Carpal tunnel, wahhh...

[adlertippa]

Hello all,

I'm 34w, woke up with carpal tunnel in both hands a few days ago. It's not the end of the world but it's quite unpleasant and getting a little worse each day. I initially thought I'd only have to put up with it for 6ish weeks but read yesterday it can last for a few months postpartum.

Sewing and quilting is my favourite way to relax and I'd planned so many little projects for the last few weeks of pregnancy so I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself. I ordered some wrist splints off eBay at 3am a couple of nights ago and have just been looking at acupuncture. Has anyone tried this? I've also been doing wrist stretches when I wake up and it's worst which does seem to help. Any tips would be great.

Thanks in advance

I had this in my first pregnancy and am just waiting for it to rear it's ugly head again. I didn't try acupuncture so can't help on that, but wearing wrist splints overnight definitely took away the worst of the pain on waking. Mine vanished pretty much as soon as I gave birth so hopefully you will be the same.

What ah that's great news that it's not definite to continue for months. So far it's rubbish first thing then tolerable most of the day and considerably better in the evening. If the wrist splints would sort that first bit out I'd be happy got my tingly fingers crossed that you escape this pregnancy, good luck!

See if you can get proper splints from the physio. You might need a GP referral for that. I have CTS and ordered a wrist splint from eBay and whilst it helps, it's not a great fit and actually hurts after a while (it rubs and the metal splint isn't the best fit)

Mine comes and goes. (The splint helps even if it does hurt in different ways)
It lasts between a couple of weeks and a month each time so I'm definitely not considering having it fixed surgically. If it gets real bad I will though. I hope your CTS buggers off soon.

I have had horrendous carpal tunnel outside of pregnancy and it's just coming back now (I'm 36+3). Splints work really well, I think, if it's mainly just numbness. When it's really bad it can give you a kind of burning pain and, unfortunately, the best things for that are ibuprofen or the steroid injection (which I'm pretty sure they won't give you in pregnancy AND turns you into a junkie because when it wears off it's so much worse!). Hopefully you'll be ok just with splints. Just try to minimise things that make it worse - laptops, hair straighteners - so you can keep doing the things you love. Also you can get a lot of relief just from hanging your arm over the side of the bed, I find. It's basically caused by swelling so I'd imagine anything that reduces swelling would be good (e.g. good hydration).

I'm 35+1 and mine started last week. Sleeping in a rest support but doesn't seem to be making much difference

Thanks for the input everyone. Mummy I'd recommend a YouTube video called 'self acupressure for carpal tunnel syndrome' by losethebackpain. It's a bit weird and American but I've noticed a real difference after doing the stretches. I do two rounds first thing then as needed throughout the day.

I'd read it's good to hang your hands off the bed but I'm already so limited in my sleeping positions that I'm going to end up all tangled, ha ha.

I have 2 little extra pillows (boudoir pillows ) which i use to raise my hands off the mattress height when I lie on my side facing into the middle of our (superking) bed. Positioning is trial and error but you get good at doing it in half sleep. I've had enough practice as both wrists started during pregnancy 28 years ago, surgery helped a bit. Sorry that was mean to share. Your CTS should go after pregnancy.

I have had carpal tunnel since 15 weeks and it's been painfully and frustrating. I did buy splints for them which on alot of occasions I wear most of the day as I get pain/pins and needles up my forearms also. My DH opens any cans/bottles etc before he pops off to work as I can't open things. Will definitely look at the you tube link for any helpful pointers, but the splints Definitely help and the go advised he would not give any injections as it is on swelling/water retention that should disappear after little man is here. So (swollen) fingers crossed

" GP" advised not "go" advised sorry