Are you a hairstylist or hairdresser? Choosing a carpal tunnel wrist brace for hairdressers is more complicated - and more important - than you might think.

Yet I’m constantly amazed how many hairdressers and stylists with carpal tunnel symptoms just slap on any old wrist brace and hope things will get better. They probably won't!

It reminds me when my daughter was a toddler. Each time she had a boo boo she demanded a Band-Aid to ease the pain. Obviously, the adhesive was just a placebo. 

• FIND OUT: do you have carpal tunnel? No strings attached self-test.

For many, applying a brace to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome is almost the same thing. A wrist brace will not relieve carpal tunnel pain. It will limit your wrist movement which may cause pain, but this produces other problems.

Wearing a wrist brace during the day can actually make your carpal tunnel WORSE. That's because you're probably:

1. Wearing it while you work, and
2. Not wearing a certified carpal tunnel night brace
   

If you're a stylist or hairdresser with carpal tunnel syndrome, then joint the club. Your profession is over 3 times more at risk of getting this condition compared to the general population.

And your symptoms are probably typical. That means you have hand or finger pain, numbness, and tingling. Generally, the thumb is especially painful. But your little (pinky) finger is normal. And your grip strength is greatly reduced, with overall hand weakness.

We already know that you can acquire carpal tunnel by making rapid and forceful hand and finger movements. Professions where workers type, grip, and manipulate small objects are especially prone. 

But hairdressers and stylists are famous for destroying their hands. Using shears and combs require constant gripping - and that stresses all of the hand tendons simultaneously. But shears also require rapid thumb movement.

Using shears is like a recipe for creating carpal tunnel syndrome.

A physiologist understands the body, how it works, and what causes pain. But most doctors are not physiologists. They fail to understand the underlying cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Their well-meaning (and gold standard) advice is to wear a brace all the time. Indeed, 24/7. But that’s harmful if you have carpal tunnel syndrome.

The problem of carpal tunnel arises from swollen tendons inside the wrist joint. Braces keep a hand immobile. And tendon immobility can be very bad for carpal tunnel syndrome. 

The reason for this is explained below.

Sure, it might hurt to move you hand a lot with carpal tunnel. And a brace keeps you from making sharp movements. But you MUST move your hand. That’s the only way excess fluid can be pumped out of the wrist joint. 

Keeping the hand immobile will cause more fluid buildup. And that’s not good for carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, it’s much better to NOT wear a carpal tunnel wrist brace – or any brace – while you work. Allow your hand the freedom to move and go through its range of motions so fluid can drain out. Sure, it may hurt a bit more, but it must be done so your hand can heal.

The big benefit of movement is allowing the body to pump excess fluid out of a swollen joint. But another benefit is that such movement will increase  blood flow. This also is crucial in the healing process. 

Wearing a brace when you have carpal tunnel syndrome can be harmful if you make 3 big mistakes.You should:

• Never wear the brace during the day.
  
  
• Always wear a brace while you sleep.
  
  
• Always  wear a certified night brace for carpal tunnel.

Again, you should NOT wear a brace while working. We know why (because you shouldn't restrict movement of the wrist joint). 

However, you MUST wear a brace while you sleep. Doing so will prevent your wrist from over- bending. Over-bending the wrist will increase pressure on the median nerve. And that makes the problem much worse.

Chances are you purchased a wrist brace from CVS, Walgreens or Walmart. Most people do. And it might even say “for carpal tunnel syndrome” on the package. 

But trust me, it’s not a certified carpal tunnel wrist brace because these vendors don't sell them.  

How can you tell? Those braces probably have a flat metal spine on the palm side of the brace. (Check yours right now, and compare to the photo above!) When you wear it, that "palmar spine" presses against your wrist while you sleep. 

Now imagine if you unconsciously bend your hand backward. That spine will press into your wrist joint. Doing so increases the pressure inside the carpal tunnel space. And increased pressure damages the median nerve even more.

Unfortunately, most brace manufacturers don’t know any better. They already market an attractive all-purpose brace. Then they just change color and call it a “carpal tunnel wrist brace” to penetrate another market. It's a shameful but unavoidable practice.

The most important feature of a certified carpal tunnel night brace is a spine that's NOT on the palmar surface. The spine will be on the top or side of the hand, far away from the palm.

I know a great deal about the science behind this. I also co-invented a carpal tunnel night brace just for carpal tunnel syndrome. It lets you position the spine anywhere you want. I’m proud to say it's been recognized internationally and has won distinction for its novel design.

There's nothing magical about a carpal tunnel wrist brace for hairdressers. But to be worthwhile, it must be a certified carpal tunnel wrist brace. It must also be worn ONLY at night in order help reduce carpal tunnel symptoms. The wrong kind of brace can make your symptoms much worse . Moreover, wearing a wrist brace during the day will likely make your carpal tunnel syndrome more severe.