@artsyhonker wow, neat! and beautiful!!

@distelfliege I suggest trying plastic ones first, silver is expensive but more comfortable and stronger. Jussec, getting big computer so I can dig out some links...

@distelfliege OK, links.

Plastic splints: https://www.3pointproducts.eu/en/attention/a/3pp-oval-8-finger-splint-graduated-set/23 don't buy them from anywhere else or they are about three times as expensive!

Silver splints, over-the-counter from a UK maker:
http://ringsplintsbyzomile.co.uk/ I don't think she ships to non-UK but no reason someone else couldn't

Custom silver splint designer in Utrecht:
https://www.silversplints.com/en/ I got my thumb splint from them, it's great, but was expensive because I had to have it prescribed by a hand therapist.

@distelfliege It may also be worth looking at what people are doing on Shapeways with 3D printed splints:
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=splint&s=0#more-products

@distelfliege

With all of these splints there is some loss of manual dexterity, which is annoying. After a while you get used to it, but tying shoelaces is still way more annoying than it used to be. But I wear a lot of splints, you may not need to splint as many joints as I do.

Some hand therapists think splinting is a good idea and some are very anti-splint. I use my hands more with the splints and they are getting stronger as a result.

@artsyhonker I don't need splints at the moment I think. I hope it stays that way for a while! loss of dexterity would be a nightmare for me.

what I like is how they keep your fingers from bending the wrong way.

I do have the tendency to get trigger fingers and I had surgery for trigger thumb.

@distelfliege There are splints for trigger finger too, I think the We Design site is probably the best of the links I've shown you. There are also some American ones.

In general, splints that are flat are more comfortable than those made with round wire; something to bear in mind if you're exploring various options.

@artsyhonker if I ever pick up playing saxophone again I'm absolutely getting finger splints!!

@artsyhonker 💜 💫 I have to go grocery shopping now, thanks so much for sharing all this!

@distelfliege It's worthwhile to go through the whole official criteria (Beighton, Brighton, and other criteria) because EDS is a degenerative condition. The more hypermobility you put your joints through, the worse they're going to get (if it's EDS). There can also be major organ involvement (I'm currently dealing with my stomach not absorbing nutrients properly, as well as other "fun" GI issues. Have already had my gallbladder removed as well, and regularly pass kidney stones).

@ThisQueerBashesBack thanks for the tip! I knew all my life that I'm hypermobile, I only learned through queer disability activism communities that there can be a condition connected to that. If I should have eds it would be a very mild form I guess. I'm already 43 and mainly have issues with the hypermobility stuff. (joint degeneration)

but I'll keep an eye on that and if needed, I do know what to look for and have it checked, thanks to you all! 💫

@artsyhonker thanks for the links! when I was still playing saxophone I often wished I had something like that because my fingers made funny shapes bending backwards, that caused my teacher to think I was pressing them down excessively. but I wasn't.