Splints - do I need to ask for them and do they work?

[shoebox]

Hi everyone. I'm booked to see Rhumy tomorrow at hospital for a checkup and wondered do I wait unroll it's recommended that I use a wrist splint or can I ask for it? I have synovitis in my wrist with a small ganglin, most days I can cope with it but somedays I have no pressure and it is sore, would a splint help? Any suggestions? Thank you.

[Hidden]

Hello shoebox - i have a thumb splint, wrist splint and a hand thing that i can wear at night. I don't know how they work but they do, they ease the pain in my wrist quite a bit. I got them from my occupational therapist - the rheummy never offered me anything like that but i think it is her that refers you on to the ot.

[Hidden]

Hi Shoebox - as Mads says they help somehow - just by enforced rest I suppose. I haven't needed mine for ages but I have the same sort of set up as Mads. My GP referred me for physio and my physio referred me to an OT and my OT got me a cast for a nighttime resting splint through the OT at the hospital. It all took a while but she also customised some splints that the physio had given me and she phoned my GP to get the hospital part sorted. I suggest your GP might be your best starting place as rheumies are usually a bit too focused on you medication for splint talk but in my experience they are really good? TTx

[shoebox]

Thank you for the advice. I was diagnosed a year ago. I'm at hospital tomorrow for a check up but I have not been referred to OT to date. Last appt at hospital was 6 months ago. All bloods are monitored through my GP. Will make appt to see GP after tomorrow. Thanks again x

[megant]

Hi Shoebox, when I was first diagnosed and just when I was put on my medication I had really bad pain in both of my wrists, I got splints for both wrists, wore them some time during the day. But I found when sleeping and rolling over I would "catch" my wrists so the splints came in particularly helpful at night. I did have to pay for my splints though, I think they cost approx £10 each, but at that time I would have paid up to £100 !!!!!

Hope all goes well with your GP

Alison

x

[essexgirl]

Hi shoebox ... my rhuemy gave me splints for both hands and she said while resting put them on and they do help a lot ... i didnt have to pay for mine

debs x

[PJ68]

Hi Shoebox

I have splints and gloves that aim to reduce swelling!

I wear my splint on my right hand when I drive and wear my gloves underneath - I usually wear my splints at work too. If you do wear them for driving, make sure you inform your insurer, it wont cost more, but they just have it on record!

Hope you get some (free) and that they help!

Pen