My wrist splints/supports

[Rosie]

Before the visit by the dreaded hackers someone had kindly posted a link to a site that sold wrist splints that zipped up. Anyone able to post the link again please?

[vickers]

It may have been me, try zipped support

[Rosie]

Thank you. That's the one I was looking for.

[vickers]

Glad to be of some help Rosie. I love my splints to bits, they're so comfy and don't snag the arms of your clothes like the velcro ones. If you have any trouble with the sizing give them a call, the girl I spoke to was really helpful.
Good luck.

[Sez]

I'm going to have to get a couple of these. The NHS ones always feel huge and bulky and the velcro catches on everything!

[Guest]

Anyone have a link for wrist - thumb braces in the UK please? If possible any that are not horrible NHS so called skin pink, if my skin was that colour I would be worried

[Blaadyblah]

Anyone have a link for wrist - thumb braces in the UK please? If possible any that are not horrible NHS so called skin pink, if my skin was that colour I would be worried

I'm after those also - worse still I found one online, in black neoprene, with several different sizes (I have child writsts, just 13cm) and then had computer crashness before I could bookmark it. Aaaargh! *pout*

Still, they do exist - now we just have to find them again!

[Guest]

Heres my new one click here

[Guest]

Sorry about the double post but just to explain I have finally had chance to use my new brace and it is horrible. The thumb section is not seperate though it makes it look as if it is in that site. It is very rigid and when I wore it for all of five minutes with my stick my thumb subluxed. The stiching on the thumb spica part is also harsh and was rubbing my thumb raw and I don't even have EDS or HEDS skin just HMS delicate skin so would dread to think what it would be like for the former to try wearing one. I really thought I had found the perfect brace, but looks like I am back to searching

[nonyanomemory]

....... I don't even have EDS or HEDS skin just HMS delicate skin..........

Hi Az, I don't quite understand what you have said here. Have you been told definitvely by your specialist that 'you 'just have hms delicate skin' .

What is it that defines you as 'just' having hms rather than ehlers danlos hypermobility? Only a recent appointment with Professor Grahame, clafirifies the above as one and the same

At a recent appointment at UCL it was explained that the best person to provide splints. etc was a hospital occupational therapist as they are able to adapt and make to measure splints, supportive devices, or referral to orthotics etc. to the needs of a hypermobile 'patient' and that to buy them off the shelf so to speak 'may' cause more harm than good. I have had moulds ( (a little like the moulds that aredone on teeth at the dentists but different) for my thumbs, wrists, fingers etc. These have been subsequently lined firstly with towelling then with sheepskin because of skin problems. I was then advised to use different ones for different times of the day, some for ALL functional use to prevent injury and then others at night for other reasons. All I am saying I suppose that whilst it is fine to have 'shop bought' aides until we receive them via the national health, patient appropriate, as anyone with Parkinsons, MS for example would then we have a long way to go to meet our needs. I understand why because of pain and debilitation that these things may be bought 'sight unseen', however I would urge anyone who is thinking of using any of these assistive devices to be assesed by a qualified occupational therapist who has had training in this specialised area. I suppose I just worry that what may seem to be helping short-term may actually be making the problem worse. nonya

[Guest]

Hi Nonya,
Prof Bird diagnosed me with benign joint familial hypermobility syndrome and stated i do not have any of the more serious disorders EDS, Marfans or Osteogenesis Imperfecta. That included skin involvment according to him, even though I tried to point out some problems (Who am I to argue lol). Since then I have researched things myself and discovered that in HMS we do in fact have more delicate skin than the average person so my statement of HMS delicate skin meant more tender than the person on the street without HMS, but not as fragil as someone with HEDS or EDS.

At a recent appointment at UCL it was explained that the best person to provide splints. etc was a hospital occupational therapist as they are able to adapt and make to measure splints, supportive devices, or referral to orthotics etc.

I could not agree with you more and this is what we should all receive not the rubbish NHS splints we are given that rip into our hands and told that is all that is available in sizes small, medium or large and they cannot be adapted. Sorry I lie the metal stays can be bent slightly to fit your sticks, but that is all you get this part of the UK. I won't get into the political side of the argument of what we should be entitled to as I'll rant on for ever I was given four splints all useless that made my problems worse and told there was nothing more that could be done so I bought off the shelf and they was adapted by my OT to fit my sticks they was better than NHS because they didn't rip my skin and were a comfier fit. I was then kicked off the list because I wasn't seing my OT every other week even though I was told I didn't need to see her every week so I no longer have an OT so I lose again. I need a new wrist brace as my old one doesn't suffice I cannot see an OT so I have to buy it anyway. See the end to the vicious circle?

[Sue New]

Hi Az,

I am sorry to hear your new wrist and thumb splint is not working for you . I have recently been given something similar to yours by the orthotics dept at my hospital. It is a standard "skin colour" NHS one but the thumb part is separate to the wrist part. I tried to find a picture to show you but I couldn't find one I am afraid. I do find that by the end of the day the web of skin between my thumb and index finger is quite sore (almost cut) but I can loosen the thumb section off to ease the pressure. The thumb piece is fastened by velcro in a circular fashion around the thumb (if that makes sense ).

I have differnet splints to wear in bed to stop my hands going numb (from Carpal Tunnel) and one time I had a nap in the afternoon and forgot to change my splints over and that was quite painful between my thumb and finger, but other than that I have found them to be quite good.

I do struggle to write with them though, but typing seems a bit easier. The orthotics dept bent the metal inside to the shape of my thumb and I am able to use my crutches a lot easier with this than my old neoprene and towelling splint which I had an allergic skin reaction to. Also my OT has recently installed a stair rail for me and the metal in the hand part has been bent in such a way as it is comfortable to grab onto the rail going down stairs (the old splint was too uncomfortable to do that).

I wish I could find a picture to post a link for you. It is made by Promedics (which I think is the standard NHS supplier) so perhaps you could track down a link or see if your Orthotics dept can provide you one of these (apologies if you have already tried this and it was no good for you).

Take care

Sue.

[Guest]

Hi Sue,
Thats the type I was given second time by my OT, but as one of my overlap symptoms is Marfan web fingers (No banjo playing jokes please ) though only slight it does mean between thumb and forefinger it is a tad higher than usual and the NHS splint rubbed it raw within minutes. I'm just lucky it's not as bad as someone with MFS.
My night splints were the only things they could make for me, but I cannt wear them at night they drive me crazy (Or a bit more ) so I use them during the dau to rest my hands) These are made out of therma plastic and moulded to the shape of the hands in the rest position.

[peekay]

I was given the type of splints you're describing Sue about a month ago. I think OT's must either be mythical creatures in my area...either that or luxury items unavailable on the NHS as I've never seen a hospital one...only social services, and their only role appears to be to tell you about equipment you can't have!

I've made an appointment to go back to the appliances department to see if they can come up with anything better than those splints, as they're making my hands worse (something I didn't know possible!) The metal rods force my wrists and thumbs into a very strange shape..needless to say I ain't wearing em! I was told at my first appointment with my local rheumy who's actually pretty switched on that I now need to wear wrist splints although he was clear that's usually a bad idea, and that I needed them at night...although he was also clueless as to who'd be able to come up with something suitable! I'm actually quite lucky with the appliances department though as the senior orthotics guy is wildly hypermobile himself and also does all the splinting for the specialist EDS childrens clinic at Alder Hey (yes, they have one there!) and the department are good at pushing me through as fast as they can, and trying to come up with solutions....problem is, they're limited to those lovely catalogues, and I don't think there's anything else in there that splints both wrists and thumbs, anyone know?

[nonyanomemory]

Hi Peekay, mine was definately nhs. The physio at UCL did say that the type of splints for hands particularly do not suit the EDS hand as they are so rigid and being naturally inclined to move a lot - the pressure on the hands caused by the ones with metal can be problematical. She did say that they would have to much more inventive to come up with anything to suit us bendies. Which is probably why the off the shelf chicken skin coloured ones aren't very helpful The hopsital occupational therapists are generally used by those who have had injuries etc and strokes. I wonder whether I have just been incredibly lucky or whether my gp came up with the idea when they had to change the handles in the practice on the consultating rooms as I couldn't get in and then couldn't get out again. He asked me as he caught me as I was falling having attempted to use my elbow to to do the task - what I did at home! I said well the back door has to be left unlocked as the handle needs pushing up to lock it - so if hubby is not there, we leave it unlocked and the 'staffie' in the house seems to ward off would be burgulars. He said 'you are joking aren't you' and then realised that I wasn't and made the referral to the OT. We did find it funny at the time but I think it made him realise that 'my' hands don't work. They were really really knowleagable and helpful and for the first time in ages I felt that I wasn't a bother. Perhaps speaking to the orthotics team about these elusive ot's would help or maybe AlisonC would be able to enlighten us as to whether they should and are available everywhere and if so how to get to see one. nonya (apologies for spelling in this post - it appears that my brain knows how to spell but my fingers are twitching again so its quite remarkable how I've managed to type at all)