This week Marouane Fellaini has been in the news following wrist ligament damage incurred during training. The injury ruled him out of the game against Sunderland and will require surgery, resulting in a further two months on the sidelines.
However, Fellaini is set to appear in the World Cup Qualifiers for Belgium this evening after delaying surgery in a bid to help his country qualify for the World Cup in Brazil next Summer. In order to achieve this he will be wearing a specially designed wrist brace for the occasion.
Typically the laws of football prevent the wearing of any solid brace or support, whether a knee brace or wrist brace, therefore this has been specifically designed to comply with Fifa Regulations. Fellaini will also have to undergo an extensive period of physiotherapy following surgery to regain full strength in the joint, with ligament damage being one of the more serious injuries incurred.
What is a wrist brace?
A wrist brace is designed to offer support to the wrist following injury. Where some sports braces can be worn as a preventative measure, the wrist brace is only typically employed following an injury as a means of protecting the joint during rehabilitation.
The wrist brace works to offer the patient additional support during everyday life, with injuries to the joint causing a weakness which can hinder weight bearing and even movement. By protecting it, you can reduce the risk of further injury and depending on the type of wrist brace selected you can either restrict movement completely or simply offer another layer of support to the joint.
Which wrist brace should I wear?
It ultimately depends on the type of injury sustained as to which wrist brace you should opt for. If you are ever unsure as to which is the most suitable then you should seek clinical advice, where a professional diagnosis can be offered and the best course of treatment identified.
A simple wrist sprain will require a different wrist brace to that of a broken wrist, with the latter requiring a rigid structure which restricts movement during recovery. The former can be as simple neoprene or BioSkin based support which conforms to the joint to offer compression and additional support during movement.
Other types of hand supports
The wrist and hand can be involved in numerous types of injuries, affecting the joints, ligaments and individual bones. Thumb injuries can be quite common, whether not falling or through conditions such as Gamekeeper’s Thumb involving a tear to the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL).
Where a thumb injury is incurred then a thumb support will typically be used as a means of protection. The majority of thumb support products will restrict movement of the thumb during recovery to avoid further damage being caused.
Whilst a thumb support is designed to restrict movement of the thumb it still allows full movement of the wrist and fingers so that a patient can remain active and carry out daily tasks, such as typing on a keyboard.
As with any injury, the severity will determine how long a recovery period will be. A wrist brace or thumb support should be used in conjunction with other methods of rehabilitation as they are designed to complement rehabilitation rather than being the only rehabilitation. If you are looking at sports braces then it is important to select the correct one for the condition you wish to manage to ensure it offers you the support you need.
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