I've been using hand/wrist/thumb splints off and on for years. I find they can really help. There's a type called a resting splint. It goes up the forearm a bit, over the wrist, and only the tips of the fingers stick out. It prevents almost all movement. It's soft and warm. My problem with the resting split is that I take it off in the night and toss it.

Nancy

I've used the carpal tunnel splints on an off for years. They really ease the pain when wrists flare.

My friend on here uses thermoskin premium arthritic gloves from Amazon and swears by them. I ordered some today to try them out as well. I'll let you know how they do for me.

is the main purpose of these compression or stability? or is it a personal preference? before my RA dx, the ortho prescribed me a carpal-tunnel-like splint for my left hand; i have one for my right hand from something years and years ago. maybe i'll start wearing them at night again.

what's with the compression gloves? how do they work/do they work/are they worth buying?

Iv'e found that any gloves that can keep my hands warm help with the achyness I also have herbal hot pack mittens that warm in the microwave. They feel like heaven when my hands and wrists are sore. Compression gloves bothered me. I don't like tight things on when 'Im sore. However, many others have found relief with them. I do use Healy Weber carpal tunnel splints at night to relieve carpal tunnel pain/numbness. They work by keeping the wrist in proper alignment to prevent further compression of the median nerve. The Healy Weber splint from the ortho doc was more comfortable than the splints from the pharmacy.

I have carpel tunnel splints (yup, got that too-surgery on L, R still a problem). They help with my hands falling asleep at night. Not sure if they help with RA and they don't help when I'm having a tendonitis flare.

My husband made me great splint for middle-ring finger. He chopped a paint stir stick, padded it then we tape it on when needed. If my wrists go I do have left/right hand splints in case I need them. Trish

I had splints made for me in the hospital here. They were made with a kind of gauze and a sort of plaster of paris mixture. They were rapped around my hand and upper writsts while wet and then left to dry. The only problem is that over time my hands and wrists have deformed so i'm not sure if i should use them too much now. But the idea is to rest the hand when in a bad flare. It really did rest my hands when i needed.

I've worn & do wear splints/braces.
The ones I have are OTC, the prescription one was not near as comfortable.
I've not explored other options though.
The one I use is for women & has a padding to In the palm area.
Blue in color, forget who makes it.
I was DXed with CT & neuropathy after a cervical fusion. It can really help at night. Thinking back I'm sure RA was present with the swelling & lose of mobility.
I have day & night time. One in the car also.
Never know when it will just flare.
Good luck, Sammy

I was prescribed gloves as splints by my rheumatologist and like RA fighter says they are a kind of carpal tunnel glove. I was having trouble with my hand clawing overnight and beginning to not come right during the day.

They upped the prednisone (very prednison happy in this country as so little allowed to be prescribed for funding reasons) and I had this glove fitted - ie a hospital department dealing with such add ons had a practitioner who chose the size which was smaller than I would have expected.

Have been using one of them recently for a flare which behaving like carpal tunnel in left hand. Very very useful. I really recommend them.

However, I know that special splints, also described on here can be specially constructed for your exact hand shape and may involve literally a piece of angled metal included to keep your hand very stable. The ones I have seen here seem to be very very rigid and pull over the hand like a plaster cast but arent with velcro crossing over between thumb and first finger to hold in place.