The bones of the hand are extremely delicate and are crisscrossed with dozens of tendons and ligaments. Repetitive movements of the hands and forearm can cause inflammation of the ligaments and can rub the carpal bones together painfully. When the forearm is twisted, the radius and ulna bones can also pinch the carpal tunnel nerve, creating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Anyone who works in the office or at any workplace requiring repetitive movements of the lower arms can benefit from wearing or using a form of hand support. Typists and computer users will wish to place wrist pads under their keyboards and in front of their computer mouses to brace the wrist and prevent it from flexing a lot during the day. In addition, an individual who types a lot may also want to wear a wrist braces to keep the bones of the wrist in an equal line with the forearm bones.

Different Types of Hand Support

Making a compression wrap with an ace bandage and a butterfly clip can create a crude hand support. However, this should be used only in emergencies and not for an extended period of time. If more than an hour's work is going to be put in, it is better to purchase a properly designed hand support brace, one that has been specially contoured to the curves of the hand and wrist and is fully adjustable to one's unique body measurements.

If personal brace is not an option, one can also choose to add an attachable support rest to either the front of a desk or the armrest of an existing office chair. When seated, the user will have his leading "mousing" elbow lifted up and straightened so that the wrist lies in a more ergonomic position. Some chair-ready arm support rests come with a mouse pad, allowing the user to sit back and control the computer without having to hunch forward and tense up his or her shoulders and upper back.