A common question that is asked at Physical Therapy is “when should I wear my brace?”. Doctor’s or orthopedists will often prescribe the use of a wrist brace to reduce pain but do not always give you parameters on how & when to use it. Today’s blog will help to answer this question and provide simple guidelines on how to utilize the brace.
Bracing alone does not typically result in a full recovery. It is recommended that you seek advice from a physical therapist to effectively treat your injury, ensuring elimination of pain, proper strengthening and reducing the likelihood of the injury returning.
Night Time
Several wrist injuries tend to be at their worst in the morning. This is mainly due to the random, unnatural and sometimes uncontrolled positioning that accompanies us with sleep. This can promote pain, stiffness and numbness/tingling throughout the night, leaving you uncomfortable in the morning. By wearing a supportive brace at night, you will be able to maintain control of the positioning while you are asleep.
Work Hours
If your wrist pain is due to work-related activities, it is safe to use the brace while you are performing those tasks, assuming it does not interfere with your duties. Wearing a brace will help to eliminate unwanted movements, protect the injured area and provide a healthy reminder that you are dealing with an injury. It is common to work through pain during our workday, ultimately resulting in an increase of pain afterwards. This onset of inflammation and irritation is not healthy for the injury and can be avoided by using a brace to manage symptoms.
Sport
If your sport of choice involves a lot of movement in the wrist, wearing a brace can certainly be beneficial. The brace can prevent unwanted movements or repetitive motions that may be detrimental to the healing process. Overuse injuries are usually the culprit that lands the athlete in a brace, so it is important to make sure the brace is appropriately reducing those movements. Bracing can also prevent more damage to the wrist in case of a fall or impact.
It is important to remember that bracing can be harmful to recovery as well. Make sure to always speak with your physician, physical therapist or orthopedist prior to purchasing or using a brace for any purpose. Size, fit and type of brace are key to truly aid in the recovery process. Bracing is not a one-size-fits-all modality, so be sure to check with your medical professionals first to get the most helpful information and advice.
If you are suffering from an injury that may require bracing, or you are currently in a brace but not seeing the results you desire, contact Restore Physical Therapy for information on how our experts can help. Click below to register for a FREE Discovery Session to determine if physical therapy is appropriate for you!