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General health

Would you wear a wrist splint if a doctor hadn't recommended it?

13 replies

CharitySchmarity · 15/11/2019 12:16

I get pain in my wrist from time to time. The first time was triggered by something specific but now it just seems to flare up occasionally. It never lasts for more than a few days but can be quite painful to bend it backwards and forwards while it lasts. I asked the doctor about it a couple of times and she just said it was probably an inflamed tendon, take ibuprofen and use a tubigrip while it's bad. But I don't find a tubigrip makes much difference. It seems to be coming back again and I was wondering about using one of those proper stiffened braces, as I feel like it would recover more quickly each time if I couldn't bend it easily. But I wasn't sure whether it's OK to just decide to use one without a doctor having suggested it - could it cause any problems?

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slartibarti · 15/11/2019 12:49

You could try a wrist splint and see how it feels.
If it helps then unlikely to be causing any problems.
If it makes your wrist feel worse then take it off .

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L271 · 15/11/2019 12:53

Sounds similar to my occasional wrist pain. After years of it taking two to three weeks to stop hurting every time it flared up, I started using a wrist brace. It now stops hurting within three days.

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MustardScreams · 15/11/2019 12:56

Can’t see how it would cause problems unless you wore it constantly for months and your muscles wasted.

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artio0 · 15/11/2019 13:12

Could it be De Guervains? I had that after giving birth... I wore a wrist splint constantly after my GP adviced me to and now my wrist is completely fecked and still hurts a year on. What I'm saying is, do wear the splint if it helps but make sure to stretch out the wrist properly too so it doesn't become stiff.

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Georgina678 · 15/11/2019 15:45

Wearing it too much could cause your muscles to weaken, causing you greater problems.

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Chefwifelife · 15/11/2019 15:52

Hey @CharitySchmarity sorry to hear your wrist is giving you grief. I'm a physiotherapist and see people with wrist problems all the time. I think you would be better off asking to be referred to a physio for an assessment. This way you can treat the root cause and not just the symptoms. Good luck.

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CharitySchmarity · 15/11/2019 19:00

Wow, thanks everybody for taking the time to comment.

slarti yeah, put like that it sounds like a no-brainer, but I somehow just wasn't sure whether it was the sort of thing people just used without asking anyone, kind of like I probably wouldn't just go out and get crutches if it was my ankle that was hurting, kwim?

L271 that sounds reassuring!

arti I looked up that condition and I don't think it's the same thing because it's not my thumb that hurts, it's kind of in the middle of the back of the wrist, and can go into the hand and arm when I bend it. I have had a ganglion in the same place in the past if that helps you visualise where. I don't know if the two things are connected.

Chef thanks, that sounds like a good idea. I don't know whether my GP would refer me as she seems to think it's nothing much, but I think I can self-refer where I live. I'll find out and give them a ring on Monday. As a physio, would you stay it was still worth going if I got an appointment and it was better by the time I had to go? And what do you think about the splint as a short-term fix?

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lookatthebabypenguin · 15/11/2019 20:08

I wear one as advised by physio. I would recommend pursuing a referral. It was incredibly useful.

If you wear one in meantime (or any kind of wrist support) I was advised never to wear it for more than six hours (either continuously or not) per day otherwise you lose muscle and strength etc and will end up worse off.

The physio also taught me daily exercises, pain relief options and went through adaptations to daily activities to make them manageable. As well as thoroughly assessing at the beginning.

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lljkk · 15/11/2019 20:21

I've worn splints on & off (long history of RSI).
My experience of taking my RSI to doctors was fairly bad.
"It's a soft tissue injury, what do you expect US to do about it?" said one GP.
splinting helped, though.

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madcatladyforever · 15/11/2019 20:23

Of course you can, I often wear one when I have a flare up of arthritis.

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Chefwifelife · 15/11/2019 20:56

I would say still go even if it's better by then. A good physio will give it a thorough look over. If the pain is that bad that you feel you need some support and it helps then I don't think there is any problem in the short term.

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CharitySchmarity · 16/11/2019 23:16

Well, thanks again to everyone who commented. I was able to get a suitable splint from a pharmacy today and it has made quite a difference. I had been in a bit of pain before putting it on and it improved a lot during the day. I've been taking it off or loosening it when I'm not doing anything with my hands. I will still try to arrange a physio appointment but I think this was the right thing to do in the meantime.

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CharitySchmarity · 20/11/2019 11:35

Oh heck, I have been offered a cancellation at the physio this afternoon (was originally going next week). Of course my wrist is fine now, I haven't even got the splint with me as I didn't really need it yesterday - I only had it on at work and barely a twinge. I will still go though as I would like to get some answers.