LA RSI Support Group

 

On the Wearing of Braces from SOREHAND


Date: Sun, 2 Nov 1997
From: Sarah
Subject: Re: Arm Braces-READ
 
NO! NO!!!!
    DO NOT, I repeat do NOT wear braces while keyboarding. (Soft neoprene gloves are OK, but NOT hard splints or braces). I am a CASE STUDY of why NOT to wear them for much of anything at all.
    Trust me, I know it feels cozy and secure at the time, but you will SCREW THINGS UP SO MUCH WORSE LATER, when your arms bulk up in the wrong places and the parts that should be working start to atrophy. They just mess up your whole body mechanics if you use them inappropriately.
    I used braces while typing because I thought I should, it felt right at the time and was a strong advocate of the braces. They felt warm and snug, and they helped me to stop moving my hand in painful ways, which was comforting. I had friends with RSI who warned me about their dangers, but I insisted that the braces were helping me heal. And they were - the pain did go away for a few weeks completely! But then my injuries travelled up my arm and into my neck, and now I'm pretty much disabled with a bad flareup of fibromyalgia throughout my body, which I attribute partially to being forced to use my body in strange ways while those things were on.
    When you immobilize your wrists, your fingers take on far too much of the typing workload. Also, your wrists get weaker and weaker, making them even less fit to do the job of supporting your hands, so the injury progresses.
    Braces and splints are NOT appropriate for soft tissue injuries. Soft tissues need to move slightly to heal. THe ONLY time you should wear braces is at night , if you really need to (ie if you hyperextend your hands or sleep on them), or when your hands and wrists hurt and need to be immobilized for comfort WHILE YOU ARE AT REST (ie, watching tv), and even then you should take them out to stretch and move every 45 min.
    This advice is all very carefully researched and compiled from my best doctors, good reading material, and lots of experience. Please, take my advice now and don't end up like me!!!
    FYI, my braces are in the garbage now completely, and I'm better off. You shouldn't rely on a crutch to help you do things you shouldn't be doing - you should use your brain and the pain signals it generates to teach you how to move properly and change bad habits! Braces just reinforce them.
 
Sarah


Date: Sun, 2 Nov 1997
From: Sarah
Subject: Re: Braces...PS
 
To all ye who are experimenting with arm braces,
    Rememeber one thing (besides the stuff of my previous brace rant)...
    Different braces are for different conditions. If you must use one, please try to talk to your doctor so that you know you're using the right type. One brace does not fit all, where injuries are concerned.
    I had De Quervain's disease, which requires imobilization of the thumb. Standard "carpal tunnel" hard braces actually WORSEN deQuervain's disease and should not be used. Other conditions require still different braces. Soft braces (without metal) should be safe, but still in some cases can worsen problems (ie de Quervain's, if thumb joint sticks out of any brace, will worsen)
    So DON't just go to your local wall-mart and pick up what they have there. Braces need to be prescribed by a reliable doctor who understands the complexities of your particular disorder, and often customized (mine was molded to fit my hand).
    Not all wrist problems are treatable with a Carpal Tunnel protocol. Some get worse with it. So GET THE FACTS BEFORE YOU TREAT YOURSELF...and make sure you TRUST your doc's diagnosis. Read up if you must, and mistrust your doctors if they make you raise an eyebrow in ANY way.
    Not to be scary, folks, just a concerned bystander.
 
Sarah

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