If you have hand pain, you know just how debilitating it can be. One effective option for treatment and prevention are splints. Our team of experienced hand therapists at Desert Hand Therapy are healing hands with splints every day of every week and we wanted to share with you how!
Splints are healing hands in the treatment of arthritis, injuries and other acute and chronic conditions of the fingers and wrist.
Use & Design of Splints
Splints are made of neoprene, metal and other materials, and may be prefabricated or custom made by a hand therapist – like the custom splints made at Desert Hand! Splints deal with the science of bracing or supporting weak ineffective joints or muscles. They also can be used to align, correct or prevent deformities of your hand, wrist or fingers. Ultimately splints assist in strengthening a physical weakness to improve and restore function back to their optimal state.
Here are four primary ways splints are healing hands across the Phoenix-metropolitan area for common conditions and injuries.
Splints are used for:
- Supporting painful and damaged joints to increase strength
- Reducing stress and strain on damaged or painful joints
- Reducing pain
- Helping cue individuals you in how to use a joint more carefully
There are several different types of splints that provide various levels of support depending on your needs. Some of the common types of splints we create and provide at Desert Hand may include:
Resting Splint
This type of splint rests and supports the joint in the best position while lowering stress on ligaments, minimizing the pressure inside the joint, diminishing pain and preventing joint movement. A resting splint is worn during the night or for rest periods during the day to help decrease inflammation.
Working Splint
A working splint helps hold the joint in position while improving stability and joint alignment. Working splints also aid in lowering pain during activities and to improve function and reduce pain.
Thumb Spica Splint
The Purpose: to immobilize the CMC joint to thumb
For These Conditions:
- Thumb osteoarthritis
- MPJ ulna collateral ligament/Radial collateral ligament of the thumb
Wrist Support Splint
The Purpose: to immobilize the wrist
For These Conditions:
- Distal radius/ulna fractures
- Carpal fractures
- Ganglion cyst
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cellulitis to the hand
Ulna Gutter Intrinsic + Position Splint
The Purpose: to immobilize the wrist and the finger for proximal/middle phalanx fractures
For These Conditions:
- Proximal/middle phalanx of finger
Mallet Finger Splint
The Purpose: to immobilize and protect distal phalanx of finger
For These Conditions:
- Mallet finger injury
- Distal phalanx fracture
Resting Hand Splint
The Purpose: to immobilize and rest the hand and wrist for fractures, swelling and stiffness associated with trauma or infection of the hand
For These Conditions:
- Cellulitis
- Multiple Fracture Sites to Fingers
If you are experiencing hand or wrist pain and feel like you could benefit from a splint, contact Desert Hand Therapy today to schedule an appointment to discover the best options for your specific needs.
Coverage around pinning of the IF and SF, allowing for thumb opposition to middle digits.
We like to make our splints kid friendly and often create them with stars and flames. We can even make them look like ladybugs!
Check out this splint made in our Chandler clinic!
