Wrist and Hand Splints

You may consider wrist or hand splints if you have arthritis in these joints and plan to engage in activities that stress them, such as golf, tennis, or weightlifting. Two general types of wrist splints are available-resting splints and work splints. For exercise you need a work (flexible) splint, since these allow more wrist movement. Most wrist splints stabilize by crossing over either the back or front of the wrist, with support around your forearm and some sort of closure around the palm of your hand. Because work splints allow more wrist movement, they provide less stability; therefore, you have to decide what you require.

If you have limited pain and sufficient stability, you might start with a simple elastic brace. This type of splint allows the greatest range of movement, while still giving some support to the wrist joint. With more pain and instability, check out a more rigid work splint. When you are trying on a splint, imitate the movements you use in your activity. Again, you will probably have to modify your motion slightly to perform the activity with a splint, and you are the only one who can determine whether the change will affect your performance more than you desire. My husband played in a golf tournament with a man who was wearing a wrist splint due to a severe arthritic flare-up. The man said that it did not detract from his game too much, whereas without the splint the pain affected his swing and concentration.