| |
|
 |  | With Health Insurance: Copay or 10%-50% Coinsurance |  | Without Health Insurance: $7-$300+ |
|
Wrist braces or splints can be used for conditions or injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, sprains, dislocation, tendon rupture or wrist fracture.
Typical costs: |
- For patients covered by health insurance, the typical out-of-pocket cost for a doctor-prescribed wrist brace or splint consists of a durable goods copay or coinsurance of 10%-50%.
- For patients not covered by health insurance, a wrist brace or splint typically costs about $10-$300 or more, depending on the type of brace or splint and the condition being treated. The cost tends to be lower for a basic brace made from elastic or fabric that offers light to moderate support and higher for a hinged, motion-limiting brace that offers maximum support.
- For example, Walgreens offers hand and wrist braces for about $7-$60. BraceShop.com charges from about $17-$80 for braces for Dequervain's Tenosynovitis, a condition in which tendons in the wrist become swollen and painful. And BraceShop.com charges from about $10-$300 for wrist braces and splints for carpal tunnel syndrome. It charges $300 for a brace that also can be used for fractures, dislocation, tendon rupture or recovery from wrist surgery.
Related articles: Physical Therapy, Carpal Tunnel Treatment, Sprained or Broken Wrist, Broken Hand, X-Ray
|
|
What should be included: |
- For a wrist sprain[1] , an elastic brace might be used at first to compress the injury and prevent swelling; a splint might then be required to immobilize the wrist during healing.
- For carpal tunnel syndrome[2] , a brace or splint might be used, especially during typing, to keep the wrists and hands in a certain position.
- For wrist fractures[3] in which the bones have not shifted, a splint might be used to immobilize the wrist during healing. (If the bones have shifted, surgery might be required.)
- In some cases, a doctor will recommend or prescribe an off-the-shelf brace, but in other cases, an orthotist[4] will evaluate, help design and fit a patient with a brace.
Additional costs: |
- In some cases, such as after an injury or surgery, physical therapy might be required at a cost of about $50-$350 per session.
Discounts: |
- Drug stores and websites that sell braces sometimes offer coupons or special offers. For example, BraceShop.com has a savings club[5] that offers a 5% discount for signing up.
Shopping for a wrist brace: |
- A sports medicine doctor can treat sports injuries, while an orthopedic specialist can treat injuries and other wrist conditions, and a rheumatologist can treat arthritis. The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery offers an orthopedic specialist finder by city[6] ; to find one who specializes in the hand and wrist, check the doctor locator[7] from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and make sure the doctor is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. The American College of Rheumatology offers a rheumatologist locator[8] .
- In some cases, a patient may need to see an orthotist, a certified health professional who specializes in braces and other orthotics, to get evaluated and fitted for a brace. The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics offers an orthotist locator[9] by state.
|
Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.
|
|
|
|
CostHelper News
| 
7 Lesser-Known Discounts for the 50+ Crowd
As they age, members of the Baby Boomer generation don't like to admit that they're senior citizens, but they love getting discounts. It's kind of a quandary, because some of the best deals available are reduced prices for older folks. || Posted October 21 2013
| | 
7 Ways to Stretch Your Reduced Food Budget
End of the year budgets are tight for everyone, especially in this economy.It's especially hard for the millions of Americans who depend on government programs like food stamps to help make ends meet. || Posted November 11 2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
|
|
|
|
External Resources: |
- orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00023
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001469/
- www.assh.org/public/handconditions/pages/wristfractures.aspx
- oandpcare.org/OrthoticCareFaq
- www.braceshop.com/productcart/pc/viewContent.asp?idPage=151
- www.abos.org/find-a-certified-orthopaedic-surgeon.aspx
- www.assh.org/Public/Pages/HandSurgeons.aspx
- www.rheumatology.org/directory/geo.asp
- www.abcop.org/Pages/Directory.aspx?searchtype=Facility
More Health & Personal Care Topics
|
Search Thousands of Topics on CostHelper.com
|
Post
