Does Night-Time Splinting Help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

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 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.)

But, 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.

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 vitamin B6 deficiency, your neck muscles, or another cause, then night-time bracing wouldn't provide the same relief for your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Comments

[Dave Lowes]

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).

[Kathryn Merrow - The Pain Relief Coach]

Hi Dave,

I'm glad that splint is working well for you and thank you for sharing.

[Jenny Smith]

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.

[Kathryn Merrow - The Pain Relief Coach]

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