Symptoms Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome In Pregnancy
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in your hand and finger.
It’s caused by pressure on a nerve in your wrist called the median nerve.
Symptoms of CTS in pregnancy can include:
- pins and needles – often in your index and middle fingers
- numbness – often in your index and middle fingers
- pain in your fingers and thumbs
- burning sensation in the fingers
- weakness of the muscles that control your thumb, which can affect your grip strength
Symptoms may affect both hands. One may be worse than the other. Pain is especially common at night.
What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CTS happens when the carpal tunnel inside your wrist swells and squeezes 1 of your nerves .
You’re more at risk if you:
- are overweight
- are pregnant
- do work or hobbies that mean you repeatedly bend your wrist or grip hard, such as using vibrating tools
- have another illness, such as arthritis or diabetes
- have a parent, brother or sister with CTS
- have previously injured your wrist
Page last reviewed: 16 February 2021 Next review due: 16 February 2024
What Is Pregnancy Hand Pain
Hand pain, numbness, tingling or burning experienced during pregnancy is nearly always associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. During the second and third trimester of pregnancy, a buildup of fluid in the hands and feet can occur called edema.
This extra pressure in the hands can compress the median nerve leading to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome affecting your thumb, index finger, middle finger and the side of your ring finger nearest to your thumb or you may experience these symptoms in your whole hand.
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Symptoms Of Carpal Tunnel Include:
- Numbness,;pain;or tingling in the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers.;
- A shock sensation to the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers.;
- Weakness of the hand.;
- Tingling or pain from the forearm to the shoulder.;
Many people sleep with their wrists bent, which worsens symptoms;and;causes carpal tunnel to interfere with sleep.;
Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
For mild cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, resting your hand and wearing a splint at night might be all it takes to relieve symptoms. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome often occur at night, causing people to wake up and shake or move their hand around until the numbness resolves and it feels better, says Dr. Rozental. Medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen aren’t a cure, but can help relieve pain. Your doctor may also want to try giving you steroid injections to help relieve symptoms.
If these carpal tunnel treatments aren’t effective, however, it may be time to consider surgery to release the ligament that is placing pressure on the median nerve.
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery
If your CTS is getting worse and other treatments have not worked, the GP might refer you to a specialist to discuss surgery.
Surgery usually cures CTS. You and your specialist will decide together if it’s the right treatment for you.
An injection numbs your wrist so you do not feel pain and a small cut is made in your hand. The carpal tunnel inside your wrist is cut so it no longer puts pressure on the nerve.
The operation takes around 20 minutes and you do not have to stay in hospital overnight.
It can take a month after the operation to get back to normal activities.
How Is Cts Diagnosed In Pregnancy
CTS is most often diagnosed based on your description of symptoms to your doctor. Your doctor may also conduct a physical exam.
During the physical exam, your doctor may use electrodiagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis, if needed. Electrodiagnostic tests use thin needles or electrodes to record and analyze signals your nerves send and receive. Damage to the median nerve can slow down or block these electrical signals.
Your doctor may also use Tinels sign to identify nerve damage. This test can be done as part of a physical exam, too. During the test, your doctor will lightly tap over the area with the affected nerve. If you feel a tingling sensation, this can indicate nerve damage.
Tinels sign and electrodiagnostic tests are safe for use during pregnancy.
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Safely Treating Carpal Tunnel In Pregnancy
Of course, if pregnancy wasnt in the picture, you might think cortisone injections are the answer. These shots work, but not all the time. Also, due to their side effects, you can only use cortisone shots sparingly during your lifetime.;
If you’re pregnant, doctors advise against steroid shots. But if you are not pregnant, doctors recommend you have no more than 4 cortisone shots- ever.Thats because cortisone shots can cause fluid build-up inotherbody parts. Also, they can result in seriousside effectslike kidney problems, nerve damage, joint damage, and osteoporosis.
Carpal tunnel in pregnancy usually is not a serious matter because the symptoms are often mild. Actually, most patients dont need special treatment at all.
There are also carpal tunnel prevention methods to keep symptoms fromworsening. All pregnant women should begin using such;precautionary measureswhen carpal tunnelwarning signfirst appear.
Prevention therapy is simple. Basically, you start bybracingyour wrists at night. Most times this alone improves symptoms. The key is to begin treating the symptomsnow.Letting it go until after delivery is not advised because it will extend your misery longer.
Moreover, if symptoms worsen to a moresevere stage, they’ll cause intense distress on a daily basis. At that point, more serious treatment options are required to completely eliminate symptoms.
Causes Symptoms Diagnosis And Treatment
Meredith Shur, MD, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as a certified medical examiner.
Pregnancy can be uncomfortable at times. You may be dealing with morning sickness, heartburn, or swollen ankles. But, what about pain, numbness, and tingling in your hands and wrists? If you have these symptoms, it could be carpal tunnel syndrome .
CTS is a common discomfort of pregnancy that you dont often hear about. Heres what you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of carpal tunnel in pregnancy.
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Can Stretching Help Reduce Pregnancy Carpel Tunnel
Stretches can absolutely help. Growse recommends three stretches to alleviate the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome:
- Place your arm outstretched in front of you, with your palm face out, as if you were directing traffic to stop. With your opposite hand, pull back gently on your fingers, bringing the back of your hand down toward the back of your wrist.
- Place your hands in a prayer position at chest level. Keeping your palms together, elbows out, slide your hands back and forth across your chest from armpit to armpit. Move gently, and only as far as you feel a gentle stretch; stop if theres pain.
- Keeping your elbow bent at 90 degrees and at shoulder height, place your forearm on a doorframe, then lean through to pull your arm behind you. Be sure to keep the arm bent, not straight, which will put tension on the nerve, and its the nerve thats got the problem, says Growse. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.
-
Pain Relief For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Dr. Fowler suggests easing up on the activities that aggravate your hands the most.
You should avoid activities that force your wrists into a flexed or bent-back position, like typing or holding onto handles of gym equipment.
Carpal tunnel symptoms can often feel the worst at night or right after you wake up.
I often recommend wearing splints at night to prevent you from bending the palm down toward the wrist, he says. Bending down, or up, causes restricted blood flow to the nerve. In severe, unrelenting cases, I can perform an ultrasound-guided injection of corticosteroids into the carpal tunnel. This provides most patients with relief.
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How Often Is Hand Pain Caused By Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
While carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition, it has a different set of symptoms from many other sources of hand pain. There are actually several similar conditions that cause hand pain. These include:
- De Quervains tendinosis: A condition where swelling affects the wrist and base of the thumb. In this condition, you will feel pain when you make a fist and simulate shaking someones hand.
- Trigger finger: This condition causes soreness at the base of the finger or thumb. Trigger finger also causes pain, locking and stiffness when bending the fingers and thumb.
- Arthritis: This is a general term for many conditions that cause stiffness and swelling in your joints. Arthritis can impact many joints in your body and ranges from causing small amounts of discomfort to breaking down the joint over time .
How Can Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Be Prevented
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be difficult to prevent. The condition can be caused by so many different activities in a persons daily life that prevention can be challenging. Workstation changesproper seating, hand and wrist placementcan help decrease some factors that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Other preventative methods include:
- Sleeping with your wrists held straight.
- Keeping your wrists straight when using tools.
- Avoiding flexing and extending your wrists repeatedly.
- Taking frequent rest breaks from repetitive activities.
- Performing conditioning and stretching exercises before and after activities.
- Monitoring and properly treating medical conditions linked to carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Do I Have To Rest From Work To Cure Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Complete rest from work is the wrong answer for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Most people with this debilitating hand condition find that they experience muscle atrophy. So, when treating Carpal Tunnel naturally, it is important to stay active, so you do not experience further muscle atrophy.
Muscle atrophy complicates and lengthens the time required to treat CTS. Muscle does recover relatively quickly once the pressure is removed from the Median Nerve and normal hand use is resumed or continued. Patient studies have shown that most people start regaining grip strength within 2 3 weeks with the right kind of natural stretching therapy.
Rest from intense hand work can be helpful when treating CTS, but as one patient said,
What Are The Treatment Options For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome During Pregnancy
If the symptoms are severe and do not go away with the above measures, your doctor may suggest the following treatments.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers are prescribed for treating inflammation and pain .
- Surgery is required if the condition is intolerable but it is rare. Also, a surgery will be put on hold until childbirth.
In the meanwhile, you can try alternative therapies that provide relief.
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What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs as a result of swelling around the nerves of the wrist. It can cause numbness, tingling or pain in one or both wrists.
Pregnant women are particularly prone to the disorder, with about 3 to 5 of every 10 women experiencing symptoms during pregnancy.
The carpal tunnel is a corridor that contains tendons and a nerve , that run through the base of your hand. The carpel 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 can occur in professionals such as musicians, office workers and manual labourers.
For more information on carpal tunnel syndrome unrelated to pregnancy, .
What Is The Treatment For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel During PregnancyCarpal tunnel syndrome that appears in pregnancy often clears up within a few months of having your baby. You may be able to treat or ease your symptoms during pregnancy by:
- Avoiding or taking frequent breaks from activities that make your symptoms worse.
- Wearing a wrist splint at night to help ease symptoms. The splint will help keep your wrist in a good position and relieve pressure on the nerve. You can buy these from larger pharmacies or online. You will need to wear it at night for at least four weeks for it to start feeling better.
- Doing hand exercises, acupuncture and yoga theres a bit of evidence that suggests it may help ease symptoms.
If your carpal tunnel symptoms dont improve, are severe or are getting worse, speak to your GP. In some cases if using a wrist splint hasnt worked, your GP may recommend a steroid injection .
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How To Prevent Carpal Tunnel During Pregnancy
While theres no sure-fire way to prevent Carpal Tunnel while pregnant, limiting your hands from flexing in repetitive or continuous use will help keep them in an optimal position to prevent pinching of the nerve. Many women complain of Carpal Tunnel symptoms after typing on a keyboard for long periods of time. Inserting a gel pad under the keyboard will help keep the wrist in a neutral position and provide support for the wrist while you type. While there arent any specific exercises to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, taking frequent breaks to allow your wrists to flex and extend in a natural motion will help the nerve from being either stretched or compressed for too long.
Erin Nance, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic hand surgeon. She specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery and conservative treatment, and has a focus on treating common injuries and conditions in women. She practices in New York City, where she lives with her husband and daughter. Visit her at NanceMD.com.
Carpal Tunnel At Night
Carpal tunnel can cause wrist pain at night and wake you up. While youre sleeping, your wrists can bend up or down and press on the nerve. If you shake your hands when you wake up, it usually feels better. Wrist splints can also help, as they keep your wrists straight while youre sleeping and relieve pressure on the nerve.
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Management Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
ANTHONY J. VIERA, LCDR, MC, USNR, Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida
Am Fam Physician.;2003;Jul;15;68:265-272.
Carpal tunnel syndrome affects approximately 3 percent of adults in the United States. Pain and pares-thesias in the distribution of the median nerve are the classic symptoms. While Tinel’s sign and a positive Phalen’s maneuver are classic clinical signs of the syndrome, hypalgesia and weak thumb abduction are more predictive of abnormal nerve conduction studies. Conservative treatment options include splinting the wrist in a neutral position and ultrasound therapy. Orally administered corticosteroids can be effective for short-term management , but local corticosteroid injections may improve symptoms for a longer period. A recent systematic review demonstrated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pyridoxine, and diuretics are no more effective than placebo in relieving the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. If symptoms are refractory to conservative measures or if nerve conduction studies show severe entrapment, open or endoscopic carpal tunnel release may be necessary. Carpal tunnel syndrome should be treated conservatively in pregnant women because spontaneous postpartum resolution is common.
Family physicians frequently encounter patients who may have carpal tunnel syndrome. This article reviews the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of this relatively common condition.
Contact The Loredo Hand Care Institute
Let us help you get back to the important things in life–you and your baby! If you are experiencing any of the symptoms associated with Pregnancy Hand Pain/Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or would like to learn more about our practice in the Dallas area, please contact us today to schedule an appointment and get your free insurance check.
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How To Relieve Carpal Tunnel Pain During Pregnancy
If you experience symptoms during pregnancy, carpal tunnel relief can often be achieved using conservative treatments. These treatments include:
- Use a splint. You want a brace that keeps your wrist in a straight or neutral position.;
- Apply cold therapy. Use an ice pack wrapped in a towel for 10 minutes several times daily.
- Rest. When you experience pain or fatigue, rest your wrist if possible.;
- Elevate the affected hand. Using pillows can help you remain comfortable.;
- Practice yoga. Preliminary data indicates yoga can reduce pain and increase grip strength related to CTS.
- Get physical therapy. Myofascial release therapy is a massage therapy that reduces tightness and shortness in ligaments and muscles. ;
- Take pain relievers. Acetaminophen is generally considered safe during pregnancy. However, you should always consult your physician.;
Typically, these carpal tunnel pregnancy treatments are used instead of invasive approaches like surgery.
How To Ease The Pain Caused By The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Following are a few home remedies to ease the pain .
- Ask your doctor to suggest a wrist brace or splint, and wear it at night. Splints prevent you from curling your hands in sleep and avoiding the stress build-up on the joint.
- Apply an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas on the wrist to relieve the pain. You can also place your hands in ice-cold water for relief.
- Take frequent breaks between work, especially if it involves moving hands and fingers.
- Move your hand frequently to improve the blood flow and decrease fluid accumulation.
- Perform alternative thermal therapy by keeping your hands in cold water and then in warm water for about five to six minutes. It helps reduce the irritation of the symptoms.
- Place white or green cabbage leaves on your affected hands to drain away fluids and relieve the swelling. Do not wash the leaves, instead wipe them clean, and cool in the fridge before using.
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How Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosed During Pregnancy
The doctor will examine your hands for swelling and other symptoms. A few simple tests may also be recommended to check for weakness in the muscles of your palms and fingers.
Tests that can be used to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Durkans carpal compression test: The doctor uses the thumb to apply direct pressure on the carpal tunnel and the underlying median nerve to evaluate the pain and tingling sensations .
- Tinels test: The doctor lightly taps on the median nerve to check if there is a tingling sensation in the fingers .
- Phalens test: The doctor holds your forearm and asks you to bend the elbow, with the wrists freely falling to maximum flexion. You can also flex down both your wrists by pressing the back of your hands against each other. Remain in this position for 60 seconds to check if there is tingling, burning or numbness.
If the diagnosis is uncertain with the above test procedures, you may have to take the following tests :
- Nerve conduction test: This test analyzes the speed with which the median nerve transmits signals. Electric shock treatment is given to the nerve by placing electrodes on the hand and wrist. The speed and intensity of the response in the muscle are measured to confirm the diagnosis.
- Electromyography : A small needle is inserted into the muscle tissue to measure its electrical activity.
- Imaging tests: Ultrasound, X-ray or MRI are also used to find physical abnormalities in the median nerve.
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