Numbness at Night - Try Pil-O Splints
Hi there,
Before I was approved for surgery, I was miserable at night. Waking up constantly with both hands numb, sore, and just really uncomfortable and unable to sleep for long periods. I had tried multiple splints with no luck. My OT suggested I try the Pil O splints by brownmed and they were a major game changer for me so I wanted to share them for others who may benefit from using them the way I did. They make two models - one wraps and one is straight but they both help keep your fingers in a neutral position which is what made the difference for me. I personally preferred the wrap ones. Anyway, just wanted to share what helped me. I bought mine on amazon but I'm sure there are other places to buy them. Good luck and god bless.
Thank you. At the time I felt I should be including a disclaimer about not being affiliated with the company, which I am not.
The important part to take away from my post is that most of my research on splints focused on the wrist and keeping it in a neutral position, and didn't really mention keeping the fingers supported in a neutral position. So while that particular splint worked for me, I think any splint that includes support for the fingers could be super helpful - the brand isn't as important as the part about the splint having this additional support for the fingers. My sister has the same issue and uses a different kind and loves them. But again, the splint doesn't end in the palm like so many of them do. The shocker for me was that I had no idea using a splint that included finger support could be such a game changer and provide so much relief.
So my personal, non-professional recommendation as a sufferer of CTS is that if you're using a splint that only focuses on your wrist, and you're not getting the relief you're hoping for, maybe it would help to try a splint that includes support for your fingers as this is what helped ease my night time symptoms . . . I'm sure there are many brands that will work, just as I am sure this recommendation will help some and not others :)
As with everything else, there is no magic bullet that works for every single person. My only experience is my own struggle with CTS and so this recommendation may not be helpful to everyone. I'm merely sharing because trying a different type of splint was something that provided significant relief for me personally, and in the vein of wanting to help others who might benefit from using a different splint, I shared the information. Thank you again and good luck finding what works for you to ease your symptoms :)
There probably is scope for more proper trials of different splint designs. Immobilising the fingers is generally thought to be a bad thing because it tends to make the joints stiffen but there is no hard and fast evidence either way. The only issue for which there is a bit of experimental work is the angle fo the wrist. There is fairly good evidence that the pressure on the nerve is at its least with the wrist in neutral. Unfortunately trials of different splint designs are unlikely to get funded - there isn't enough money in splinting:-( JB
There is a fine line between patients reporting what worked for them and advertising, which I prohibit on this site. I think this is just the right side of the line but people should be aware that this splint has not been shown to be superior to any other design in randomised trials and it is very expensive. JB