when typing. They do not move their wrists at an adequate 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.




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