Did you know that up to 50% of pregnant women can develop symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
It is common during the 3rd trimester but unfortunately few women seek help and even fewer receive appropriate treatment or advice.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that causes pressure on a nerve that passes through the wrist. This nerve is called the Median Nerve. The pressure on the nerve can be caused by overusing the hand or wrist, swelling, position of the wrist during sleep or work, an injury to the hand, or other medical conditions such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
After talking with friends and even other health professionals, I am surprised by the common misconceptions of what Carpal Tunnel Syndrome actually is. In my own circles I have found many people to think that it is ‘hand cramps’ or simply wrist pain, but wrist pain can be caused by many conditions that I won’t go into here.
The most common signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are pain, numbness and tingling, especially at night time. Often people are woken at night by strong tingling in their fingers. The symptoms will only be in the thumb, index finger, middle finger and half of the ring finger. If you notice tingling in the little finger and the ring finger then it could be a sign of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, which is a different condition that is caused in the elbow. Sometimes people can have both conditions and have symptoms in the whole hand.
If you have had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for a while, you may also notice that you are getting weaker in the hands and perhaps a bit clumsy. At this stage, people will complain that they don’t have the strength or control of their hands anymore and are often dropping things and fumbling when they are trying to do a simple task such as putting a house key in the door. They may also notice pain starting to shoot up the forearm.
A hand therapist may check sensation, range of movement, muscle strength, grip and pinch strength, fine motor control, and other special tests such as Phalen’s and/or Tinel’s tests to determine if you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. They will also gather your social and medical history to assist a diagnosis. Sometimes a Nerve Conduction Study or MRI or even X-ray may be ordered by a medical professional to see if they can see pressure on the nerve or if the symptoms are caused by another problem such as a cyst.
Why is it common in Pregnant Women?
Hormonal changes, and extra fluid during pregnancy make it more common in pregnant women, especially in the last trimester. The symptoms can range from mild to severe. Although in many cases, the symptoms go away on their own after the baby is born, it can cause a lot of stress and problems with doing work duties, home duties, exercise such as yoga, and with sleep that make it unbearable for some.
In some cases, if it is not managed well, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can cause long term damage to the median nerve and it may require a more intrusive treatment such as surgery, which is not an ideal process for a new mother.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is also more common in women than men, whether they are pregnant or not. Some have suggested it is related to the anatomy of the hand, where women may have a smaller carpal tunnel that the Median Nerve passes through. Others have suggested it could be caused by the hormonal changes during menopause or perhaps the occupation of the women. For example, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is also more common in office workers typing for long hours, seamstresses, and hairdressers to name a few.
What can you do about it?
A frustration for me is when I hear women say that there is nothing that can be done, or that they will just ‘wait it out’.
There really is so much that can be done to ease the symptoms or completely treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I have listed just some of the PHYSICAL treatments that can be used.
- Massage to hand and forearm
- Wrapping to reduce swelling
- Tendon gliding exercises
- Nerve gliding exercises
- Specific stretches of the hand, wrist and elbow
- Using a wrist splint (Sometimes just for night time wear to stop the wrist from bending forward through the night)
- Custom made splints may be ideal as they are designed to fit YOU. Sometimes I have noticed that ‘off the shelf’ splints or braces do not always fit well or can have a plastic or metal bar that puts MORE pressure over the carpal tunnel area causing more discomfort, so be aware.
- Use of heat via heat packs and wax baths
- Use of ice and contrast bathing
- Dry Needling
- Acupuncture
- Surgery
- As I said, sometimes the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be very severe as the Median Nerve can get quite squashed. Sometimes a Hand Specialist or Surgeon may need to perform a surgery called a Carpal Tunnel Release to release a ligament that sits above the nerve to allow it more space. But this is quite rare in pregnancy.
Besides physical ‘hands on’ treatments, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can also be reduced by taking a closer look at the environment such as a kitchen or workplace set up and making changes that will reduce bad postures, or positions or overusing the hand or wrist. Sometimes the way that we do a task can also be modified to reduce the risk of injury and overuse. Occupational Therapists can often be quite helpful here as they take a holistic approach to reaching goals by looking at what goes on in your natural environments. Sometimes tools or aids can be used to support the body and prevent injury. See my recommended products page here.
A change in diet may also be suggested to reduce inflammation in the body. This may included a reduction in sugary foods and drinks for example and even an inclusion of things like turmeric if there are no concerns with your health professional. Water retention can often be reduced by drinking more water, believe it or not. When we don’t drink enough water, our body retains the water that it has left. And no, normal tea and coffee do not count 🙂 as they are diuretics.
In the future weeks I will post more details on some of these treatments, so watch the space.
If you think you may have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome I would recommend seeing a relevant Health Professional, preferably a Hand Therapist as they specialise in treating the hand and upper limb specifically and don’t just ‘dabble’ in the area. See more information on Hand Therapy here. I am aware however, that many people cannot always access the care that they need due to location or finances etc. Hence, why I have created this website to give some women a head start or even give extra support for their current therapy/treatment as it is an area I have such a strong passion for.
Other articles you my be interested in:
How to Reduce Swelling in the Hands During Pregnancy: A Helpful Guide
Have you experienced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during pregnancy? Did you seek help from any source? I would love to hear comments and experiences so please put them in the comments section below.
Please keep in mind that I can not individually treat you online, however, it there are common questions, I can address them in future blog posts.
