By Bridget on Sunday, September 10, 2000 - 11:00 pm:

My 9-year old HMS daughter gets pain in her hands that sometimes interferes with her ability to sleep. She describes it hurting the most towards the fingertips, and as constant. Her hands are very hypermobile, you can almost tell just by looking at them, and definitely by shaking hands with her. :( Is it worth taking her to the physical therapist? Does this sound like something bracing might help with? Thanks.

Bridget, Tucson, Arizona

By Rae on Sunday, November 05, 2000 - 08:54 am:

Yes! I was given hard wrist and hand braces to sleep in at night and my pain is virtually gone. I can do so much more now. At night, I have a tendancy of allowing the wrists to fold over themselves and my fingers often bend the wrong way. The braces did not take long to get used to. Now, I'm more comfortable with them in bed than without. Best of all, I'm no longer doing permanent joint damage in my sleep. I also have day-time braces for bad days. My world is a better place!

By Patrina on Sunday, November 05, 2000 - 08:38 pm:

Wrist bracing has helped me, as has bracing for a thumb that I overused for years.

My problem is that I can't seem to sleep comfortably without lying in positions that push my shoulders out of joint. Any suggestions? I know I need to see a physical therapist about it.

By Gwen on Monday, November 06, 2000 - 10:39 am:

I find using a buckwheat husk pillow for my head/neck helps a lot. I also "sandbag myself into position at night and have a pillow under my upper arm to support it and prevent the top shoulder rolling too far forward when I sleep on my side. My underneath arm isn't usually the problem as I have it out the back so my shoulder is in external rotation. You might try something like a shoulder brace in bed (the sort that are sold through mail order catalogues to improve posture) Not very glamorous but what the heck!
Exercises to strengthen/develop deltoids and pectorals may help too but you'd need to check that out with a physio.