Carpal Tunnel Wrist Braces: Good Idea
Nov 13 '00
Problem: Painful hands
When you use your hands a lot, especially performing the same motions over and over, you're bound to run into trouble. Between playing trumpet and guitar and working as a Webmaster, my fingers and wrists take a real beating every single day.
I have found that wearing a wrist brace, although it might not be the most stylish or comfortable thing, has helped me a lot. I wrote another epinion a few months back about taking breaks to keep your hands healthy ( http://mightycow.epinions.com/inst-review-7DE5-BD7BE6B-3985C12C-prod1 ). I still believe that is the best solution, but sometimes it's difficult to do.
When I have tough deadlines at work that keep me in front of the computer for 9 hours with few breaks, and then I come home and want a little musical practice, the poor hands don't get to relax much. Sometimes it gets so bad that I just come home and lay my arms on my lap and don't pick up anything or move my hands all evening. That's not a lot of fun, but when you rely on your hand for your job, you can't abuse them.
Solution: Wrist Braces
I put off getting a wrist brace for a long time. I thought they looked stupid (I still do), that wearing one would be uncomfortable, or that it wouldn't really help anyway. After living in pain for a while though, I decided it would be worth the money to try one out. I bought a "Futuro" brand reversible wrist splint (medium size) at Walgreens. It was about $12.
You Velcro this splint around your wrist and the metal plate inside keeps your hand in a relaxed position. It feels a little strange at first, and I had to fiddle with it quite a bit to find a comfortable fit. After using it for a few weeks though, I can attest to the fact that it does help.
I think part of the benefit is that it causes me to type more slowly at work, and it reminds me constantly that I cannot just ignore the pain and keep going, I have to take it easy. It also does keep my hand in a more natural position and prevent me from injuring my wrist more. I started out with just one, to make sure it would actually work, but I'm going to buy one for my left hand now too.
If you have signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, or your hands and wrists get sore or numb after lots of playing your instruments or typing, or any other repetitive motion, consider getting wrist braces to help. They're not a perfect solution, but they do provide some protection, remind you that you can't just ignore the problem, and help keep your hands working.
It's well worth looking a little silly to keep your hands working and pain-free. You could even decorate them if you want, make fun wrist bracelets out of them. Just keep your hands healthy, you only get one pair.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
MightyCow
|
|
Member: Jeff
Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 17 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.