How To Use a Brace To Actually Treat Your Tendinitis Or Sprain: A Framework
⌚️ read time: 4 minutes
Common things being common, my guess is you know the feeling.
Whether from a repetitive activity or a recent sprain, you wake up one day to some form of hand, wrist, or elbow pain. After a few days, it hasn’t gone away so you start asking around, and somebody recommends a brace that worked for them. So you order one of your own, open the package…
And now what? How do I wear this thing? And for how long?
The bad news is…you’re in pain. These injuries are no fun. They are painful, limiting, and many of them linger.
The good news is…in the right context, bracing can be extremely effective at managing a wide range of injuries. However…
You need a plan
If you just throw the brace on whenever you happen to remember, you may want to prepare for several months of pain and limited function. Many soft tissue injuries take a long time to heal on their own.
(As an aside, most soft tissues are made from collagen, a tissue that naturally regenerates in our body over the course of 210-230 days…that’s a long time!)
Today I will give you my framework for bracing. This will work in 90% of cases, and it’s easy to commit to memory.
And if you forget, it will always be right here.
Two Phases
I want you to think of bracing in two phases.
The first 3 weeks comprise Phase 1…and the second 3 weeks comprise Phase 2.
Phase 1
During the first 3 weeks, I want you to wear the brace as much as you possibly can. That means 24/7, excluding showers/washing your hands.
Pretend you left my office in a cast.
This commitment will help reduce the inflammatory phase of your pain, which is absolutely crucial to help your body ‘get over the hump’ towards recovery. The more you commit to this, the better your outcome will be.
It’s that simple.
I’ll never forget what an older surgeon who trained me used to say in this situation. He would give his version of the above, and inevitably many patients would say, “But doctor, that will prevent me from doing a lot of things I like to do.”
“Exactly.”
While that’s a little more blunt than my style, the point remains. This is supposed to be a bit annoying, a bit in the way, and a bit limiting. Your hand/wrist/elbow is telling you it needs a break.
You’ve come this far. Now it’s time to listen.
Phase 2
Phase 2 is what I call the weaning phase. You’ll want to think of this phase as divided into 3 smaller chunks. One chunk per week (approximately).
As week 4 begins, you can gradually start weaning out of the brace for light activities. Try brushing your teeth or making your morning coffee without the brace on. If it doesn’t hurt, keep going. If it hurts, either put the brace back on or avoid the activity for another few days.
Pain truly is your guide here. It sounds simple, but if it hurts, don’t do it. A little soreness or weakness is ok, but pushing through pain is only stoking the flames of inflammation.
We’re here to snuff it out.
Take it day by day, and if you feel comfortable, progress to moderate activities during week 5. That means taking the jug of milk out of the fridge or lifting a small pan from the stove.
This is also the week most people start to try sleeping without the brace.
Again, pain is your guide.
Finally, experiment with the occasional heavier activity in week 6. If this all goes according to plan, our goal is for you to be essentially brace-free by the end of 6 weeks.
The reality is, you will likely find that there’s an activity or two in your life that you’ll want the brace for as long as 10-12 weeks.
TLDR Framework
Phase 1
Weeks 1-3: 24/7 bracing.
Phase 2
Week 4: Out of the brace for light activities, as tolerated.
Week 5: Out of the brace for moderate activities, as tolerated. Consider sleeping without the brace.
Week 6: Out of the brace for heavy activities, as tolerated.
You Can Do This
By following this protocol, you're actively participating in your healing process. Your commitment to this plan will play a significant role in your recovery success.
The neat part is that this framework can be combined with your favorite supportive therapies, whether over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines (find my framework here), massage, ice, or heat.
It is not necessarily easy to spend 6 weeks working through this protocol, but it is effective — and certainly more desirable than months and months of lingering discomfort.
