Splints

jennand · 28. May 2018, 02:09

I have rigid thumb/wrist splints and soft fingerless gloves. Neither of them do much good. Apart from constantly having to remove them to wash my hands the thumb splints in particular irritate me by just wearing them. Does anyone else use these or similar & if so, do you get any benefit from them?

Airwave! · 28. May 2018, 06:00

Hi Jen, I've been trying to stay away from aids like you mentioned, yes they may help but muscles, tendons and ligaments all need to be exercised to help stabilise the joints and reduce pain, bit of a 'catch 22' situation?

Some professional advice may be needed, says he sitting here with a hot wheat bag on him waiting for the BH to be over!

dreamdaisy · 28. May 2018, 10:25

I used working splints when my carpal tunnel was at its worst, the aim was to prevent further damage rather than alleviate what discomfort was already there and to a certain extent they did. My fingers are PsA-affected but I don't bother with splints, I think it better to keep the muscles I have active and strong to help support my joints rather than encouraging them to get soft, spongy and useless: that way more trouble lies. DD

jennand · 28. May 2018, 14:28

I agree with both of you. It’s a fine balance isn’t it, between resting & exercise. Who said it was going to be easy?

Airwave! · 28. May 2018, 14:42

Hi Jen, Just a suggestion, why don't you have time on and time off, I'm sure you can think of a time they hurt the most and vice versa?

stickywicket · 28. May 2018, 17:15

Many years ago, long before thumb splints came on the scene, I was prescribed wrist splints. The idea was to reduce the pain of getting my wrists into positions that hurt and to keep the joints in a good position.

There was absolutely no way I could overuse them as I had two small children and could do virtually nothing while wearing them. But they did reduce the pain for short periods and my wrists, when they fused, fused in the best possible position ie straight. My unsplinted thumbs, on the other hand, now lie across my palms and the top joint of each wiggles every which way. They aree not much use whereas the wrists are strong. It was a 'system' that clearly worked for me.

jennand · 29. May 2018, 01:46

Thanks for your thoughts on this. My thumb splints are rigid around the thumb but they do encompass the wrist which I would describe as “ supportive” rather than rigid. I have been wearing them just at night, so I may reap some long term benefit from that. The gloves, however, do nothing. They are soft, so provide no support and the fingers only go up to the first finger joint. These are the joints which are more painful and twisted. So, put the gloves in my wardrobe along with all the other contraptions & devices that I’ve bought over the years..

dreamdaisy · 29. May 2018, 03:39

People are able to flog useless stuff because they have no compunction about preying upon one's fears and worries - it's an easy living, supplying crud with qualifiers such as 'may' and 'might' rather than 'will' and 'does' (because they won't and don't). My Ma was a great one for the non-invasive pain relief tosh, magnets, supplements etc., they didn't enrich her life (or mine) but her money certainly enriched others. She believed the spiels she read, she believed that people's symptoms had disappeared and never once thought she had been conned when mine didn't. DD

Splints

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