Carpal Tunnel Sleeping Braces

From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist

Best (and Worst) Carpal Tunnel Sleeping Braces

The best carpal tunnel sleeping braces (also called nocturnal braces) will allow your wrist to rest without irritating it. In contrast, wearing the wrong sleeping brace can actually worsen your condition. So don't trust any old brace you find on pharmacy shelves. Most are not made for carpal tunnel syndrome and can be harmful when used.

How to tell you have a bad brace

Already have a sleeping brace? This is how you know you're using a bad one:

1) You awaken in the morning and your carpal tunnel symptoms (e.g., finger or hand pain, numbness, tingling) are worse than when you retired, or

2) You've been using a brace for weeks but symptoms are the same or worse.

If these occur, then you can probably blame your sleeping brace. Read below because a "certified" carpal tunnel sleeping brace will not cause these problems.

Think you have carpal tunnel? Complimentary self-test

Already know you have carpal tunnel? This Quiz tells you its severity

Signs of carpal tunnel syndrome

What to look for

Before you buy a carpal tunnel sleeping brace, be sure you have carpal tunnel to start with. You can take this self-test to find out.

Also, the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are very distinct. They involve your palm and/or wrist area, and all of your fingers, except your little finger. These symptoms include:

where carpal tunnel pain occurs on the hand

How it progresses

When carpal tunnel first starts out, the symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, or burning appear at night, while trying to sleep. You wake up trying to relieve the symptoms. This is the MILD STAGE of the disorder.

As the disorder progresses, symptoms begin to appear during the daytime. And they become more intense. New symptoms will also arise, like shooting electric shocks when grasping. Sometimes you notice some weakness and clumsiness in your hands. This is the MODERATE STAGE of the disorder.

In time, symptoms worsen even more. Numbness, pain, or tingling are maximally intense, and are nearly constant. Weakness and clumsiness (even loss of temperature sensitivity) interfere with using your hands. This is the SEVERE STAGE of the disorder.

► If you have MILD STAGE carpal tunnel, then wearing a certified carpal tunnel sleeping brace can help eliminate symptoms.

► If you have MODERATE or SEVERE STAGE carpal tunnel, a brace alone will not suffice. See below for more information.

How to use a carpal tunnel sleeping brace

1) Only use a certified carpal tunnel sleeping brace

Only a certified carpal tunnel sleeping brace should be used to help treat carpal tunnel. These are approved by orthopedic specialists to wear if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. They're not made for fractures, sprains, etc. See list below for braces to avoid.

How can you tell the difference? A certified carpal tunnel sleeping brace does not have a palmar spine (see photo). A spine at that location is harmful because it pushes against your carpal tunnel space. Instead, a certified brace has 1 or 2 dorsal or lateral spines.

Also, certified carpal tunnel sleeping braces are "specialty products". That means you cannot find them in chain pharmacies like Walmart or Walgreens. You can only purchase them from the specialty online suppliers shown below. See below for list of certified carpal tunnel sleeping braces.

2) Only brace your wrist while sleeping

If you have carpal tunnel, sleeping with a brace is a great start. It's very good for mild carpal tunnel. But for moderate and severe stages, night bracing alone isn't enough. It should be used in combination with other remedies.

With any stage of carpal tunnel syndrome, never wear a wrist brace during the daytime. That's because your flexor tendons (in your forearm) have already swelled due to inflammation. This swelling produces pressure on the median nerve inside your wrist. It's that pressure which produces the awful symptoms of carpal tunnel.

Therefore, these damaged tendons don't need extra stress. But if you work while wearing a wrist brace, you will unconsciously fight the brace in order for your hand to move. That's extra stress, making your carpal tunnel even worse.

Certified carpal tunnel sleeping braces

These braces are certified for use with carpal tunnel syndrome. They are specifically designed as carpal tunnel sleeping braces. Listed prices may vary.

Braces to avoid

These most popular braces in pharmacies and online. Do not use them because none are certified for use with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Ace Wrist Support
Ace Deluxe Wrist Stabilizer
AirCast A2 Wrist Stabilizing Brace
Bauerfeind ManuTrain Wrist Brace
Bauerfeind ManuLoc Wrist Brace
Bio Skin DP2 Cock-up Wrist Brace
Bio Skin DP3 Cock-up Wrist Brace
Bledsoe Wrist Lacer Wrist Brace
Bledsoe Universal Wrist Lacer
DonJoy CXT & SXT Functional Wrist Braces
DonJoy Neoprene Wrist Wrap
DonJoy Contoured Wrist/Forearm Splint
DonJoy Universal Wrist/Forearm Splint
FLA ProLite Wrist Splint with Abducted Thumb
FLA Uni-Fit Wrist Splint
Futuro Comfort Stabilizing Wrist Brace
Futuro Night Wrist Support
Futuro Deluxe Wrist Stabilizer
Hely and Weber Tiny Titan Thumb Wrist Brace
Hely and Weber Titan Thumb Wrist Brace
Medtherapies Lace-Up Wrist Brace
Mueller Carpal Tunnel Wrist Stabilizer
Mueller Green Fitted Wrist Brace
Mueller X-Stay Wrist Stabilizer
Ossur Exoform Wrist Brace
ProCare IMAK Pil-O-Wrist Splint
ProCare Loop-Lock Cock-Up Splint
ProCare Foam Wrist Splint
ProCare Quick-Fit W.T.O. Wrist/Thumb
ProCare Cock-Up Wrist Splint

Summary

Wearing a certified carpal tunnel sleeping brace is a good step toward relieving carpal tunnel symptoms. When worn at night, it can help relieve MILD symptoms. But for MODERATE or SEVERE symptoms, additional therapies are required. These include stretching exercises and myofascial release massage.