Carpal bloody tunnel

[warzonemummy]

I have had carpel tunnel syndrome since around week 32 and now I am 38 weeks. It is killing me!!! My wrist is in constant pain, my sleep is severely disturbed by it as my hand sort of freezes over night in one painful position and I keep having to wake up and massage it with with other hand.

I tried splints and paracetamol but getting worse day by day.

Any ideas what can I do to feel better. I really do not want this on top of feeling fed up with generally being pregnant. Has anyone tried physio for this? I spoke with the MW and she says she can refer me to physio but I won't get seen for weeks so pretty pointless. I am thinking of going private for physio now but only if the results are quite immediate. Please help me decide :(

I have no advice, just sympathy. I had it in my first pregnancy and it's reappearing now in my second, also at 32 weeks. I hate it.
It did go after giving birth, pretty quickly but I then developed tendonitis from carrying limpet baby so much!

I used splints in bed and find if I sleep with a pillow sort of under my neck and over my arm it helps a bit.

Hi Warzone!

I have arthritis in my hands so was really unsurprised to also get Carpel tunnel in pregnancy. Only really a problem for me at night though. I find trying to keep my hands at the same level as my head/body is the best. I also use the headboard to grasp/push to keep the muscles moving. When they freeze, don't panic but move them slowly and gently till they come back again.

Are you having pains in the day? Freezing? Applying ice/warmth (whichever helps for you) to your wrist and keeping your hands lightly moving helps. Also try not to overuse the muscles so no carrying heavy bags or writing with a pen or keyboard for ages.... Don't use the splints too much.

Are there any triggers for you? Look at these and how you can do things differently. Don't worry too much though as its most probably temporary and will go soon enough.

Thanks for all advice. I am off to see someone for physio now. I haven't tried hot and cold compress yet. I shall tonight. Nights are worse than days. I occasionally take paracetamol, maybe once every week when I feel really bad but would like a non pharmaceutical remedy.
The triggers seem to be typing. I wrote onmy laptop for a while last night and later experienced the worse pain ever. I should stop working I suppose.
Thanks all.

Oh god, you poor thing. I remember this. I became very familiar with the BBC World Service at 4am. Nothing helped at all, and I used to lie there and cry with the pain.

The good news is that it went immediately I delivered, and I didn't get it in my 2 subsequent pregnancies.

I've got this and am only 20 weeks - but figure I'd rather know it'll go in December than have to have an op

I had this in my first pregnancy, but it has not materialised in my second (35 weeks now) touch wood. I do think that having an office based job was one of the factors that made it worse as I haven't worked to the same degree this time.

I found that moxibustion helped (acupuncturist using hot coals around the joint) and once he showed me how to do it I did it myself (so quite cheap).

Mine got better gradually over about 8 weeks post pregnancy. I found it inhibited me more in the day - I couldn't prepare food, use my phone, knit etc very miserable.

You are nearly there :)

Sleep with splints.

You have my sympathies. I had it and it royally sucked. Mine cleared up as soon as DD arrived!