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Effects of neoprene wrist/hand splints on handwriting for students with joint hypermobility syndrome: a single system
Lauren Frohlich1, Alison Wesley, Margaret Wallen
1Discipline of Occupational Therapy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Purpose:
Pain associated with hypermobility of wrist and hand joints can contribute to decreased handwriting output. This study examined the effectiveness of a neoprene wrist/hand splint in reducing pain and increasing handwriting speed and endurance for students with joint hypermobility syndrome.
Methods:
Multiple baseline, single system design (SSD) methodology was used. Four ninth grade students with handwriting difficulties because of joint hypermobility syndrome participated in this study.
Results:
Visual and statistical (two standard deviation band method) analyses indicated a significant decrease in handwriting speed when using the splint for three out of four participants. No significant change in pain or endurance was noted during intervention. There was a significant decrease in pain following withdrawal of the splint for three participants.
Conclusion:
Evidence from this study does not support use of this particular splint for decreasing pain and increasing handwriting speed and endurance for ninth grade students with joint hypermobility syndrome.
