Custom Splinting for Athletic & Sports Injury
Labor day will soon be here. And even though several schools have turned to online learning, many high school and college athletic programs have resumed outdoor sports programs. And with athletics, unfortunately, comes sports injuries for both recreational, student and even professional athletes. Wrist, thumb and finger injuries are among the most common sports injuries. And often times the best treatment for these involves splinting or bracing to reduce swelling & pain, and allow the injury to heal.
Although “over the counter” braces are available, often times an off-the-shelf brace is not as effective as custom splinting. In this article board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman discusses how to get the best fitting brace or splint for your injury.
Pre-fabricated Splints
A splint and a brace refer to the same thing – and can also be called an orthosis. These devices hold a body part still after injury. Different types of orthosis are appropriate for different types of injuries, so it is best to consult a specialized hand doctor and not try to splint an injury yourself.
Splints can be pre-fabricated or custom. A pre-fabricated splint is designed to be used for general injuries, and typically come in a small, medium, and large sizes. However, these generic sizes may not fit certain people properly. Additionally, prefabricated splints may not be in the proper position for optimal healing of certain problems.
Typically, a quick trip to an urgent care or a general practitioner will send you home with pre-fabricated splint. This can be fine to immobilize the hand or finger temporarily. But you should always follow up with a hand doctor to see if a custom splint would be more appropriate for long-term healing.
Custom Splinting
A custom splint is made to fit just the person wearing it. It is set in the optimal position determined by the hand doctor. Custom splints are made from a moldable low temperature plastic and formed around the patient’s hand, wrist or finger(s) in the doctor’s office.
Custom splints can also be adjusted for swelling, and remolded as the patient heals to protect the injured area. Custom splints not only mold to the patient’s exact size but also to their injury.
Custom splinting is most commonly used to treat conditions like muscle strain, neuritis, tendonitis, joint pain as well as specialized hand surgeries. Ligament injuries often require custom splinting to heal properly.
Custom splints have benefits that you can’t obtain from a standard splint. In addition to providing rest sand immobilization, the custom splint design insures that the appendage is resting in the correct position. Custom splints can also help to mobilize stiff joints, scar tissue and contracted soft tissue that needs motion to heal.
Custom Splinting for Athletes
Custom splinting is particularly important for athletes who rely on protecting and restoring their muscles, ligaments and joints for optimal athletic performance.
Customized splinting does more than just stabilize, mobilize and protect – they can also help to rehabilitate by providing therapeutic exercise for the affected areas. Custom splinting can also be designed facilitate the early motion protocols that will with a more successful recovery after surgery.
Top Bloomfield Hills Hand Doctor
If have suffered an injury or pain in your fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board certified hand surgeon Doctor Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. She and her exceptioional staff of hand therapists offer custom splinting and advanced treatments and therapies so that you can get back to the sports and activities you love.
Doctor Rehman will assess your individual situation, and prescribe the treatments that are best for your condition.
