Signs Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The extra fluid retention of pregnancy can exacerbate a common condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. Between 25 and 50 percent of pregnant women will notice some symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition occurs because one of the nerves that supply sensation to the hand, the median nerve, has to pass through a very narrow space in the wrist, called the carpal tunnel, where the nerve enters your hand from your arm. During pregnancy, even slight swelling in the hands can cause the nerve to become compressed as it goes through the carpal tunnel. The severity of nerve compression is also related to the amount of weight you gain during pregnancy.

The most common symptoms are pain and numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers, and weakness in the muscle that moves your thumb. The main treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy is usually limited to simple things like wearing a splint at night to help reduce pressure on the nerve that occurs when the wrist is bent. About 80 percent of women will notice a reduction in symptoms just with splinting. If you develop severe carpal tunnel syndrome, you may be referred to an orthopedic specialist who may recommend steroid injections in to the wrist to reduce swelling and inflammation. Do not take oral anti inflammatory agents such as ibuprofen while pregnant, and try to avoid sleeping on your lower arms and hands. Symptoms usually improve within about 4 weeks of giving birth to your baby.

What to avoid

Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

Back Pain

Back pain during pregnancy can be a serious problem, and is one of the few problems that often persist after pregnancy. Roughly one half of pregnant women will experience some back pain during pregnancy, and the older you are the more likely you’ll experience back pain. Carrying an extra 201b (9kg) or more around your waist is hard on your back; each pregnancy puts a strain on your back and increases the chance that you will have persistent back pain. The best way to protect your back is by keeping your abdominal muscles in shape before you get pregnant. During pregnancy make sure that if you lift something heavy (like your other children) you use your legs and not your back alone. Listen to your body and stop lifting something if you feel strain in your back.

Make sure your mattress is firm, giving your back good support while you sleep. If you have a soft mattress, consider slipping a firm board between your mattress and your box spring for extra support during pregnancy. If you do strain your back, take up to 650mg of acetaminophen, and try using a hot pack or ice pack on your back for 10 minutes (whichever works for you). If you have back pain that comes and goes, make sure to call your care provider because this can be a symptom of preterm labor. If you’ve had back pain before and during pregnancy there’s a strong.

What’s safe to use

Acetaminophen (650mg), heat or ice packs.

What to avoid

Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

Sciatica

Sciatica refers to nerve pain that, hoots rapidly from your buttocks down one of your legs, usually ending at your foot. Sciatica is caused either by one of the intervertebral disks (which lie between each vertebra) in your pine pressing on a point where the spinal nerve branches from the spinal cord or by the uterus pressing on your sciatic nerve (which runs from the lowers back down your leg). In addition to pain, you may have other signs of nerve compression, including numbness or a pins and needles sensation in the effected leg. True sciatica is actually quite rare in pregnancy, affecting about 1 percent of pregnancies. If you think you have sciatica, discuss the problem with your care provider.