First thing’s first, I highly recommend before purchasing any form of wrist splinting, that you get some advice off a professional who knows what they are talking about. The reason for this is because sometimes wearing a splint can actually hinder a hand and wrist problem i.e. it can make whatever problem you have worse.
I know this because it happened to me, due to a messed up referral I was seen by a physio but not the one I should have been seen by, and because I was seen by the wrong person, a person who lacked the in-depth knowledge needed for dealing with the type of problem that I had, I ended up with poor advice.
Basically I should not have been using a wrist splint of any sort on my right wrist, and yet by following the advice I was given which was to use a standard wrist splint on my right wrist, it made the problem I had worse because by wearing it it not only caused the muscles that I needed to strengthen to become weaker, it caused the joints and ligaments that I needed to lengthen to become tighter. So yeah wearing a splint made my wrist worse.
The experience with my left wrist was even worse, because I was seen by the wrong person inevitably I was completely and entirely misdiagnosed, basically I’d torn the scapholunate ligament in my left wrist and should have been put in a cast or at the least a very substantial splint.
Instead on the advice of the physio I used standard wrist splint, the problem was this left my thumb exposed, and leaving my thumb exposed considering the symptoms that I had was a disaster because the part of my body that most needed to be splinted up was in fact my thumb.
So by using the wrist splint I exposed the part of my hand and wrist that most needed protecting to even greater strain than if I had not been using the splint. This is why it is absolutely imperative, and I mean absolutely imperative, that if you have a hand and wrist injury that you make certain that you are seen by someone who really knows what they are talking about. And I mean really knows, not just knows a little bit, but is an expert in hand and wrist problems. I was unlucky and was sent to the right place but somehow ended up being seen by the wrong person, which taught me just how important it is when it comes to hand and wrist problems to be seen only by an expert and to take advice only from an expert.
With that said, there are predominantly three types of wrist splints, there is a standard wrist splint, there is a wrist splint incorporating a thumb splint, and then there is a thumb splint/ thumb spica. A wrist splint splints the wrist alone, a wrist splint incorporating a thumb splint splints the wrist and the thumb, and a thumb splint splints the thumb and partially splints the wrist on the side of the thumb.
A little note about why I’m writing this post
Because of the problems I have I have a lot of experience with splints, one of the hardest things to know is which ones are good and which ones are not because there are literally loads. With this in mind I thought it would be good to make a post highlighting which splints I feel are the best on the market, my reason for making this post is because I found it extremely frustrating attempting to find the best splints and wasted a lot of money trying out different ones. Hopefully this post will help stop others from sharing the same experience.
But before getting to the splints, just a few points that it is good to know before getting a splint, other than of course the most important factor which I have already mentioned, being recommended getting one by a professional.
Firstly, a wrist splint is for wrist injuries alone, a thumb splint is for problems with your thumb, problems which are most often linked to your wrist, and a thumb and wrist splint is a splint which basically locks down your whole hand and wrist and is very close to a cast. The reason it is important to get professional advice is because like said if you get the wrong splint which locks down the wrong part of your hand and/or wrist, or leaves the wrong part of your hand and/or wrist exposed, it can cause big problems.
I know I have already pretty much said that but it is so so so important I felt I had to say it again. Do not get a wrist splint of any sort unless recommended by a professional.
Anyhow, getting back on track, when getting a wrist splint one thing that it is really important to be aware of, outside of the need for professional advice, is the fact that you need to make certain that you get the right size, and that the one you get is for the hand you need it for i.e though some can be adjusted to fit either hand, most can’t. Meaning you need to make certain that if you have a problem with your right hand, you get one that is for your right hand and vice versa for your left hand.
Other things to watch out for are what they are made of, some stink, and I mean literally stink. And that stink when mixed with sweat stinks even more. And that stink is so strong that even soap at times is not enough to get rid of the smell from your hands after wearing it.
With this in mind these are the best I have found, they offer the best adjustability for size, and the smell factor is at the absolute minimal of all the ones I have tried. Hopefully you will find these of use.
The Best Standard Wrist Splint – Actesso Advanced Wrist Support Brace
I use this splint on my right wrist overnight, and I have to say it is comfortable and one thing I am impressed with is its smell, or rather its lack of it. Like said one big problem I have found with splints is that they have a tendency to have a strong smell, a smell which through continued use whether you wash it or not tends to increase.
This splint does not really have that problem, in fact I have to say I can be quite lazy with this splint, not washing it for far too long and yet despite this it is mostly smell free.
Also when you do wash the splint unlike many, it doesn’t ruin it. All in all I have to say this is a really good wrist splint.
He was the link to it:
The Best Thumb Splint/Spica – Actesso Neoprene Thumb Support Brace Spica
If you have De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, gamers thumb or any other problems with your thumb/thumbs, it is likely that a physio will recommend a thumb splint. And of all the thumb sprints I’ve tried, this is without a doubt the most comfortable.
It is easy to wash and washing it doesn’t ruin it, also it doesn’t have a particularly strong smell nor does it pick one up through continued use, or at least I have not found it to.
All in all if you need a thumb splint/spica, if there is a better one for its price I have not found it.
Here is the link to it:
Best Light Fitting Thumb Splint with Wrist Support – Thumb Support Brace by BraceUP
Basically this is predominantly a thumb splint, but unlike most thumb splint’s you wear it like a glove which means that it provides a little bit of wrist support, or rather a stronger amount of wrist support than you will get with a standard thumb splint.
I wear this thumb splint on my left hand overnight, and it is highly comfortable, in fact it is the most comfortable thumb splint of its kind I have found. As long as you aren’t going to leave it months between cleaning it, you shouldn’t have any problems with smell. Yes I was that lazy that I didn’t clean it for months.
I’m not sure I should have admitted that. Pretend I didn’t. Anyhow, cleaning it causes no real problems meaning it doesn’t ruin it like it does many other ones. The only downside I have found is the Velcro strips, basically it has two Velcro straps, the bottom one works perfectly fine, the top one however after a few washes lost its grip. It still works, and doesn’t really cause any problems but, I think the design could have been better for the top Velcro strap.
All in all in my view this is a really good light fitting thumb splint which incorporates a form of wrist support.
Here is the link to it:
Best Full-Size Wrist and Thumb Splint – VELPEAU Wrist Brace with Thumb Spica Splint
Basically this is near enough a cast, it is just a removable cast. It is called a wrist and thumb splint because it is basically technically a wrist and thumb splint, but it locks your and hand down to such an extent that it is tantamount to a cast.
I used this for about 8 to 10 weeks on my left wrist, and it definitely provided the support that was needed to allow my hand and wrist to start the healing process. The great benefit of course was that I could take it off several times over the course of the day, which allowed me to keep my hand and wrist gently moving, which in turn helped me to avoid the ligaments and joints in my hand and wrist becoming too stiff which put me in better steed for when I began rehab.
Of all the wrist and thumb splints out there that are basically tantamount to a cast, if there is a better one I sure as heck have not found it. The only real downside is the fact that if you wash it unfortunately the fabric inside can become a bit rough.
All in all despite this if you need a hand and wrist support which is tantamount to a cast, like said this is the best one out there for its price, or at least I think it is.
Here is the link to it:
Final words
Like said whether you have De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, a sprain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome or a torn scapholunate ligament like me, getting the right wrist support, if it has been recommended to you by a professional, is so important. Trouble is once you have been recommended one chances are there will be millions of the type you have been recommended out there, and not all of them are as good as others.
I know because like I’ve said I’ve tried many different ones, and it was only through much trial and error and high cost in both pain and money, that I managed to find these ones. Whether they are right for you, it’s impossible for me to know, but hopefully this post will have helped send you in the right direction to finding the right one for you.
That’s all for me for today, stay safe!
The Knowledge of Freedom 