A Cochrane review (abstract , review ) included 10 studies. Wearing working wrist splints decreased grip strength and did not affect pain, morning stiffness, pinch grip, quality of life after up to 6 months of regular wear. There was no evidence that resting wrist and hand splints change pain, grip strength, Ritchie Index or number of swollen joints. However, patients who wore these splints for 2 months reported that they preferred use to non-use and padded resting splints to unpadded ones. The one study of special shoes provided evidence of significant benefits of wearing extra-depth shoes for 2 months including less pain on walking and stair climbing and more minutes pain free walking time. Extra-depth shoes with semi-rigid insoles provided better pain relief than extra-depth shoes alone when worn over 12 weeks. Posted insoles prevented progression of hallux valgus angle but did not affect pain or function.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment).