Wearing a wrist splint for carpal tunnel syndrome at night (called "nocturnal wrist splinting") is one of the best ways to treat this condition. But before you waste time and money treating carpal tunnel, make sure you have this progressive condition in the first place. Here are the symptoms you should have.

Carpal tunnel syndrome has very specific symptoms. In fact, you can perform this simple self-test which doctors use to determine if you have it.

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome occur ONLY where the median nerve distributes to the hand. The image (above) illustrates where on the hand the median nerve provides sensation.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is all about abnormal sensations from the median nerve. The most common carpal tunnel sensations you feel from this area of the hand and fingers are:

• Numbness
• Tingling (or pins-and-needles)
• Pain
• Burning
• Shooting electric shocks
• Itching
• Weakness and clumsiness
• Loss of hot or cold sensations

Weakness and clumsiness are more advanced symptoms. If you find it difficult to tie a shoelace, button a shirt, pick up coins, or drop things, then your disorder has progressed beyond the mild stage.

Symptoms usually first appear while trying to sleep. In fact, this differentiates carpal tunnel syndrome from wrist tendonitis. In its beginning stages, wrist tendonitis usually is painful when your hand is working. In contrast, carpal tunnel syndrome starts off showing symptoms while your hand is resting.

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, it means you don't have an ordinary hand problem, like a sprain. Therefore, you must treat it in a special way when it comes to splinting. The following are the 2 rules for wearing a wrist splint if you have carpal tunnel syndrome.

A wrist splint for carpal tunnel syndrome should only be worn at night, when you're sleeping. You should never wear one during the daytime.

The reason is because of the way carpal tunnel syndrome occurs. It begins due to stressed tendons in your wrist joint. The stress usually results from repetitively straining your fingers and hand. This causes irritation and (in time) swelling along he tendon. That tendon swelling is what causes the abnormal problems with your median nerve - and the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

So performing your regular hand and finger activities during the daytime is stress enough. But if you also restrict your hand's movement, it doubles the work your hand has to do to overcome the restriction. That's even more hand stress, which adds to the tendon problems you already have

The most popular splints people (wrongly) use for carpal tunnel syndrome are listed below. These are NOT designed for carpal tunnel syndrome and should be avoided. Using them can cause more harm if you have this disorder.

Wearing a certified wrist splint for carpal tunnel syndrome is a good first step toward treating this condition. Being careful to avoid what caused the problem (like repetitive hand stress) and wearing the splint at night will make mild cases of carpal tunnel disappear within a few weeks.

Avoid wearing a wrist splint during the daytime. This only stresses your wrist more. And at all costs, avoid using drug store splints. They are not designed to treat carpal tunnel syndrome and can actually make your condition worse.

If your carpal tunnel symptoms are more severe, simple night splinting will not be enough. You must combine it with

specific carpal tunnel stretching exercises and myofascial release massage in order to see symptoms resolve.