Wrist injuries are common among athletes in sports like cricket and tennis, where rapid wrist movements are essential and can significantly impact performance. It is also common for everyone to experience wrist pain despite being an athlete. The reason behind wrist injury is overuse or repetitive wrist motion, which occurs daily when we perform tasks. It might be writing, typing, cooking, doing laundry, or holding your baby; these activities rely on wrist movement. That’s where a wrist brace for tendonitis relief becomes your ultimate healing partner in no time.
In this blog, we’ll learn about choosing the right support for tendonitis. Choose the right support to protect your wrist, recover faster, and keep performing at your best.
What Type of Wrist Support Is Best for Tendonitis?
Choosing the right wrist support for tendonitis requires extra care. Consult a healthcare expert for proper guidance on choosing the best wrist support for tendonitis. The result is mainly based on the various factors that include the type of your injury, daily routine performance, and the severity of the injury. Different types of wrist support include:
-
Rigid wrist brace: Often regarded as best when experiencing severe tendonitis cases.
-
Semi-rigid wrist brace: Often recommended for moderate cases or during flare-ups.
-
Compression wrist support: These can be referred to as elastic sleeves or wraps, which gently compress the wrist area. They are often used for minor cases of tendonitis, swelling, or inflammation.
-
Thumb spica splint: Often used for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis cases
-
Night wrist splint: Used when experiencing severe tendonitis pain that shoots or worsens at nighttime.
But with so many options available out there, it can be quite challenging to choose the right one. Now, you don't need to worry, as you can consider a Leeford Ortho Wrist Brace that is among the best wrist supports for tendonitis.
Does a Wrist Support Help Tendonitis Heal Faster?
It is crucial to know that the right wrist support not only contributes to your recovery. Incorporate hand exercises and the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) therapy to promote quicker recovery. The right or best wrist support for tendonitis provides stability and reduces pressure on the wrist tendons. A wrist brace from brands like Leeford Ortho provides sturdy support to the hand and wrist, helping it to rest and heal effectively. The compression sleeves can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain during movement. It is often recommended to wear a brace while sleeping, as it helps prevent the wrist from bending in ways that can intensify the injury and pain.
How a wrist support helps to heal:
-
Relieve strain: It provides support and limits unnecessary movement. This helps to reduce or minimize stress or irritation on the wrist ligaments. It helps to relieve the strain and associated pain.
-
Promotes healing: The wrist brace mobilizes the wrist, and this support enables the tendon to rest and to begin the healing process without disturbance.
-
Reduce swelling and inflammation: The gentle compression from the brace helps reduce swelling by limiting fluid accumulation in the injured area. It also helps to prevent inflammation and stiffness.
-
Proper wrist alignment: Wearing the wrist brace helps to maintain proper or safe wrist alignment. This alignment is crucial because it enhances recovery.
Can I Wear a Wrist Brace While Typing?
You might have been wondering if you can type while wearing a wrist brace. The good news is that you can wear a wrist brace while typing. It provides secure support, which prevents or reduces strain. It is ideal to use it, especially if you’re already experiencing pain or wrist discomfort. However, rest your hand on soft or supportive surfaces. You can place your hand on a cushion while typing. This helps to minimize strain and pressure on the wrist region. Always take frequent breaks, as continuous typing can lead to slower recovery or cause continuous pain. While you can use the brace when typing, avoid relying on it all the time, as this might lead to muscle weakness. Dependency on it might cause you to experience discomfort and hardship when holding even light objects.
Benefits of wearing a wrist brace while typing:
- It helps to reduce or minimize pain and strain from the wrist joints and nerves, as it is a repetitive activity.
- It is useful for managing pain and discomfort when suffering from conditions like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s Syndrome, or sports and gym injuries.
- It helps to maintain a safe wrist alignment, which is necessary for quicker recovery. It protects your wrist from awkward or unnatural positions.
How Tight Should a Wrist Support Be?
Wearing a wrist support for tendonitis too tightly can trigger various complications or discomfort, like nerve damage, swelling, or slower recovery. The wrist support should be snug enough to offer support. The vital point is that it shouldn’t be too tight or too loose, as this impacts the recovery process.
You can notice these symptoms to determine if your wrist brace is too tight:
-
Loss of sensation when moving the wrist: This sensation could be a sign that the splint is pressing on your wrist nerves. This sensation might extend to your palm or fingers.
-
Lingering wrist pain even at rest: If you experience this, there might be a possibility that your brace is too tight, and it's restricting blood flow. If pain increases when you rest your wrist, make sure to adjust it properly.
-
Bluish/pale skin: A tight wrist brace often reduces or cuts off blood from flowing in the injured wrist region, leading to bluish or pale skin.
-
Swelling around wrist: Continuous swelling in the wrist or hand region that doesn't improve might mean you're wearing the brace too tightly.
-
Impaired ability to move your fingers freely: A cold sensation that occurs frequently could be a sign that you’re wearing the splint too tightly.
Always seek your doctor’s advice to determine the duration of wearing the brace when typing or even when performing other daily tasks.
How to Maintain the Right Fit
-
Check for blood circulation: Put your finger under the brace. This prevents skin irritation and maintains safe blood circulation around the wrist region.
-
Position the wrist brace correctly: Position the brace on your wrist in a safe manner, and adjust it to provide secure support and to promote proper wrist alignment.
-
Regularly check for changes in your skin color: Take immediate action if experiencing any signs of irritation, redness, or pressure points when you take the brace off.
-
Adjust for comfort: Make sure it is a snug fit while typing or performing any tasks. Check for folds to reduce the chances of causing irritation and discomfort.
How Long Does Wrist Tendonitis Take to Heal?
It's crucial to know that a wrist splint for tendonitis helps reduce pain and promote recovery, but overuse may cause stiffness. Consult your doctor for examination, as this helps to determine the severity of your condition and the duration it might take to heal.
Several factors also determine the duration of recovery, and these include:
- Consistently incorporating the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) therapy and wrist-strengthening exercises.
- The severity of your condition naturally determines the duration of recovery, so be patient enough to follow the proper healing guidelines.
- Wearing a wrist support brace from brands like Leeford Ortho helps reduce strain on the wrist. It can be worn daily, making it ideal for preventing pressure application on the wrist.
The general duration for healing:
- Minor/mild stage: 2-4 weeks.
- Moderate stage: 5 weeks or extending to a few months.
- Chronic or severe stages: Several months.
Wrapping Up
Wrist injuries can happen gradually without us noticing until the pain starts to interfere with our daily tasks and comfort. Tendonitis results from irritation and inflammation in the wrist tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the hand bones. A wrist splint for tendonitis treatment helps you heal faster, ease pain, and stay injury-free.
When choosing the right or best wrist support for tendonitis, consider a Leeford Ortho Wrist Brace. It's a brace that ensures a universal fit, meaning that it is convenient and saves you from the hassle of finding the right size. It has a Velcro closure, which helps promote a customized fit when you wear it. It is crucial to know that wrist braces for tendonitis are not the only solution to heal. All you need to do is just follow what your doctor advises, use the right support, and perform light activities regularly in order to heal faster.
