The Brace Guide from Athrohab - Part 5

Selected conditions of the wrist and elbow that can benefit from a brace

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – CTS

Wrist tendons and nerves run together in a narrow channel called the carpal tunnel. A strain or inflammation can cause swelling, resulting in a pinching of the nerve due to lack of space in the tunnel. This leads to tingling, tenderness, pain and numbness in the fingers and palm.

Possible causes:

Overloading of the wrist while being sharply bent or overextended.
The wrist held in a bent position for long periods such as overnight.
Inflammation in the wrist.
Repeated overloading of the wrist without sufficient time for recovery and rest.

Symptoms:

Pain and tenderness in the lower part of your palm.
Numbness, especially in the thumb, forefinger and middle finger.
Weakness in the wrist and an inability to control the finger movements.
Weakness in the hand strength.

Suggested actions:

Use of a wrist brace to support the hand during activity.
Avoid painful movements.
Use of a wrist brace at night to prevent bending of the wrist.
If you have severe problems that do not improve, consult a physician.

Suitable products: Short wrist brace with Boa, Short wrist & thumb brace with Boa, Long wrist support with Boa.

Overloaded Wrist

The wrist has to tolerate heavy loading during a normal day. Everything from small delicate movements to heavy lifting, sometimes as heavy as your entire body weight. Unilateral movements are particularly stressful because the muscle is constantly loaded without time to relax. This can lead to overloading with inflammation as a result. The inflammation makes most of the movements painful.

Possible causes:

Overloading of the wrist associated with such activities as gardening, sports or office work.
Loading of the wrist in an extreme bent or overextended position.
Unilateral movements without sufficient time for recovery and rest.

Symptoms:

Pain, tenderness and swelling of the wrist when stretched or bent.
Weakness in the wrist in certain movements.
During severe inflammation crepitation can be felt in the tendons.

Suggested actions:

Active rest and avoiding painful movements.
Use of a wrist brace to support the hand during activity.
Find alternative and varied workout movements.

Suitable products: Short wrist brace with Boa fixing.

Tennis Elbow

Epicondylitis

Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the muscles and muscle insertions on the outside of the elbow.

The inflammation is caused by congestion and unilateral movements of the wrist and elbow. The upward bending of the wrist associated with rotation can trigger symptoms.

Problems with the outside of the elbow are most common. This is referred to as Tennis Elbow (lateral epicondylitis).

Symptoms can also come from the inside of the elbow (medial epicondylitis) and would then be called Golf Elbow.

Possible causes:

Intensive and unilateral movements leading to an overloading of the muscle insertions of the elbow.
Rotation of the arm in combination with the upward bending of the wrist, loading the muscle negatively.
A too large grip on a tool/racket leading to a static overloading of forearm muscles.
High activity without sufficient time for recovery and rest.

Symptoms:

Pain localized to the outside of your arm and elbow, sometimes radiating down towards the wrist.
Distinctive pain when the wrist is bent up and held statically while someone tries to pull the hand down.
Weakness and tenderness in the hand and underarm.
The pain is localized to the muscle insertions and muscle belly on the outside of the elbow. In order to more easily locate the area, bend your wrist upward and follow the muscle belly, which is located on the upper side just below the elbow joint.

Suggested actions:

Specific eccentric training and stretching with the help of an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
A wrist brace to stabilize the wrist and reduce the risk of loading the wrist incorrectly. A tennis elbow brace can relieve and reduce the pain.
Avoid rotation movement and loading with the wrist bent upwards.
Treat the painful area with ice to reduce pain and inflammation.

Suitable products: EpiCon TriTex elbow sleeve.

Elbow Pain – Bursitis

The elbow tip is a very sensitive area because of a lack of soft tissue to protect it.

The body is equipped with an extra shock absorbing cushion, called a bursa, which protects the tip. Overloading, irritation or trauma to the tip can cause the bursa to be inflamed which can cause pain and reduced range of motion.

Possible causes:

Intensive and prolonged stress or trauma of the elbow tip can cause irritation and inflammation.
Trauma against the elbow tip.

Symptoms:

Pain over the elbow tip in both rest and activity.
Mild swelling when pressing over the area. Sometimes the swelling can be severe and it feels like a jelly lump in the middle of the swelling.
Stiffness and difficulty in stretching or bending your arm.

Suggested actions: