Carpal tunnel syndrome is a fairly common condition found in patients across the country. It is caused primarily by excessive pressure bearing down on the median nerve, which is located in the forearm. A variety of things can cause this pressure?everything from arthritis to poor wrist posture. Are you concerned about preventing your carpal tunnel from getting worse? Fortunately, a carpal tunnel brace can help enormously in doing just that. Here are a few tips to consider when purchasing one.
Having a carpal tunnel brace has its ups and downs. On the plus side, it helps you to keep your wrists straight, especially while you sleep. However, for many they can be terribly restrictive and uncomfortable, as much as an arm cast would be. For this reason, many patients limit their wearing of these braces, which reduces their effectiveness.
However, you can find a variety of different carpal tunnel brace designs that are comfortable and allow you to be mobile enough without potentially harming your wrists. For example, you can find a carpal tunnel brace that only supports your wrist, leaving your fingers free to move. If your symptoms are relatively mild, you can even invest in a carpal tunnel brace that has gel padding rather than a stiff splint. For more advanced cases of carpal tunnel, however, you may need the splint as well as a mechanism that supports the thumb as well.
In most cases, it's best to be fitted for your carpal tunnel brace to ensure that it fits and that it's comfortable. For this reason, it's typically unwise to buy them from online sources unless they're recommended to you by your doctor or you have a good idea of what sort of brace is best for you. Otherwise, you may end up with a brace that doesn't fit at the very least. In a worst case scenario, you may even end up with a brace that harms more than it helps.
Do you work in an office environment? You can increase the effectiveness of your braces by using wrist friendly equipment when you're not wearing your braces. This includes adding soft pads for your wrists to lie on while you type or use your mouse. You can even invest in a keyboard that minimizes the use of your wrists, though many patients find learning to type on the new configuration of keys is difficult. Consult your doctor today and learn more ways you can treat your carpal tunnel!
