Should you wear a wrist brace?
I’m wondering if you’ve ever heard this before.
“If you wear a brace you’ll just get dependent on it”
or….
“Don’t rely on your brace too much or your hand won’t work right anymore.”
What about…
“If you sleep in your brace too much, you’ll get weaker.”
(ok I strongly disagree with all of these but especially that last one. Like, what?!?! 🙄)
Catch-all statements like these may be keeping you from actually using a brace as a really helpful tool in your flare toolbox.
Let’s clear something up first, before we go further.
I am using the term ‘brace’ to refer to any type of wrist, hand, or thumb support that completely restricts the motion of a joint in a functional position. I am not referring to ring splints, kinesiotape, compression, or other ways of supporting your hand that still allow motion.
Typically a ‘brace’ may have a metal bar in it that keeps your wrist and/or thumb completely still.
If you have a chronic condition affecting your hands, knowing when and how to strategically use a brace is *key*.
🤩 Braces can be an incredible tool for decreasing your pain flare, allowing your tendons/muscles/joints to finally find some rest, and can also help with decreasing joint strain during heavier tasks.
However, if you have the brace on for 100% of your day, every single day, your muscles/joints/tendons can become reliant on this external support for everything.
A good rule of thumb for brace use is to use your brace if either…
1) You are doing an activity (e.g. using vibrating hair clippers, carrying heavy groceries in, playing tennis) which consistently results in a lot of pain during or following the activity. Just use the brace for the pain-triggering activity, then remove it afterwards, but use it every single time.
2) You are about to be, or are in, a pain flare. All your warning signs are there, and you know if you don't wear your brace today it's going to send you over the edge. Wear it all day (if that feels supportive for you) for these days, but the key here is remembering to wean out of it when your flare is subsiding.
I am often asked how to find the right brace.
Y’all, there are SO MANY BRACES on the market, it’s nuts!
I don’t have a magic ‘one brace fits all’ because your needs are going to be unique to you based off where your pain is and what you intend to use the brace for (e.g. rest/sleep vs. biking).
Here is what I recommend:
If you’re shopping for a brace online, make sure you check the reviews!
Amazon has tons of reviews for many of its products. Hearing what others say about the brace in terms of comfort and how well it actually works is so valuable.
I recommend if you’re looking for a wrist brace, specifically check to see if there are any reviews that mention comfort (or lack thereof lol) near the thumb hole. This is often one of the most irritating parts of a brace.
If you’ve been around here a while you probably also know this…
I am also a strong believer in having a lot of different options when it comes to supporting your hands.
Many people think it’s either a brace or nothing, and because braces (especially metal bar thumb braces) can be so restrictive and uncomfortable, you may have a brace but never wear it or anything else.
You may feel left with nothing on your hand as you cook, crochet, golf, mop, embroider, etc. if you only rely on braces for relief and support.
Understanding how to use what I call ‘low profile hand supports’ - such as kinesiotape, silicone thumb supports, wrist wraps, ring splints, the list goes on…
…is truly where the magic happens when it comes to supporting your hand(s) during the activities you need to do 🎉
This is what my students in Healthy Hands Academy have been learning all about, and let me tell you, it makes a world of difference for them.
Healthy Hands Academy is my signature program for those with arthritis affecting their hands (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis).
In pre-recorded trainings, I show you all there is to know about how to use braces/supports, gadgets, exercises, and pain tools so you can do more with less pain.
It’s the only program I know of designed to give your hands truly all they need to thrive with arthritis.
We have so much fun, too 😉
And the doors are opening in the next 5-6 weeks.
Join the waitlist if you want to receive more information and updates.
