Carpal Tunnel Syndrome???

[LilyToTheB]

Hi,
I've been getting a pain in my left wrist for about 2 weeks now, it hurts pretty much every day, mostly around my thumb, so difficult to bend it and grab things, but also my ring finger & little finger keep clicking if I don't move them much.

A friend of mine said it might be carpal tunnel! Anyone had this or know anything about it?

Thanks

[jennifersofia]

Got this for 1st and 2nd pgs, oddly not for 3rd. Had it at night, real numbness, it would wake me up. Mine was exacerbated by pram pushing and bike riding and other wrist intensive activites. I did have some splints to wear at night to keep my wrists mobilized, which helped a bit, but not completely. It went a few weeks after the births.

[theUrbanDryad]

i had this when i was pg too - it felt like pins and needles to start with then it would go totally numb. think it's caused by water retention or something. i had splints to wear at night as well, really helped. ask your mw or gp for them, you get them free on your maternity exemption certificate.

[theUrbanDryad]

meant to add, i didn't just get it at night, i had it really bad in the day as well. got so bad i couldn't hold a pen or knife and fork! totally disappeared as soon as i gave birth, luckily. some people have it all the time, poor bastards!

[shabster]

I got this when I had my first child - which turned out to be twin boys - diagnosed at 36wks 5 days and born at 38 weeks. My hands were weird - had a life of their own

Everything was fine when my DTS's were born, mind you my nether regions were so sore I forgot about my wrists

Never had it since - and had two subsequent single sons.

[madcol]

Carpal Tunnel syndrome can have pain at wrist but tends to be more chronic with numbness/tingling in the thumb and two adjacent fingers. Worse at night and often helped by dangling arm out of bed.

Could be tenosynovitis - I had this after baby born caused by repeated lifting in and out of moses basket. tends to more tender around base of thumb and worse on moving.

Are you repeating the same hand movement over and over?

[BoysOnToast]

my mum is hard as nails. she had this CT thing... and had an op scheduled with a consultant at the hosp she worked at at the time ( my mum is a mw). she not only went and scoped out the doc in question before she 'allowed' her to operate... but she eschewed general aneasthetic in favour of a local in order to be able to watch and make sure she 'did it right' and 'paid attention'. she has the finest stitches ever seen, and the scar is almost invisible.

i say it now; my mother is not human.

[Kaz1967]

In pregnancy it is usually caused by extra fluid and will normally go after delivery it might be something else tendon or muscle related so best get it checked out.

You may find these useful
www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/fingerpainandnumbness
www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/naturalremedies/carpaltunnelsyndrome

[LilyToTheB]

Morning all, thanks for your advice.
madcol - it does sound more like tenosynovitis as not really tingling much, more like a pain under my thumb. Not doing any repetitive movements though, it just appeared one day!

I hope it does go after delivery, it's not very comfortable!

Went to the doctor's and they didn't know what it was and just told me to take paracetamol if the pain gets worse! That doesn't help me!
Doctor's are useless!!

[Kaz1967]

I have a nerve problem effecting a different nerve in my hands (the one that passes through a tight spot at the elbow) Initially it was just extremely painful I could not even do up my bra or use a knife to cut food, mine is a long term problem and it is only now I have tingling and loss of sensation.

You may find heat or cold helps more than paracetamol if you were not pregnant they would suggest something like ibuprofen because it helps reduce inflammation but it's not recommended during pregnancy.

Contact your midwife and ask to be referred to a physio you may find them more helpful what ever the cause.