Adults’ hands are important for independence and for quality of life. Children’s hands are even more – they are an essential link to the world. Being able to reach, grasp and manipulate allows a child to play and learn about their environment as well as eat, crawl, wash etc.
If your child has difficulties using their hand, or hands, a splint(s) may be useful support to any other therapies they are enjoying.
Mouldable thermoplastic splints are hard and mainly used for positioning, immobilising and stretching and come in hot colours!
Soft or dynamic splints are commonly made of Neoprene, or Nustimwrap – a thick, stretchy material and are used to help align joints for optimal function
Splints may be custom made during a session or measurements may be taken and the client can then elect to order a prefabricated splint.
Kinesiotaping is another technique which can be used to achieve similar aims – the details of this technique are described elsewhere on the site.
Cerebral Palsy, congenital or genetic abnormalities, juvenile arthritis, Erb’s Palsy, neuropathies, nerve injuries, spinal cord injuries and muscular dystrophies are just some of the neurological and musculoskeletal conditions that can cause hand function difficulties for children.