Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

[megsmeadow]

Anyone had any experience?? I had symptoms early in pregnancy but it settled down. Now it's back!! I saw the GP last week and to be honest he's a pessimist about lots of things so didn't refer on to physio. I'll be phoning the MW in the morning to get a referral as my right hand is killing me today and my painkillers just aren't helping. Every time I wake up at night both hands are completely numb and it's more and more painful as each day passes. Until I get the physio appt is there anything that people have tried that helps to relieve the pain? Everything points towards splints/supports but I wondered if anyone had any tips they could share?
Thanks

 

[evajo]

Hi Honey,

I have carpal tunnel and have had it or 11 years! During pregnancy it is horrendus due to fluid retention. I have to say i have tried it all, my only advice would be that when you wake hang your numb arm over the side of the bed until you can feel it again! Mine isn't able to function correctly until about 5-10 mins after i get up. You should also avoid repeative activities in large doses - ie hours of ironing, polishing, my touch pad on computer is awful for mine, but i'm too stuborn to stop using it!
No amount of physio or splits ever helped but thats not to say you wouldn't have a different outcome.

 

[Sam's Mum]

I had it when I was pregnant with Toby - it got really bad towards the end.. the pain was unbearable at night and my thumbs and first two fingers were totally numb at the ends until a couple of weeks after he was born. I didn't find anything that really helped other than the splints, and they only made it slightly better. You just need to keep your wrists as straight as possible, as we tend to bend them over when we sleep. Hope the splints help you when you do get a referral to the physio x

 

[Sam's Mum]

evajo have you thought about having the surgery for it? I know a couple of people who suffered really badly with it and said how amazing the operation was x

 

[evajo]

evajo have you thought about having the surgery for it? I know a couple of people who suffered really badly with it and said how amazing the operation was x

We were just looking into having it done privately as it has got progressively worse over the years and has made my thumbs weak - so i struggle to twist things like tight lids. Had to wait til children were older as its hard to do things one handed - and now i'm back to square one!!! Will have it done eventually though - were your frinds pleased with the results? When i first had it i was told by too people that it didn't have much effect but they had had it done years ago and the op is far better and quicker now.

 

[megsmeadow]

Thank you for your replies!! It tends to be both my hands and I wake up just about every hour at the moment anyway and their both numb, I'll try hanging them out of bed, even if I just do my right as that seems to be the worst at the moment. Even my mum noticed the swelling in my right hand today. I've had an ice pack on it for quite a while today and it seems to have eased it but I'm sure it'll be as bad as ever come morning.
Sam's Mum you're right, I go to sleep with my hands propped up and neutral wrists and tend to wake up with them tucked in at funny angles.
Evajo, my second cousin had the op on both wrists, and said that she wished she had it done much sooner (I think poor health stalled the actual op for a while).
This pregnancy has been very odd, all very musculoskeletal for me! Hopefully I'll get a physio appointment soon!
Thanks again!

 

[megsmeadow]

Yesterday I left a message for my midwife asking for a physio referral and she phoned back today saying she could give me splints to try and we could refer to physio if that didn't help!! So I've just been to see her and have the lovely afore mentioned contraptions. Hopefully I'll only have to wear them at night, and hopefully they will help!
Thanks for you replies again! Feel like I'm falling to bits

 

[Mamafy]

Actually I got my first numbness yesterday Isn't so bad today

Hope it eases hun

 

[megsmeadow]

Thanks Mamafy. I had it early on too then it seemed to disappear! It's just been these last few weeks. I suppose it coincides with the bursts of hormones at each stage. I had the splints on for a while earlier to get used to them a bit before bed time. My OH is going to find this very funny, next they'll be suggesting gaffer tape to hold me together!!