According to a study from researchers at the University of Michigan, people who have early symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can benefit from night-time splinting.
Splinting (wearing a brace) at night helps because it keeps you from doing “strange things” with your wrists while you are sleeping.
These strange things involve curling your palms and fingers toward your arms. You can’t control what you do in your sleep and so the splint, or brace, does the controlling for you. The splint keeps your wrist from bending and aggravating the nerves, muscles and blood vessels in your wrist.
Sleeping for long periods with your wrist curled can cause carpal tunnel symptoms. Why? Because it causes pressure on the “guts” of your carpal tunnel and that in turn causes symptoms. (Think of your foot falling asleep. That’s similar but more temporary.)
If you were to wear the splint all day, as well, it can cause additional pain and problems for you.
At least part of the time, the tissues around your wrist need to be able to move. We are built to move, not to be braced 24 hours a day.
In the University of Michigan study, the group who wore splints at night showed a significant improvement in their symptoms. Some even reported complete relief.
The people who had the earliest diagnosis had the most improvement. Early diagnosis improved this treatment success rate.
My thoughts: This seems to me to indicate that the study participants had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or symptoms, which were caused by night-time wrist bending.
If your symptoms are caused by incorrect daytime usage or sleeping position, vitamin B6 deficiency, your neck muscles, or another cause, then night-time bracing wouldn’t provide the same relief for your carpal tunnel symptoms.
In that case, this program was created to help you get rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms naturally and forever. <– Click the link.
Hi Terri, Please keep looking here. There are lots of articles about how to massage your own arm and if you cannot do it yourself, get a friend or family member to help or go to a professional massage therapist. It’s less expensive to go to a massage school if there is one nearby but you will have to direct the student to work on your arm, the front of your upper chest on that side and a little on your hand. Probably the outer side of your back under your armpit is involved, too. And you will have to ask the student or therapist to warm it a bit and then work into the muscle. It will be uncomfortable.
Do you always sleep on the same side? You can change that. Are you left-handed? Is that your mousing hand? You can switch mouse hands; it takes a few days to get the hang of it.
There are several self-help movement videos here, too. Some will feel very good to you, as though that’s what you need. Those will be the ones to focus on.
I hope this helps you start getting rid of your hand and wrist pain.
Kathryn
Iam so tired of not sleeping at night.. I my left and/arm has gotten so bad I thought I was having a heart attack… I read about the Nightwrest online. I wanted to order them but was a litle worried it was a scam… Does anyone know if they sell them in a store. I hvent slept a full night in mths. I wake in extreme pain and tingly numbness. My hands get so hot it feels like they are on fire.. I feeling crying I cant take any more it goes straight to my shoulder now. I NEED HELP PLEASE !!!!
Hi Jenny,
I am not familiar with the Nightwrest so I can’t answer that question.
But I do have a suggestion for keeping your splints on during the night: Strapping tape. It’s pretty tough stuff!
I wonder whether you are removing the splints during the night because they are too tight? You need to have enough room for your lymph and blood to flow so wear them somewhat loosely.
The idea of the splint is to keep your wrist from bending as you sleep.
Hope this helps and thank you for writing!
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach
I have mild/early symptoms of carpal tunnel and the doctor recommended I wear wrist splints at night. I have been trying to wear a splint at night on both hands but I keep taking them off at night! I don’t even know I’m doing it. I woke up one morning and I had taken off the splint and even put it on the nightstand. This keeps on happening. What can I do to keep them on? Also, Dave said he wears Nightwrest. It looks like a plastic sticker… will that provide enough support to be used in place of a splint. It supposedly “providing a gentle tug on the back of your hand.” I’m skeptical that it can provide the same support as a wrist splint that has metal in it.
Hi Dave,
I’m glad that splint is working well for you and thank you for sharing.
I tried a product called Nightwrest. It’s a disposable splint. It works Great! It only works at night but my wife loves it (you can hardly see it and she cant feel it on my wrist).