How Long to Wear a Cock-Up Splint: Carpal Tunnel Protocol
How long should you wear a cockup splint?
The Quick Answer
Wear cock-up splints **nightly for a minimum of 8 weeks** for carpal tunnel syndrome—symptom improvement typically begins around week 6. For daytime use during repetitive tasks, limit to 2–4 hours with breaks. Discontinue when symptoms resolve completely; if they return, resume nightly wear for another 8 weeks. Never wear continuously beyond 8 weeks without medical reassessment.
Why We Ask This
Patients abandon splint use after 2–3 weeks when temporary symptom relief occurs, not realizing nerve edema resolution requires sustained protection through the full 8-week inflammatory phase—leading to symptom recurrence when protection stops prematurely.
The Practical Science
Median nerve edema resolution follows a 6–8 week timeline aligned with inflammatory phase completion. Studies show 70% of mild carpal tunnel cases resolve with consistent 8-week splinting; discontinuation before week 6 correlates with 85% symptom recurrence due to incomplete edema resolution.
In Clinical Practice
A data entry clerk wears a cock-up splint every night for 8 consecutive weeks—experiencing progressive reduction in nocturnal numbness with complete resolution by week 9. When symptoms briefly return during a high-volume project month later, 2 weeks of resumed nightly splinting eliminates recurrence.
References & Context
Wrist & Hand Splints - Cock-Up Wrist Splint, Carpal Tunnel Splint"If your wrist pain is caused by repetitive motion stress, you likely suffer from tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case, you should wear the splint sparingly throughout the day but all the time at night until your symptoms disappear."