Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner OTC wrist splints?

Over here something called OTC wrist splints is suggested for wrist pain relief.

Do anyone have more information on this?

I've seen people use them. Back when I was having some trouble, I just used an Ace Bandage at night.

I use a wrist splint when I sleep. Not sure if it makes a difference but it makes sense, you're not exactly using your wrists and sleeping with them bent would be pointless and a hazard to your playing.

If you're confused about "OTC" I think he means "over the counter". Go to a local walgreens and buy a sturdy wrist splint. It will keep your wrist in a neutral position, giving it more time to recover from those hours and hours you spent practicing.

Interesting, I need to get a pair of those. I remember a while back sleeping with very tense, bent wrists, and actually slept for a few days with plastic kitchten tools taped to my arms

Elephant, I did some searching several weeks ago and bought one of these for my right hand:


Thermoskin single


I wear it at night, and it keeps my hand in a straight, comfortable position.

I wanted to try one out to see if I like it, and I love it.

One for my left hand is my next purchase.

You can find a pair here:


Thermoskin pair


Mel

As already has been mentioned, the purpose of the wrist splint is to hold the wrist in a neutral position and not allow it to flex, (bend toward the palm). If you are getting wrist or tendon pain while playing, then, most likely, you are flexing your wrists too much while depressing the keys, thereby entrapping the tendons that slide back and forth within the Carpal Tunnel as the flexor muscles in your forearms pull your fingers into a flexed position. You might also look at your bench height, as sitting too high up will feed into this. Think about those wrist rest cushions that are sold for people who use computer keyboards at work. They are attempting to get your wrist and hand positions into a more neutral, slightly extended position. Same thing should go here. Preventing wrist flexion at night, by use of splints, can certainly help as well. Stretching the flexor tendons, and the muscles they are attached to, is beneficial as well. Hope this helps.
Dan

worked great for me..

i had alot of carpal issues when pregnant especially, (and also slept like a baking chicken with my hands folded like tucked in wings). just wearing them helped me focus on opening up that passage by putting the hands in a certain position.

i still get them out occasionally.

I also wear a wrist splint on my right wrist while sleeping. A physical therapist recommended it because of problems I was having with tingling in my forearm and numbness in my thumb and index finger. She said it's common to sleep with a bent wrist (flexed down), but that position aggravates the numbness and tingling. The wrist splint while sleeping has helped me.