Carpal Tunnel Wrist Braces and Splints make CTS Worse in The Long Run

Immobilizing Splints and Hand Braces Make Carpal Tunnel Worse?

In orthopedic medicine few tools are used as much as splints and rigid braces.  Orthopedic professionals, across the board, from physical therapists to surgeons, often reach first for a splint or a brace to provide immediate relief from painful movement after a fracture or a ligament tear.   It becomes instinctive and almost habitual.

These immobilizing devices stabilize broken bones, protect torn ligaments, and let damaged tissue heal without the disruption of ongoing movement. Millions of fractures and sprains are treated this way every year, and for good reason: it works for fractures and sprains caused by trauma.

For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome it is a different story. It is ironic that the most recommended “Conservative First” treatment for CTS are immobilizing wrist splints, also sometimes called rigid hand braces. Every pharmacy offers them, most doctors recommend them as the first line of defense for CTS. The reason we say it is ironic, is because  immobilizing wrist splints and rigid hand braces help alleviate a little discomfort from movement  in the beginning, but in the long run these devices make carpal tunnel worse.

Typical Carpal Tunnel Wrist Braces or Splints that you find in pharmacies worldwide are immobilizing devices.  Our medical team has found working with patients in our clinic over the last 20 years that these rigid devices help relieve discomfort from movement for the first couple of weeks, but in the long-run lead to muscle atrophy and injure soft tissue further.   These rigid devices provide no proactive healing therapy, they just immobilize the hand and wrist and the compression exerted by this immobilizing device blocks healing pathways and causes soft tissue to recede when worn on a routine basis.

It is well documented in the medical literature that immobilization has downsides.  And when it is relied upon for too long, the negative effects become quite serious. Since Carpal Tunnel is a chronic recuring condition caused by trapped inflammation, immobilization is a poor treatment option.

Why Prolonged Immobilization with Splints Causes Harm

1- Blood circulation restriction

2- Lymphatic stagnation, inflammation buildup and chronic swelling (edema)

3- Muscle atrophy

4- Joint and connective tissue stiffness

5- Bone density loss (disuse osteoporosis)

6- Degrading of the sensory feedback loop leading to chronic clumsiness

7 – Receding Soft Tissue (appearance of visibly sunken-in with extreme cases)

8- Pressure sores on the skin under the immobilizing brace pressure points

Having rigid fiberglass or metal constantly pressing against the soft tissue and muscle of the hand and wrist actually injures soft tissue further, it restricts blood circulation and inhibits inflammation transport through lymphatic channels – All of which makes Carpal Tunnel worse over time.  This is why the expert doctors at First Hand Medical suggest that you avoid the use of wrist splints and rigid hand braces, except when doing brief periods of heavy lifting.  Routine use of these immobilizing devices makes Carpal Tunnel worse.

How did immobilizing rigid hand braces & wrist splints become so entrenched as a medical treatment for CTS, If They Don’t Work?

Indeed one has to wonder:

“How did these immobilizing devices become the primary over-the-counter
treatment offered in pharmacies and in medical clinics round the world,
when in the long run they make CTS worse.”

On cursory analysis, not a deep dive, it becomes clear why and how this has happened.

The Simple Answer to This Paradox is “A False Positive”

It turns out, and it is not surprising, that immobilization of an injured hand and wrist that is jammed with excess inflammation, relieves pain and discomfort from movement.   So, usually the rigid wrist brace or hand splint will feel like it is helping when a patient first uses it.  The instant reaction from the patient is:

“This feels good, finally some relief!” 

However, as it turns out, some movement is essential for healing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Movement helps transport out the trapped inflammation. Historically, the lymphatic system in the body has been largely ignored by allopathic medicine. It has been the basis of many treatment approaches of “Eastern Medicine” so there is some aversion by allopathic medicine to acknowledge it as important, until recently. So, it is not surprising that it is generally under appreciated.

A Basic Appreciation of The Lymph System for Transporting Inflammation

The lymphatic system is the primary method that the body has for transporting excess inflammation.  The Lymph System, unlike the blood circulatory system, has no pump.  It relies on gravity and muscle movement to slowly, but steadily move excess inflammation loaded with waste to the kidneys and bowels for extraction.  The Lymph System, essentially, is the waste treatment system of the body with no pump.

Since the root cause of CTS is trapped inflammation exerting pressure on the Median Nerve, understanding the Lymph System is really important to appreciate healing of this condition.  Movement of muscles and changes in elevation of your hands (gravity), as wells a diaphragm movement during deep breathing are all key to create the internal forces necessary to move and allow normal drainage of this excess swelling in the hands.  Immobilizing the hand and wrist with restricting devices, prevents movement that is necessary to initiate natural healing. This is the primary reason splinting and rigid bracing inhibit the body’s healing processes and make CTS worse in the long run.

Immobilization with Splints and Braces lead to Muscle Atrophy and Receding Soft Tissue

There is another important mechanism that explains this paradoxical phenomena of initial relief, while preventing healing and leading to poor outcomes that is the result of immobilization with CTS.  Splints and restrictive braces, like cast, also lead to muscle atrophy and receding soft tissue with continued use.  While immobilization makes sense for temporary healing of fractures and sprains, it does not make sense for chronic recurring conditions, like CTS. Loss of muscle and receding tissue will further complicate and delay recovery from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and can become a serious issue that creates more pain in the long run. Some relief in the beginning, but more serious chronic pain in the long term.  Not a good trade-off.

So, “the false positive” of initially getting some relief, leads to a poor long term outcome and often leads to invasive procedures, like surgery, which is not the best choice for a chronic recurring condition.

Fractured Bones Require Immobilization

Another explanation as to how the medical system gravitated to the wrong conclusion about immobilization as a treatment strategy for CTS, is the success the medical community has had with immobilization in the treatment of broken bones and sprains caused by trauma. Immobilization is necessary for broken bones, to allow the fractured bone to fuse back together and heal correctly.  It is also helpful with severe sprains caused by trauma to allow ligaments and soft tissue to reconnect. So, success in this related area of medicine, helped people to accept immobilization as a ready answer for all orthopedic and soft-tissue injuries.

However, Carpal Tunnel caused by trapped inflammation due to physical repetitive stress or resulting from excess systemic inflammation is very different from a sprain or a fracture of a bone caused by trauma.

It makes sense, when you think about it. If you have ever worn a cast to immobilize a broken bone.  You have likely observed the loss of muscle and soft tissue on the arm or leg where the case was worn for just six weeks.  Of coarse, it is essential to set and immobilize a fractured bone, to allow it to heal correctly.  It is worth putting up with the temporary loss of muscle and receding soft tissue to allow the fractured bone or sprain to heal. Immobilization has become the medical standard for successful treatment for short term temporary situations, like fractures and sprains.

It is different with a chronic recurring condition like CTS. Long-term use of a splint or rigid brace can lead to severe muscle loss and receding soft tissue that creates a lot of problems and potential complications. Without normal soft tissue cushioning the 27 bones in the hand and wrist, every movement becomes painful.  Immobilization is not a viable long term treatment for a chronic recurring condition caused by trapped inflammation and excess swelling, like CTS.

Immobilization is the Wrong Approach for Carpal Tunnel Treatment

As described above immobilization is the wrong approach for treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  The Muscle atrophy and receding soft tissue from immobilization is counter productive for Carpal Tunnel treatment.  It is a set-back to the healing journey and is not recommended by our medical team.  Immobilization seems good on the surface, but the benefits of immobilization are dwarfed by the risks of muscle loss, receding soft tissue and delays in healing. There is no reason to be exposed to this kind of risk.

Movement and Passive Stretching Helps to Jump-Start Natural Healing

Actually, the opposite is true.  Not immobilization, but movement is actually good for promoting Carpal Tunnel healing.  Movement combined with stretching helps to initiate the transport of trapped inflammation through the lymphatic distribution system.   Movement and Stretching jump-start the body’s natural healing and disperses trapped inflammation. Trapped inflammation is the root cause of carpal tunnel.

Soft Tissue Passive Stretching Brace Is The Conservative First Treatment of Choice.

There is a Carpal Tunnel Wrist Brace that is a soft tissue stretching device which provides targeted stretching therapy to three key areas of the palm around the Carpal Tunnel passively during sleep.  It has been put together into a 6 week treatment kit by expert doctors.  This convenient kit allows you to put your worst symptoms in remission within weeks and achieve complete remission of Carpal Tunnel within 6 weeks.  This proactive Carpal Tunnel Therapy is called the Carpal Solution Treatment Kit.

The Carpal Solution is the optimal “Conservative First Treatment” for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

What are the advantages that the Carpal Solution soft wrist brace has over rigid immobilizing hand splints and wrist braces? First of all, Carpal Solution Therapy was developed by physicians with firsthand knowledge and years of experience treating CTS and It Works! It is easy to apply, and it is disposable, it does not cause muscle atrophy, or restrict blood circulation or cause irritation to already inflamed soft tissue.  The Carpal Solution disperses trapped inflammation and jump-starts natural healing.  It treats the root cause of Carpal Tunnel. It just makes sense.

While other wrist supports and restrictive braces can accumulate moisture and perspiration during wear, the Carpal Solution is made of hypoallergenic materials and that are porous and breathable and never accumulates offensive odors and does not cause irritation that is common with rigid devices that tend to be a collection point for microbes and fungal activity. Since the Carpal Solution is thrown away after each use, one does not have to be concerned with these nagging issues associated with permanent wrist supports.

Immobilizing braces and supports can actually exacerbate CTS symptoms, since they compress already injured soft tissue, thereby constricting circulation and further inhibiting the body’s natural ability to heal from the trauma to the soft tissue of the hand inflicted by CTS. These rigid supports do relieve pain due to movement , but often result in muscle lose and long-term hand and wrist weakness that can be difficult to rebuild.

The Carpal Solution Stretching Braces Disperse Trapped Inflammation,  The Root Cause of CTS.

The Carpal Solution, on the other hand, encourages muscle development, restores blood circulation and lymphatic fluid exchange, disperses inflammation and rejuvenates flexibility of injured soft tissue. It reduces swollen tissue and gets the body back to its natural healing cycle by opening up the constricted area and reducing compression of the fascia tissue surrounding the Carpal Tunnel. You can review the clinical data supporting this rapid Carpal Tunnel relief and learn why over 97 percent of patients who implement the carpal tunnel solution methodology experience soothing relief from the worst symptoms in weeks and complete remission in 6 weeks.   Once CTS is in remission, your body keeps it in remission for up to 15 years, but usually about 5 to 7 years.

The Carpal Solution Carpal Tunnel Stretching Brace is a Solution for CTS for Life.

When CTS comes back, you simply repeat the easy 6 week treatment protocol at night during sleep.  The Carpal Solution Treatment Kit is a solution for Carpal Tunnel for life.

Comfort is Important When Wearing A Wrist Brace or Any Orthotic Device During Sleep.

As a nighttime soft brace, the Carpal Solution offers other advantages as well. There are no rigid, stiff pieces to annoy or disturb yourself or your partner at night. Plus, the Carpal Solution travels conveniently.

You Can Use The Carpal Solution Stretching Kit While You Wait for Your Doctor’s Appointment.

There is no reason to suffer for another day. You can get started today treating your Carpal Tunnel naturally without any risks or downtime or fear of complications.  The Carpal Solution Kit was developed by Doctors and is designed to jump-start your body’s natural healing.  Who knows? – You might be all better by the time the doctors appointment rolls around.

Education is your number-one weapon against the ravages of carpal tunnel syndrome. You should discuss your condition with your physician and confirm your self-diagnosis soon. You can also browse our website to read real testimonials based on firsthand experience by CTS sufferers and read the articles written by our medical team. This website is written with the intent to help people heal naturally from this chronic recurring condition and avoid invasive procedures, like surgery if they can.

The Carpal Solution is a better first line of defense to CTS.

This remarkable new kind of wrist brace makes for a solid strategy for preventing carpal tunnel symptoms from disrupting your life.

The Carpal Solution has been used by over 500,000 people in over 30 countries and continues to get a 97% success rate among patients. Neurologists call the Carpal Solution a better first line of defense for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Patients simply call it: “My Carpal Tunnel Cure!”

Click to “Like Us” on Face Book and read what real people who have used the Carpal Solution have to say about this remarkable Carpal Tunnel Treatment.

You can view more detailed video user reviews of The Carpal Solution in 7 different languages on our YouTube video channel called: MyCarpalTunnelSolution

Learn more about Carpal Tunnel Wrist Braces