hand therapist, an individual must be a physical or occupational therapist with at least 5 years experience, including 2000 hours of therapy pertaining directly to hands, and a certification exam is required. Education PTs and OTs play a large role as educators. Education may be provided to an individual client or a group of people. Individuals with CTS or at risk for CTS may benefit from education in the areas outlined below: signs & symptoms of CTS options for treatment: surgical and/or non surgical interventions how to reduce risks & decrease symptoms of CTS splint wearing regimen body mechanics & exercises task adaptation adaptive tools workplace adaptations Splinting PTs and OTs often use wrist splinting as a form of treatment. Splints may be pre-fabricated or custom-fit. Prefabricated splints are sold in health care supply stores and are an inexpensive option for clients. Prefabricated splints may be used but the fit may not be precise enough for all individuals. In this case, a custom fit splint is required. A OT will fabricate a custom-fit splint by molding thermoplastic material unique to the client's hand, wrist and forearm. Splints can be based on the front (palmar), back (dorsal) or outer side (pinky) of the arm. According to Muller et al.’s systematic review on interventions for CTS, volar cock-up splints and ulnar gutter splints are similar in their improvement of symptoms and function. Dorsal splints are also recommended for CTS as they reduce pressure placed on the volar wrist. Splints aim to immobilize the wrist to decrease pressure in the carpal tunnel. Restricting wrist motion eliminates the repetitive movement and tension overload in the carpal tunnel. This gives the tendon sheaths a chance to heal, reducing swelling, which then may decrease the pressure on the median nerve. Splints also aim to keep the wrist at a certain angle to decrease pressure within the carpal tunnel. Although there has been debate about the best angle for wrist immobilization, the authors of a systematic review on non surgical carpal tunnel treatments conclude that “there is limited evidence that the use of a wrist splint in neutral position is more effective than an extended wrist position of 20 degrees in patients with CTS in the short term.” In another systematic review on interventions for CTS, Muller et al. found that wearing a nocturnal splint as well as wearing a splint during aggravating activities alleviate symptoms of