Numbness in fingertips after pregnancy

Carpal Tunnel Post Pregnancy | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel post pregnancy is a common condition affecting new mothers. Carpal tunnel post pregnancy occurs due to an increased pressure on your median nerve at your wrist. Symptoms of carpal tunnel post pregnancy can include pins and needles, numbness, tingling, and pain in your arm, hand, and fingers. Your wrist has a space in it called the carpal tunnel. This is where your median nerve and nine tendons pass from your forearm into your hand. Carpal tunnel post pregnancy happens when pressure builds up from swelling in this tunnel. The increase in swelling puts pressure on your nerve, effectively causing a pinched nerve.

Fluid retention during your pregnancy can contribute to carpal tunnel post pregnancy. The fluid retention may disappear soon after your baby is born, however, many women report an increase in carpal tunnel symptoms after delivery. This is caused by continued early postpartum swelling and constant wrist bending required in caring for and feeding your baby. There may multiple contributing factors in you getting carpal tunnel post pregnancy, including arthritis, previous fractures or nerve irritation due to repetitive, prolonged, and/or vigorous wrist movements. In carpal tunnel post pregnancy numbness or tingling is mostly in your thumb, second, middle, and ring fingers. The symptoms are more likely to be experienced during the night but can occur during daily activities such as driving a car or feeding your baby. Postpartum mothers may sometimes notice their grip strength is weaker, some occasional clumsiness or an increased tendency to drop things.

What can you do about Carpal Tunnel Post Pregnancy?

At City Physiotherapy we will perform a thorough assessment of your wrist, symptoms, relevant medical history and body biomechanics. We will then give you treatment and provide you with valuable education and tools to minimise your symptoms. If left untreated, the pressure on your nerves will not magically go away by itself. It is imperative to receive treatment as early as possible to help relieve the pressure on your nerve around the carpal tunnel, allowing for the swelling to reduce sooner.

In the meantime you can:

Try to maintain your wrist in a neutral position (not bent forward or backward) with your daily activities.
Try using a supportive pillow to prop up your baby during feeding so you aren’t supporting the weight of your baby on your wrist.
Don’t carry heavy washing baskets or bags of shopping. Try and get others to assist you where possible.
Avoid a sustained pinch/grip, (ie over gripping cooking utensils when chopping or peeling or pegging out heaving washing such as wet towels and sheets – I find using a drying rack better as you don’t need to peg as much)
Ensure you take regular rest and stretch breaks from daily activities to prevent overuse

Treatment can vary but may include, posture rehab strengthening exercises, taping or strapping for support, nerve glides, stretching, dry needling and other manual therapies. Our Physiotherapists can also fit you with a supportive wrist brace which you can wear during the day and also at night. This can be most helpful to minimise pressure on your median nerve and reduce swelling, which will help your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

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Carpal tunnel syndrome – a condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in your wrists and hands – is common during pregnancy and can sometimes linger after you give birth. There are many remedies for postpartum carpal tunnel, including splints, simple exercises, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines, and steroid shots. Carpal tunnel usually lets up on its own, but in some cases, you may need a minor surgical procedure to relieve pressure on your nerves. Call your provider right away if you notice sudden swelling in your hands, as this could be a sign of postpartum preeclampsia.

Research shows that almost 30 percent of pregnant women will develop carpal tunnel in pregnancy – and about 15 percent of moms will still have carpal tunnel a month after giving birth. Some experts believe that risk factors for carpal tunnel may include excessive weight gain during pregnancy and gestational diabetes. Most new moms find that the symptoms resolve on their own within three months, but for some, it can persist and even worsen.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is different than De Quervain's tenosynovitis, another common cause of wrist pain after pregnancy. De Quervain's is marked by inflammation of the tendon that runs down your forearm, through your wrist, and to your thumb. Many moms experience symptoms of De Quervain's, which are similar to postpartum carpal tunnel syndrome, since it can develop by overusing your wrist – to hold and feed a newborn, for example.

admin 02/25/2016

1 min. reading
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All female pregnancy is accompanied by all sorts of ailments. It is not uncommon for women to wake up daily with new symptoms. It happens that women complain that their hands go numb after childbirth or even during pregnancy. What can be the cause of this condition and how to deal with it? What does this condition indicate, and what should you pay special attention to?

What makes hands go numb after childbirth

Any symptoms that appear during pregnancy can have not only real causes, but also pathological ones. Do not dismiss them, so as not to miss the real problems of the body. nine0005
Quite often the last months of pregnancy are accompanied by edema. Hands are no exception. It happens that the accumulated liquid begins to compress the wrists located in the narrow channel, which causes trouble.

It's no secret that during pregnancy, women get used to unpleasant sensations, so numbness of the hands is attributed to a banal uncomfortable position. However, it is desirable to understand the true causes of the condition. nine0005
To prevent numbness of the hands after childbirth, it is worth controlling your weight even during pregnancy. After all, numbness of the fingers on the hands contributes to the increasing body weight. In addition, do not put excessive stress on the hands. The maximum weight is about 4 kilograms.

In some cases, numbness in the fingers after childbirth can be a sign of a problem with the heart, which is under severe stress throughout pregnancy. Also, the cause of such numbness can be nervous overload, so you should not allow them. nine0005
Causes of numbness of hands after childbirth

So, for many women, the phenomenon is typical when hands become numb after childbirth. In this case, the sensations can be different: if some feel just a tingling sensation, then others feel a burning sensation or complete numbness. Many try not to pay attention, being sure that they simply lay their hands down, or were in an uncomfortable position for a long time. Usually, this symptom is characterized by a nocturnal manifestation.

Doctors assure that the so-called tunnel syndrome can often be the cause of numbness of the hands after childbirth. It involves the infringement of nerve endings in the area of the carpal tunnel. It is most typical for those people who work with a computer. nine0005
But in some cases, osteochondrosis can also become the main reason that hands begin to go numb after childbirth. So, with the development of arthrosis in the cervical spine, or a banal overstrain of the muscles located in the same area, this may well provoke numbness. In addition, a sharp increase in body weight can lead to a similar condition, because in this case, a person’s activity is significantly reduced.

Due to the lack of minerals or vitamins necessary for the normal functioning of the whole organism, the same tunnel syndrome can also develop. nine0005
Recovery after childbirth
nine0000 If fingers go numb: causes, treatment and prevention
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Hand numbness is not a disease, but it can be a symptom of a disease that is important to identify and treat in time.

The sensation of numbness in the fingertips or hands is familiar to many. If this phenomenon does not last long and is associated with nerve compression (for example, after sleeping in an uncomfortable position), there is no reason to worry, but if it bothers you regularly, you should consult a doctor. Hand numbness is not a disease, but it can be a symptom of a disease that is important to identify and cure in time. nine0005
Anna Viktorovna Cherepenina, a neurologist of the Semeynaya clinic network, tells about the causes of decreased sensitivity of hands and fingers, and how to cure it.

Causes
If finger numbness passes quickly, there is no cause for concern. Most likely, it is associated with compression of blood vessels and nerves (more often in a dream). In order for the numbness to pass faster, raise your hands up, and then bend and unbend your fingers until sensation returns to them. nine0005
Often numbness of the hands can disturb pregnant women - the nerve endings of the fingers are compressed due to swelling.

Causes associated with disorders of the body:

Injuries;

Raynaud's disease, characterized by impaired circulation in the small vessels of the fingers;

Carpal tunnel syndrome. Often appears in those who work a lot at the computer. It is characterized by pinching of the median nerve in the wrist, in which the fingers can hurt and swell; nine0048
Osteochondrosis of the lower cervical region;

Herniated disc;

Diabetes;

Atherosclerosis;

Multiple sclerosis;

Angina pectoris;

Blockage of cerebral vessels;

Thrombosis of the vessels of the upper extremities.

As you can see, there are many reasons why fingers can become numb, and some of the diseases are quite dangerous. Therefore, a visit to the doctor should not be postponed. nine0005
Treatment

If you are concerned about such a problem as numbness of the fingers, do not self-medicate. Loss / decrease in sensitivity can be a symptom of various diseases, and it is very difficult to diagnose on your own which ones. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor.

You can only try to restore sensitivity on your own - by rubbing your fingertips or by rinsing your hands under a contrast shower.

The doctor will prescribe treatment after an examination and necessary examinations (for example, if necessary, MRI of the brain, X-ray / MRI of the cervical spine, dopplerography of the vessels of the neck), based on the established diagnosis. nine0005
Among the most commonly used methods of treatment:

Drug therapy;

Manual therapy;

Physiotherapy;

Massage.

Prevention

For prevention of hand numbness (and therefore diseases that lead to this symptom), it is enough to follow simple rules:

Do not wear clothes that are too tight in your hands, with tight elastic bands, and squeezing jewelry.
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