Wrist Braces - What kinds to look in to or avoid.

JethroTV

United States206 Posts

September 27 2011 17:10 GMT

As a community I believe that we are very aware of the plague of wrist and hand problems that are caused by playing mass amounts of SC. I myself have recently been suffering from such problems.

However, in all the threads that address such issues the resounding advice (other than going to the doctor) seems to be the use of wrist braces. However, in searching through all of the threads on this topic I have not been able to find anyone speaking as to what style, or more specifically, what brand of wrist braces seem to work best for this situation. As someone who is currently looking for braces I find myself having a hard time finding a brace that will support my wrists adequately but still allow me to function well enough to perform the demanding actions of SC2 and I'm sure I am not alone in this predicament.

Surely people who have experienced such issues have some experience and knowledge as to what types or brands of braces to avoid and which to consider purchasing. Going into specifics as to what situations different supports are good for would also clearly be beneficial. That is, some would of course be better to where while sleeping while some would be better for while gaming.

Compendium of Info:
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This is a concise collection of the opinions and ideas stated in this thread, for convenience sake. I will attempt to augment this with applicable outside sources when possible. -- I want to state again that these are opinions from people with some experience, not the expert advice of a doctor.

Things you should do whether you have wrist problems or not:

Stretching: There is pretty much a 100% consensus that stretching before, in between and after gaming sessions will help prevent injury. Day[9] did a nice talk about this in a daily. The segment can be seen here.

Posture/Ergonomics: Also obviously important to prevention and treatment is your position while using the computer. This information is widely available, but below are a couple diagrams describing the appropriate posture and a link to a reputable source discussing it. Remember -- back straight, shoulders relaxed, wrists in a 'natural' position.

OSHA Ergonomics

Proper Posture Reference Guides:
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Concerning Braces:

Types of Braces:

From looking into braces myself I have found that they tend to fall into three general categories. I'll go over these categories, give examples and speak to what I feel each category is geared towards. Note that any specific brands linked are not linked because I feel this brand is best, I simply am using those as an example of the general type of brace.

No Support - Mild Support
This category will encompass everything from simple sports sweat bands for a little padding to gloves designed to give some padding or support. Let me begin by giving a range of examples.

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Sweat Bands:
An extremely cheap and easy way to give yourself a little bit of wrist comfort if your only issue is the pressure of your wrist on the hard surface of your desk. As recommended by Zurachi on pg2:
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Wrist Wrap:
This is going to give you some padding, like the bands, but will also 'persuade' your wrist into staying in a neutral position. I use the word persuade, because they do not offer the support necessary to absolutely keep your wrist in a neutral position.
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Gloves:
Imak Smart Glove -- I'm going to list this as the top end of mild support. I have personally tried this specific product and it provides ample support under your wrist and again 'persuades' your wrist to remain in a neutral position. It provides both more padding and support than the wrap, so It is a bit more serious of a product.
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Now let me speak with regard to the above category as a whole. Again, this is my opinion, but I feel that these aforementioned products are excellent choices for someone who is interested in preventing wrist problems. The key word there being preventing. The lack of support from these products is not going to force the wrist into a neutral position and therefore they are not a good choice for someone who needs such a position to solve a medical problem.

Moderate Support
This is what I believe will be the most useful category for those of us suffering from some wrist pain and still wanting to play SC2.

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Sport Wrap:
Futuro Adjustable Wrap -- This type of brace is similar in style to the aforementioned wrist wrap, but the 'sport' variety tend to be bulkier. You'll also note the key difference that this wraps around the thumb. This increases the ability of the brace to keep your wrist in a neutral position. However, as it is still a wrap, it does not feature stiff support and will not force the wrist to remain neutral.
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Standard Brace:
Futuro Brace -- This is a specific example of the most cliche type of wrist brace -- the classic three strap - aluminum under support. This specific one also features a gel padding in the palm. I have tried various braces from this category and personally find the Futuro product comfortable. Additionally, and quite importantly in the context of TL, I find that I can wear this brace on my keyboard hand and still play SC2. I do however, find it impossible to have any legitimate amount of mouse control.
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Night Braces:
Futuro Night Brace -- Most brands also offer braces specifically tailor to be worn at night. These are going to provide the most support as far as the moderate braces go. Note that this also means the least dexterity. These braces go further up the arm and will absolutely force your wrist into a neutral position while you sleep.
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This range of support seems most appropriate for those already experiencing problems. Though by right, this should be determined by a doctor. They are going to allow you to function while keeping your wrist in a position such that it can rest, as is needed. Ideally -- one would want to wear these while performing the activity that causes problems (SC2). However, this is certainly easier said than done.

High Support
These braces are highly immobilizing. I have a feeling that if you need a brace like this, you either have, or should speak to a doctor about what and how exactly you should be wearing such a thing. Considering this, ill just show an example.
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I'll begin by posting my own experience with braces so far. When I first went to the doctor I received some cheap braces featuring a metal(presumably aluminum) support. I have found that such a support has numerous problems:
1) The lower end of the braces digs into my forearm if any leverage is applied to the wrist area.
2) The aluminum bends easily, making it so that I'm not sure if the shape of the support is appropriate any longer.
3) The support prevents me from having the dexterity necessary to type -- never mind play SC2.

In order to replace these braces I have been looking at the following products:

Imak Glove
This one features less support, that is, it does not have a solid metal or plastic structural piece. I assume this will allow for more comfort and dexterity, but I am not sure if the support will be adequate as to provide the service that the product is intended for. Additionally, this one claims to be reversible -- I'm not sure if this is asking for trouble or not.

Futuro Brace
This product features a metal support, but is higher quality than the ones I currently have. It claims to be low cut to allow more dexterity, but I'm not sure.

The quality of construction seems to be an issue will all of these products. Many people claim in reviews that theirs fell apart or that the supports cut through the brace or other such things. However, other reviews make no such claims (typical feedback scenario). As such, speaking to this aspect of the brace would also be beneficial.

So TL community, I pose the question to you. What type and/or brand of wrist support do you recommend and why?

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Reminder: Ergonomics and going to a doctor are important, but these ideas have been iterated countless times. Ill include the info in the OP, but I dont think it needs to be restated over and over. Please try to stay focused on wrist/hand support ideas as much as possible. Or alternatives to these all together. Thanks.

Note: If you have wrist issues, please consult a doctor, not just this thread. You may or may not even need wrist support -- find out from a professional source first.

cosineInfinity

United States178 Posts

September 28 2011 02:03 GMT

I wasn't aware of wrist braces being used commonly if at all, though it is not an odd concept now that I think about it.

I think the nature of your wrist problems should be investigated - oftentimes the problem will be related to the nervous system (e.g. carpal tunnel), and thus will not be helped by wrist brace use. If it is muscular, perhaps a wrist brace could be helpful.

As to a wrist brace, I don't think there is enough of a market for there to be too much of a choice, let alone specific advice. Basically, if the brace fits and feels good, use it; that's the most I can give. They basically all offer the same benefit, regardless of make, meaning quality and comfort are the biggest factors in your choice.

You could try taping your wrist with athletic tape - it confers the same benefits as a purchased brace, and is most likely more comfortable.

VirgilSC2

United States6151 Posts

September 28 2011 02:25 GMT

While I don't have too much experience on wrist braces, I do wear a knee brace, and ankle brace fairly often, due to a severe High School sports injury a few years ago, and I can say from first hand experience that using a brace that is designed for other types of support, or is fitted improperly, poorly made, etc. is actually very detrimental to your physical health. I never had to deal with this after the first time, as my best friend's father is an orthopaedic surgeon, but this is definitely something you should double check when using one. Very informative post, and great idea. +1

Lysergic

United States355 Posts

September 28 2011 02:35 GMT

I had wrist tendonitis so I started using a wrist brace (Futuro), and ended up getting shoulder tendonitis from it. Better to learn correct posture, have a nice ergonomic chair, and make sure your keyboard/monitor/mouse setup is how it should be. Force yourself to have your wrist float above the keyboard the way it should, rather than using a crutch.

Also, do NOT use wrist rests, especially for your mouse hand.

JethroTV

United States206 Posts

September 28 2011 02:36 GMT

On September 28 2011 11:03 cosineInfinity wrote:
I wasn't aware of wrist braces being used commonly if at all, though it is not an odd concept now that I think about it.

I think the nature of your wrist problems should be investigated - oftentimes the problem will be related to the nervous system (e.g. carpal tunnel), and thus will not be helped by wrist brace use. If it is muscular, perhaps a wrist brace could be helpful.

As to a wrist brace, I don't think there is enough of a market for there to be too much of a choice, let alone specific advice. Basically, if the brace fits and feels good, use it; that's the most I can give. They basically all offer the same benefit, regardless of make, meaning quality and comfort are the biggest factors in your choice.

You could try taping your wrist with athletic tape - it confers the same benefits as a purchased brace, and is most likely more comfortable.

I know a number of pro's have sported braces to deal with their issues. TLO and Thorzain come to mind immediately.

Determining the source of ones wrist problems is certainly important, yes. But something like carpal tunnel does in fact benefit from a wrist brace just as a muscular issue will. With CTS and other such issues it is important to keep the wrist in a neutral position to reduce the amount of stress on the tendons and nerves -- a brace does this.

I also think one would be surprised at the available number of different options and styles of brace. There is a range of support levels and such available. But yes -- finding one that simply fits and feels good is certainly important. I was just hoping that in creating this topic I could prevent one from needing to go to the store and rip open every brace box to test it out -- or maybe even just provide a starting point before doing so.

Athletic tape is an interesting idea -- could be a solution for while playing SC2.

On September 28 2011 11:25 VirgilSC2 wrote:
[...] I can say from first hand experience that using a brace that is designed for other types of support, or is fitted improperly, poorly made, etc. is actually very detrimental to your physical health. I never had to deal with this after the first time, as my best friend's father is an orthopaedic surgeon, but this is definitely something you should double check when using one. [...]

Duly noted. Certainly don't want to make things worse. The sizing for these braces isnt exactly straightforward either it seems. (i.e. Its hard to measure the circumference of ones wrist while standing in a pharmacy)

IMLyte

Canada714 Posts

September 28 2011 02:50 GMT

ThorZaIN uses a glove and he said he was fine after using it so you should probably look into that

Torpedo.Vegas

United States1890 Posts

September 28 2011 02:53 GMT

I think the first thing you should do if you are concerned about maintaining long term physical health over the span on a long competitive gaming career is start basic.

Do some research and visit a doctor to figure out what muscles do what while playing a video game and what muscles are meant to support certain aspects of your body. Furthermore, find out key muscle groups that are being overly neglected by your gaming hobby and then create an exercise regimen around improving those muscle groups.

(For example, strengthening your abdominal muscles to improve spinal support and posture.)

Speaking of posture, try to consistently train yourself to sit correctly and assume the most ergonomically sound and more efficient weight distribution for your particular set-up. Combine this with a health diet and I believe a lot of the issues gamers generally suffer from would be mitigated to a large degree.

After doing all that, and you still feel a bit more help would be useful. Then look into different types of body support and ergonomic mouses and keyboards to further improve results.

JethroTV

United States206 Posts

September 28 2011 03:01 GMT

On September 28 2011 11:50 Mutality wrote:
ThorZaIN uses a glove and he said he was fine after using it so you should probably look into that

Any ideas as to what the 'glove' is, more precisely? Or perhaps even a VoD where it's visible so we can figure it out?

I know I saw him wearing a brace at a tournament once, but where it was exactly escapes me.

Spray

United States402 Posts

September 28 2011 03:03 GMT

Maybe you should try to you I think its called ace wrap?
I used it for soccer on my ankles maybe that would work dunno ^^

mGMUSE

Singapore112 Posts

September 28 2011 03:04 GMT

#10

i find that wearing something tight around my forearm-wrist area helps relieve the pain/spazz in my wrist. Mvp wears something similiar, like bandages. I think the main point is to adjust the bloodflow or something similiar.

NtroP

United States174 Posts

September 28 2011 03:09 GMT

#11

The majority of the time, wrist pain is caused by an imbalance in the relative strength of the muscles that open your hand vs close your hand. Extended computer use give the muscles that close your hand a ton of exercise and stamina, but do relatively little for the muscles that open the hand. What happens when the muscles that close your hand are out of balance with the muscles that open your hand is that it will pull your wrist joint out of position slightly. (if you can move your wrist around and you can hear it crack and pop, this is a pretty good indicator of a muscle imbalance in the muscles that control your hand)

To correct this imbalance, you simply need to find a way to build strength in the muscles that open your hand. Here is what I use: http://www.flextend.com/flextendrestore.html.

Braces improperly used can be bad for your wrist as it will immobilize the joint, preventing you from getting ANY strength from the regular day to day motions you make with your wrist and can begin atrophying those muscles.

Otherwise, I largely agree with Torpedo.Vegas. Diet will always play a large part in anything relating to the health of your body. Make sure you eat plenty of vegetables, aim for sugar over high fructose corn syrup (but try to avoid sweets/soda as much as possible). Vegetables also have a lot of minerals that will help relieve tension in your wrist muscles along with a lot of specific nutrients that will foster healing. Don't forget protein as any attempt to solve a muscular problem without adequate protein will be a pretty weak solution.

*edit* wrist braces worn at night can actually help, as after any muscle gets a workout, it will shorten as it heals and gets stronger. If those muscles are the muscles that close your hand, overnight they are shortening and exacerbating your condition. Forcing your wrist/hand at night to a neutral position will stretch the muscle out as it rebuilds keeping it from pulling even further together. Braces during the day are a no-no.

Minigun

619 Posts

September 28 2011 03:11 GMT

#12

If a gamer is having wrist problems, he should honestly do something besides using the computer. I suggest taking a week off using the computer at all. This fixed my problem....I get a "little" pain every now and then, but it's not bad at all. It used to be unplayable.

TimeFlighT

Australia257 Posts

September 28 2011 03:16 GMT

#13

Also, stretching and warming up before gaming, taking a break from gaming, and after gaming, definitely helps the wrist and to avoid a possible injury ^^

Cel.erity

United States4890 Posts

September 28 2011 03:17 GMT

#14

Personally, I played competitive FPS and have severe carpal tunnel, I started using a Mueller wrist brace that I bought at Walgreen's. For the life of me I can't find one online, but it's grey in color. The keys for me are that it has:

a.) Aluminum splint in the FRONT, below the wrist, not above it. Most braces either have only a splint in the back (which does nothing if you use a mouse), or have two splints (making it impossible to use the mouse). Front only.

b.) Open fingers. Common to most braces but still important.

c.) Breathability, so my palms don't get all sweaty while I play.

I grant you I have only tested one other product so I'm not an expert in this, and this brace does make it very difficult to play any game at a high level. It's basically just something I use when I'm grinding in WoW or doing stuff that doesn't require intense focus.

By the way, to the guy who said never use a wrist rest, that's just nonsense. It all depends on the height of your arm to the desk. For me, if I don't elevate my wrist while I play, I will basically die from the pain. My desk is very high however. My old desk was lower and I did not need a wrist rest.

All that said, the Mueller brace provides me 100% comfort, I don't feel any pain when using it for 10+ hours, when normally I can't go for more than an hour or two. Again though, it really gets in the way.

JethroTV

United States206 Posts

September 28 2011 03:19 GMT

#15

Loving the feedback now guys, thanks. Took a while to get the thread going, I was getting nervous for a second.

On September 28 2011 12:11 coL.Minigun wrote:
If a gamer is having wrist problems, he should honestly do something besides using the computer. I suggest taking a week off using the computer at all. This fixed my problem....I get a "little" pain every now and then, but it's not bad at all. It used to be unplayable.

Good advice indeed. If only my other hobbies weren't wrist/hand intensive. I rock climb and wakeboard mostly when not on the computer. =x Maybe I'll take up biking or something that doesn't need hands.

On September 28 2011 12:16 TimeFlighT wrote:
Also, stretching and warming up before gaming, taking a break from gaming, and after gaming, definitely helps the wrist and to avoid a possible injury ^^

I always hear stretching is good -- but I've always wondered whether it is only good for prevention, or if it is also good after the injuries have been incurred. Is it good to stretch a 'damaged' muscle or tendon?

Strategem

United States2 Posts

September 28 2011 03:34 GMT

#16

I stumbled upon this topic pretty late, but I'd like to share what I know.

If you fortunately do not have wrist problems yet, then there isn't really a need for any of these gloves. Hopefully, you will not require them. The main point of the "wrist support" gloves is to keep your hand in a safe posture to prevent/lower additional problems. If you can maintain or learn a proper wrist posture naturally, then hopefully you won't require the gloves.

I had my share of wrist problems in the past, but I didn't formally go to a doctor about them. However, I received advice from doctors to go to CVS or Wal-Mart for "wrist splints" - apparently the collective name for these gloves. I ended up getting one that's similar to the Futuro Brace from Wal-Mart, but one for women instead of the "normal" one.

If you actually go shopping for wrist splints though, do your best to avoid the ones that "can work for both hands." A hand specific wrist splint will require much less breaking in to work, and there's a much lower chance of it breaking in incorrectly.

By the way, the wrist splints your doctor gave you were aluminum because they're supposed to break into the specific shape of your hand. It isn't meant solely for immobility. the wrist splints your doctor gives you will perform as ideally as the ones you can buy over the counter yourself though.

Good luck! By the way, this is my first TL post ever.

Edit: Naturally, the best wrist problem prevention method is proper posture though, so please do your best to work on that. Simply putting on a wrist splint won't be your cure.

Also, after using my wrist splint, my right hand (the one splinted) was much slower due to inactivity. At least my nerves aren't being pinched, but just be mindful of muscle atrophy in your hands.

Another thing that is usually overlooked but is actually a problem is limitations in the tendons of your fingers, thumbs, and their respective joints. Apparently way before I had wrist problems, my right thumb has either a knotted tendon or has been swollen for years without my knowing. So if you notice one hand being far less flexible or mobile than the other, there might be something up with your tendons. For me, this is quite a problem because it's very hard to play octaves on a piano with my right hand...

Edit 2: This is what I used. I know you're not a woman, but this might help if you have small, slim, girly hands. My suggestion is to look for a unisex or one for males that functions similarly to this. Apparently it also works for wrist pains for pregnancy - and pretty much all forms of wrist pains/injuries. Rather than ordering online, it's really best to try out wrist splints in stores or if there's a selection from a doctor because some wrist splints are meant for certain hand sizes.

http://www.amazon.com/Wellgate-Women-Slimfit-Wrist-Support/dp/B000GHJVXO

It apparently also helps for wrist pains during pregnancy too...

Turo

Canada333 Posts

September 28 2011 03:40 GMT

#17

I was wondering if anyone had something definitive to say about using a wrist rest...

On my mouse hand, I used to get intermittent pain, and numbness and tingling in my thumb, index, and middle finger. I bought a cheap mousepad/gel wrist rest combo, and the pain/numbness started to go away in about a week. Is using this really detrimental?

For the keyboard hand there's no rest, it usually starts to "hover" at about 9/13 supply when I send my first scout xD

Nightmarjoo

United States3360 Posts

September 28 2011 03:50 GMT

#18

I got the cheapest thing I could find, the Mueller Wrist Brace, ~$10 each, and it's worked out for me. I only wear it to sleep, though you can function pretty well with it during the day too. My understanding is it's not that good for people with larger hands/wrists, but it fits me nicely.

Rorschach

United States623 Posts

September 28 2011 04:00 GMT

#19

On September 28 2011 11:35 lysergic wrote:
I had wrist tendonitis so I started using a wrist brace (Futuro), and ended up getting shoulder tendonitis from it. Better to learn correct posture, have a nice ergonomic chair, and make sure your keyboard/monitor/mouse setup is how it should be. Force yourself to have your wrist float above the keyboard the way it should, rather than using a crutch.

Also, do NOT use wrist rests, especially for your mouse hand.

Would you please explain further as to why we should avoid a wrist rest? Thanks

SleepingSorrow

Canada1 Post

September 28 2011 04:00 GMT

#20

If anyone has any specific questions feel free to pm me.

Another way to aid in wrist health is to stretch. Look up Phalens and Reverse Phalens and other wrist exercises that will aid in preventing injury.

To the person getting numbness and tingling in the first three digits that is classic median nerve impingement. Basically that nerves innervates those digits is getting compressed, which could be carpal tunnel or something called pronator teres syndrome. Actually there area about five different spots where the nerve can be compromised but most doctors will just assume its carpal tunnel. If it persists try and find someone who does muscle work to try and get some exercises or treatment. There is a thing called nerve flossing you can research which are exercises that help with these sort of issues.

Do not go and get a brace until you are told to get a brace. Talk to someone who sees this alot be that PT, Chiro, or doctor that sees alot of musculoskeletal problems. Alot of doctors are great at what they do but they do not treat alot of musculoskeletal injuries. Good posture is also very key. I do not pretend to be the biggest expert on wrist issues but I figured I would provide a little info.

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