I’m often asked about the value of using carpal tunnel wrist braces, night splints, and other support devices that relieve carpal tunnel pain. My feelings are mixed, honestly. I see a lot of patients who’ve been prescribed to use a carpal tunnel wrist brace to alleviate their pain; they’re fitted by occupational therapists who typically design the brace so that your hand is immobilized. This reduces inflammation, which in turn reduces pain – which in itself is good, but when I hear the word “immobilize,” I feel uneasy. Any time a joint or muscle is immobilized, it begins to lose function.

Wrist braces do have value, of course, but their worth is primarily in the relief they give to people who suffer from the painful symptoms of carpal tunnel, but they do nothing to address the underlying condition. Wrist braces, night splints, and other such devices are a band aid, not a cure. The only way to correct the problem is to focus on dealing with postural muscle imbalance.

Postural muscle imbalance is a condition that occurs whenever your body habitually remains in a particular posture day after day, such as when you’re sitting in front of the computer all day, or sitting in your car far several hours every day, and so forth. This results in some muscles becoming more developed than others, while some muscles end up losing their function through lack of use. When this happens, your body no longer maintains the natural S-curve of the spine and peripheral joints (elbows, wrists and shoulders). Over time, this will cause the symptoms of carpal tunnel to appear.

The longer this occurs, the more extensive the damage will become, which could eventually cost you the use of your hand for several months. This isn’t merely inconvenient, it could impede your ability to provide for yourself and your family. Other symptoms such as lower back pain, headaches, and “frozen shoulder” are also the results of postural muscle imbalance.

It’s easy to dismiss these warnings as being overly alarmist, but the fact is that this is your health and your future. If you’re already caught in the cycle of carpal tunnel, you need to end it before it escalates, and the earlier the better. To stop carpal tunnel at the source, your only solution will be to regularly follow some simple postural muscle balance restoration exercises, so that wrist braces and night splints will no longer be necessary in the first place.

Tom Nicholson has spent years caring for carpal tunnel sufferers. You can follow this link to find out more regarding carpal tunnel wrist braces.

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