Painful wrists during pregnancy
Carpal tunnel syndrome and pregnancy
Carpal tunnel syndrome and pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content6-minute read
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Key facts
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs when swelling in your wrist presses on a nerve and causes pain in your hand.
- It’s common in pregnancy and usually goes away after your baby is born.
- It can cause pain, numbness and tingling in your thumb, index finger and middle finger. It can also cause weakness in your hand and pain going up your arm.
- You can modify your daily activities to reduce your pain.
- See a physiotherapist or occupational therapist to learn exercises and get a special wrist splint fitted to help relieve pain.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs as a result of swelling around the nerves of your wrist. It can cause numbness, tingling or pain in one or both of your hands.
If you are pregnant, you’re particularly susceptible to the disorder. Up to 5 out of every 10 people who are pregnant develop carpal tunnel syndrome.
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
The carpal tunnel is a passage in your wrist that contains tendons and a nerve, called the median nerve, that run through the base of your hand. The carpal tunnel can swell and press against this sensitive nerve, causing pain.
While pregnancy is one cause, other common causes include arthritis or repetitive hand movements, which may occur in some jobs. Visit this healthdirect page for information about carpal tunnel syndrome unrelated to pregnancy.
How does pregnancy cause carpal tunnel syndrome?
When you are pregnant, your hormones cause fluid to build up in your body, which can cause swelling. This can lead to swelling within the carpal tunnel.
The condition is more common in the third trimester, but it can also happen in the first and second trimesters or after you give birth. In most cases, symptoms will go away after your baby is born.
What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?
Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness of your hand
- difficulty with hand coordination
- pain spreading to your arm or shoulder
You will probably feel the symptoms most in your thumb, index finger and middle finger. Symptoms can get worse at night.
The intensity of symptoms can vary from mild irritation or occasional soreness, to severe pain. Symptoms may stop you from sleeping or make it difficult to perform regular tasks such as working, getting dressed, cooking or caring for your baby.
Things that may make your symptoms worse include:
- repeating the same hand movements frequently
- keeping your hands in the same position for an extended time
- supporting your weight with straightened arms
Swelling may be a sign of high blood pressure in pregnancy. If your hands or feet are more swollen than usual, speak to your doctor or midwife.
What can I do to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome?
You may find that your pain is reduced by the following:
- Keep your hands elevated as much as you can.
- Keep your wrists in a neutral position (not bent forwards or backwards), as much as you can.
- Maintain good posture in your arms and wrists while working at a desk and take breaks every 20 minutes.
- Sleep on the side of your less affected hand.
- Put an ice pack on your wrist or run cold water over your hand.
Here are some things you should avoid:
- Avoid any repeated movements that make your pain worse.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects.
- Avoid tasks where you do the same movement repeatedly.
- Don’t bend your wrist as far as it can go.
Here are some things you can do to relieve general swelling in your body:
- Lie down whenever you can, with your feet elevated.
- Cut down on salt in foods.
- Elevate your legs when you’re sitting down.
- Wear compression socks or stockings.
Are there any treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome?
Treatment options include physiotherapy or occupational therapy. This may involve fitting you with a splint to keep your wrist in the best position to reduce strain. The splint must be adjusted to fit your wrist in order to be protective and supportive. You should wear your splint at night to keep your wrist in the right position while you’re asleep.
Your therapist will be able to tell you how best to protect your wrist at home, including exercises and resting positions.
You can try fluid drainage massage to reduce the swelling in your hand. You can do this by lifting your arm up and using your other hand to sweep gently along your skin from your fingers towards your shoulder. Be careful not to sweep the other way.
There are other treatments available for carpal tunnel syndrome, such as a cortisone injection into your wrist or even surgery.
Will I still have pain after my baby is born?
Carpal tunnel syndrome tends to ease, and often disappears, after birth. If you still have pain after your baby is born, you may need to change the way you use your wrist. This might affect how you use your hand to hold and care for your baby, including how you feed your baby.
Speak to your physiotherapist, occupational therapist or lactation consultant for strategies and tips on how to minimise strain on your wrist while holding your newborn. It’s a good idea to continue using your splint, if you have one.
Sources:
Royal Women’s Hospital (Pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome), Australian Government Department of Health (Carpal tunnel syndrome), Western Australia Department of Health (Carpal tunnel syndrome), Western Sydney local Heath District (Fact Sheet Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: June 2022
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Related pages
- Swelling during pregnancy
- Physiotherapy advice after pregnancy
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Wrist Pain and Pregnancy | Dr Brutus
Pregnancy can affect the body in many different ways, including the wrist. Approximately 35% to 62% of women report having wrist pain during their pregnancy (mainly in the 3rd trimester) whereas around 50% of women report developing wrist pain post pregnancy. Inflammation and muscle weakness resulting from hormonal changes, as well as the reduction in physical activity are mainly to blame.
Many women find that their symptoms disappear within a few months of delivery. However, certain diagnosis may require professional attention and treatment. In severe cases, symptoms may worsen over time and result in the need for surgery to prevent permanent nerve damage.
During Pregnancy
Carpal tunnel syndrome is common during pregnancy. Hormonal changes are believed to contribute to the development of the condition. Fluid retention can also be a factor as it creates more pressure on the median nerve.
There are several other risk factors that may lead a pregnant woman to develop carpal tunnel during her pregnancy:
Being Overweight or Obese Prior to Pregnancy
- While it is unclear if weight specifically causes carpal tunnel, more women who were overweight prior to pregnancy report developing CTS.
Pregnancy Related Diabetes or Hypertension
- Both conditions can lead to increased fluid retention which is a cause of carpal tunnel
Prior Pregnancies
- Relaxin, a hormone which helps the pelvis and cervix expand during pregnancy, may be seen in higher doses in subsequent pregnancies. The hormone may also lead to inflammation which can cause carpal tunnel.
In most cases, the condition will resolve itself within a few months of the baby’s birth. If you begin to experience tingling and numbness, or pain traveling up the arm into your shoulder, you should call your physician.
Pregnancy Safe Treatments
You should make your OBGYN aware of carpal tunnel symptoms as soon as they arrive. While they may recommend you see a hand specialist, there are several ways women can find relief at home:
- Wear a wrist splint at night
- Perform wrist stretches and strengthening exercises
- Rest as much as possible
A decrease in physical activity may exacerbate wrist pain. Keeping up with exercise and stretches will prevent wrist weakness and help prevent discomfort.
In mild cases of carpal tunnel, rest and a short-term wrist splint should be enough to get you through until after your baby is born. However, if your symptoms persist or become more severe , you may need to see a hand specialist .
Prescribed Treatment Options
If you choose to see a hand specialist, there are several options they may recommend:
Occupational Therapy
- The occupational therapist will create a treatment plan specifically designed to treat each woman’s individual pain.
Cortisone Injections
- Typically avoided during pregnancy.
- OTC pain relievers and anti-inflammatories should only be taken when directed by a doctor.
In severe cases, if symptoms don’t resolve on their own post pregnancy, surgery may be necessary. It is recommended to wait until after delivery to undergo any type of invasive procedure, but in severe cases it is possible to have surgery prior to delivery. Consult with your doctor if this is a concern.
Many women may shy away from surgery because they believe it will have a long downtime period which is not conducive to having a newborn. Thankfully, Dr. Brutus performs a newer, less invasive kind of surgery called “endoscopic decompression. ” The surgery has an average recovery time of 14 days, which is about four times faster than with the open surgery method. Endoscopic decompression provides instant relief from pain and numbness with a smaller incision.
Post Pregnancy Wrist Pain
Women who experience wrist pain post pregnancy may have developed what’s called De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis also known as “Mommy’s Wrist.” While it is common, it can make caring for a newborn difficult for mothers.
The two most common symptoms are:
- Pain and swelling in the thumb, extending into the forearm
- Pain with the use of the thumb and wrist when performing pinching, twisting, or pulling motions.
The condition is thought to develop from the repeated motion of lifting and holding one’s baby, particularly when nursing. A physician should be seen if your pain interferes with your ability to hold your child or do other simple daily tasks.
Treatment Options
The easiest way to treat De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is to rest as much as possible. While this is easier said than done with a newborn, there are other options in addition to rest. Your physician may recommend that you wear a wrist splint. This can be a generic store bought splint or a custom orthotic. Modifying breastfeeding position can also help.
If your symptoms last longer than six months without improvement, your physician may recommend you for surgery. Surgical treatment does come with more downtime, but it’s the only way to permanently cure the condition.
Surgery for De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis, aka “De Quervain’s release,” is an outpatient procedure performed with a local anesthetic. The surgeon will create a small incision in the wrist and locate the inflamed tendon. Once the tendon is cut, pressure is released allowing you to move your hand without pain again.
After one to two weeks, your surgeon will remove your stitches. Your splint may still need to be worn for up to four weeks after surgery. Most patients find their hand will be fully healed in six to twelve weeks.
Final Thoughts
The hormonal changes a woman experiences during and post pregnancy are a common cause for wrist pain. While most cases end up being mild and resolve themselves, more severe cases may require a visit to a hand surgeon.
The best way an expecting or new mother can best improve her symptoms is to take care of herself. While it’s easier said than done, rest, proper nutrition and hydration, physical activity and appropriate medical care are key to staying healthy.
Hands hurt during pregnancy
Carpal tunnel syndrome: characteristic symptoms
Pain occurs, as already mentioned, due to compression of the median nerve, so the most innervation is carried out not by the median nerve, but by the outgoing branches of the ulnar nerve), wrist, palmar surface of the hand.
The period characteristic for the manifestation of this disease, when the wrist of the left hand most often hurts, is the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
The nature of the discomfort is determined by the fact that the hands and wrists hurt, swell and go numb during pregnancy, sometimes trembling of the fingers may be present.
In addition to the above, vasoconstriction, increased sensitivity of the hands to cold, and pallor of the skin are added. Most often, the disease manifests itself at night, but symptoms can also be observed during the day.
If pain occurs in the little finger or on the back of the hand, then this indicates the presence of another disease, since these parts of the hand have a different innervation.
Often the syndrome resolves after labor. A woman's normal, prenatal metabolism is restored. . However, if the disease persists, then you need to contact a hematologist (nephrologist, neuropathologist, cardiologist) to prescribe drug therapy. Physiotherapy also helps to avoid the frequent occurrence of pain.
If the situation does not improve, then surgical treatment must be applied.
Cause of pain
So, why do hands hurt during pregnancy? As a rule, during this period, a woman begins to gain weight, which is the physiological norm for this condition. However, after weight gain, edema may appear, indicating a violation of the water-salt metabolism in the body. Here, a woman may complain that her joints of the hands hurt during pregnancy. Along with the violation of water-salt metabolism, there is a decrease in blood flow.
Innervation changes due to nerve compression. Due to the current situation, the nerve cannot conduct nerve impulses normally, and this, in turn, leads to a lack of impulses in the wrist and hand area.
Most often, women who suffer from kidney and heart problems, as well as overweight, rheumatic diseases, and fractures in the area of the hands suffer from diseases. Pregnant women also have reduced immunity, so most often they have exacerbated chronic diseases.
The hands are the most painful, since everything has to be done with the hands. In addition to numbness, pain, in the hands there may be sensations such as: hand tremor; the appearance of heaviness in the hands; feeling of weakness in the fingers; itching in the palms.
Many women are forced to remove jewelry from their fingers and hands due to severe discomfort and pain.
How to get rid of the disease
If you are still overtaken by this disease, first you need to adjust your lifestyle and diet.
Taking into account the fact that the body of a pregnant woman is undergoing restructuring, she needs the so-called "building materials". These include vitamins (especially vitamins K, B12, B6, C, E - they are all involved in hematopoiesis). Therefore, you should eat meat products (poultry), vegetables (peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers), fruits (oranges, lemons, apples, bananas, kiwi), berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), also legumes, dairy products. Flour products and foods rich in starch should be excluded from the diet.
After adjusting the diet, physical activity should be put in order. So, if you are busy with one thing, during which the woman does not particularly move, you need to periodically perform exercises for the hands: shake, make circular movements with the hands, squeeze and unclench your fingers several times, bringing them into a fist.
If possible, try to avoid unnecessary stress on the hands (lean less on the hands, use special splints during a night's sleep). Do not forget that some pain sensations are a sign of the presence of severe or chronic diseases, so you need to tell your doctor about these sensations, who observes you throughout your pregnancy. Compliance with all these rules will help you reduce pain, or even completely get rid of them. And also spend your difficult, but very happy nine months in a good mood.
Why does arm pain occur during pregnancy?
During the period of bearing a child, many women notice that they have pain in their hands. During pregnancy, about 60% of all expectant mothers complain about this ailment. What is this strange disease that affects women who are carrying a baby? Why do hands hurt during pregnancy, and what to do in case of this ailment?
Contents:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Why the joints of the hands hurt during pregnancy
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disease that occurs in 40% of all women in position. Usually it is diagnosed only during the period of bearing a baby, when expectant mothers come to the doctor and complain that their hands hurt during pregnancy. This syndrome most often occurs in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, when a woman is gaining weight intensively, and also when she has swelling. Then there is a compression of the tube with the nerves that connect the hand with the fingers, and, as a result, the functions of the nerve are disturbed, and this leads to the fact that the fingers hurt during pregnancy.
Symptoms
But pain is not the only symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome, there are other signs of this disease, we list them:
- itching, burning, trembling, tingling in the fingers;
- Shooting pain from elbow to wrist;
- weakness of the fingers when squeezing, this is especially pronounced when the thumb is bent;
- numbness of individual fingers or the entire hand as a whole with aggravation of the course of the disease.
How to relieve pain
In order to relieve pain in the arms during pregnancy, it is recommended to follow these tips:
- do not put your hand under your head during the night;
- if during the rest, when the expectant mother is lying in bed, she has pain in her hands, then she needs to move her hands intensively, this will help relieve numbness from the limbs and relieve pain;
- in order not to complain that there were pains in the hands during pregnancy, periodically bend and unbend the arms at the elbows, hands and fingers during the day;
- if possible, try to avoid monotonous manual work;
- a woman carrying a baby should try not to hang her limbs down when she sits or lies, the best option is to put her hand on the former of a sofa or chair.
When fingers hurt during pregnancy, this is an unpleasant feeling, the only good thing is that this disease will pass soon after the expectant mother gives birth. In most cases, carpal tunnel syndrome disappears on its own some time after delivery, when the woman's swelling subsides and her weight decreases. But it is very rare that the pain syndrome does not go away on its own. In this case, the woman undergoes an operation, during which the surgeon cuts the oblique ligaments of the wrist, this reduces the pressure on the nerve, and the functioning of the hands returns to normal.
If during pregnancy the hands hurt so much that the expectant mother cannot do daily activities, and it is impossible to sleep normally at night, then you should immediately consult a doctor for advice. In no case should you take painkillers on your own, as they can be potentially dangerous to the health of the child.
When a woman experiences severe pain in her arms during pregnancy, the doctor may recommend that the expectant mother wear a special splint that holds the wrist in the correct position and thereby reduces the pain that occurs due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Usually such a splint is worn on the wrist at night. In addition to this method of treatment, vitamins of group B are prescribed.
Why the joints of the hands hurt during pregnancy
Pain in the hands during pregnancy can be caused by diseases of the joints. After the conception of a child, a woman's immunity is significantly reduced, and if she previously had joint diseases in a chronic form, then it is likely that during the period of bearing a baby they can become aggravated. In this case, the expectant mother should consult a doctor for advice, since a pregnant woman cannot take medications on her own. The doctor, after examining the woman and examining the results of her tests, will decide which medications can be prescribed specifically for this patient. Since most of the drugs prescribed for joint disease are not recommended to be taken during the period of bearing a child.
Another reason why the joints of the hands hurt during pregnancy is lack of calcium in the body . Everyone knows that during the bearing of a child, a woman's body needs a large amount of this element, and not always proper nutrition and daily consumption of foods containing calcium (milk, cheese, cottage cheese, kefir) fully compensate for calcium deficiency in the body. In order to establish whether there is enough calcium in the body of a woman who is expecting a baby, it is necessary to do a biochemical blood test. If there is not enough calcium, the doctor will prescribe calcium-containing dietary supplements to the pregnant woman.
If the joints of the hands hurt during pregnancy in the second or third trimester, then this may be due to the action of the hormone relaxin . This hormone is produced in the body of the expectant mother in order to soften the joints, and the pelvic bones could “disperse” under the pressure of the growing uterus. And its side effect is pain in the limbs. In the case when pain in the hands is caused by excessive production of relaxin, a pregnant woman expecting a baby has no choice but to wait for delivery.