Feeling a tingling in your fingers? Losing your grip a bit? Feeling like your strength is compromised? Being pregnant doesn’t only affect your stomach it can affect your entire body. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a very real and frustrating condition but if these symptoms are new to you it begs the question does pregnancy related carpal tunnel go away?
Does Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel Go Away?
Pregnancy carpal tunnel usually goes away. It usually disappears when a woman delivers the baby.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) can affect anyone regardless of pregnancy but studies have found that the rate of pregnancy CTS is as common as 62%. Fluid retention from your hormones can impact nerves leading to numbness and loss in strength yet symptoms can diminish as soon as a week after delivery, prolonged CTS may need treatment from a physiotherapist.
When Does Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel Go Away?
Feeling a tingling in your fingers can be quite common during pregnancy. If you are experiencing pins and needles, and weakness in your arms and hands then you could be a part of the 60% of women who suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Not classified as a major health risk to you or your pregnancy. CTS is a common symptom that can disappear after delivering your baby. If you are suffering from extensive symptoms you may be begging for the answer to when will pregnancy carpal tunnel go away.
We have highlighted some important facts to indicate what, why, and how long you could be experiencing symptoms.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The carpal tunnel is a part of your wrist. When pregnant your body is flooded with extra everything. From blood, hormones, and water your body is gearing up for show time. Creating life is no easy task, in fact, I believe it to be one of the most life-altering experiences a woman can go through.
Whilst your body is popping with the increased volume sometimes fluid can gather amongst the joints leaving you subjected to fluid retention. A buildup of fluid in the carpal tunnel can compress and pinch the nerves responsible for your coordination, movement, and feeling in your hands and fingers.
So, does pregnancy related carpal tunnel go away?
After pregnancy, your water, hormones, and blood volume returns to normal so science suggests that once the pressure dissipates so will the symptoms of CTS.
Symptoms During Pregnancy
If you are yet to achieve a firm diagnosis you can monitor your symptoms and check them against the common symptoms gathered below:
- Numbness in your hands
- Tingling in one or more of your fingers and thumb.
- Weakened control when grasping objects or doing up buttons.
- Throbbing pain in hands and wrists.
- Swelling of the fingers.
Research from 2012 found that symptoms are 50% likely to appear in both hands if not just one.
Whilst another study found an increase in complaints after 30 weeks of gestation. This backs up the correlation with CTS being linked to extra pressure the body is under whilst pregnant.
Causes of Carpal Tunnel
As discussed, pressure in the carpal tunnel can bring the onset of symptoms but the main cause of these symptoms would be down to your median nerve.
The median nerve starts in your neck and runs the length of your shoulder arm and wrist before branching off into your fingers. Compression of this nerve alone can hinder how much strength you have in your arms and hands. Swelling and fluid buildup can compress this nerve sometimes leaving you with nerve pain and discomfort.
Getting a Diagnosis
With the chances of carpal tunnel syndrome being so high your doctor may decide to treat your symptoms rather than test for CTS.
If your symptoms are adverse then you may be eligible for electrodiagnostic tests. Personally, I have undergone one of these examinations and I promise that it’s quick and easy. Pads are placed on your arm and shoulder and electric signals are sent through if your median nerve is not affected your fingers will jump and twitch.
This test is seen to be completely safe for you during pregnancy and has no lasting effects afterward.
Treatment Options of Carpal Tunnel
Treating CTS is more of a management of symptoms. With pregnancy, carpal tunnel will go away after the delivery of your baby so it’s unlikely you will need treatment for long.
You can ease your symptoms by following a few techniques below:
- Avoid movements that make it worse – This may be a little obvious but hobbies like knitting or coloring can make the pain worse. Holding your wrists in one position for a long time can worsen symptoms.
- Splint – wearing a wrist splint can support your arm ensuring that you don’t sleep or bend your arm for prolonged periods. It will also relieve pressure from the nerve. Splint wearing can prove to be difficult when you need to do daily chores so wearing it at times when you are resting may be for the best.
- Exercises – exercising the wrist and hand can help alleviate pressure around the nerve. Flexing the wrist up and down a few times, and opening and closing your fists can help.
- Cold Therapy – icing your wrist can bring down inflammation and swelling. Or alternatively, soak your wrist in a cold water bath for ten minutes at a time.
- Painkillers – medication that is safe to use periodically during pregnancy can relieve symptoms but ensure you keep to dosage recommendations and seek advice if the pain continues. Your doctor can suggest painkiller injections to get to the root of the pain. Note this will not solve your tissue but make symptoms more bearable.
- Physiotherapy- if your symptoms are unbearable then physio can help massage the ligaments and reduce their tightness. You may need to follow a personalized plan of stretches and movement to help strengthen the ligaments.
Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel’s Disappearance
Suffering with symptoms of Carpal Tunnel can be frustrating and find you willing for the normal strength in your hands and wrists to return. The most common question is when will pregnancy carpal tunnel go away?
The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel. Research has found that whilst carpal tunnel is common during pregnancy fluid levels and blood volume decreases which relieves the pressure from the median nerve meaning it is typically relieved shortly after giving birth. So you don’t have to worry about how you will manage those pesky poppers on your baby’s clothes, you can expect full use of your hands and fingers as soon as a week postpartum.
On the other hand some cases may find symptoms are prolonged. New moms generally use their hands more than they did antenatally. Lifting, holding, and feeding your baby become repetitive movements and whilst your fluid has returned to normal repetitive movements can also affect the median nerve.
Breastfeeding in itself will find you holding your wrists in one position. To help yourself try and think of different positions for feeding especially in those cluster feeding moments.
Using a nursing pillow can help support your baby leaving your arms free to move periodically without disturbing your baby’s feeding time. Using the football hold or laying hands free on the bed whilst feeding can help take pressure off those wrists and tendons.
Slings are also golden for moms, you are able to keep your baby close whilst not having to stick to the same position.
If you find your symptoms persist then talk to your doctor as soon as symptoms begin/ persist. Treating CTS early can help prevent permanent nerve damage. Your doctor can help with alternative therapies and more in depth examinations to help uncover the best course of treatment available.
Severe Cases
If your symptoms are extremely severe then your doctor may suggest some surgical options. If this is your chosen treatment path then your surgeon will cut the tight ligament that could be causing pressure on your nerve. The recovery after this procedure is usually a few weeks so it’s not necessarily the first option for a new mom.
Surgery will always be reserved until after your pregnancy as symptoms are known to ease and get better over time.
Wrapping Up
Does pregnancy carpal tunnel go away? Usually, you can expect symptoms to disappear after you deliver your baby. It’s important to remember that carpal tunnel syndrome is extremely common but rarely long lasting.
Using treatments like splints and ensuring you have plenty of rest can help manage your symptoms. If symptoms persist then your doctor can help suggest alternative treatments, they may require an ultrasound or X-ray to get a better picture of what’s happening in your wrists.
It can be frustrating when you feel your hands are not working and they should, couple that with other pregnancy related symptoms and you may be wishing your due date to arrive sooner than you thought.
No one said pregnancy is easy, in fact, it is far from it but have the reassurance that carpal tunnel symptoms won’t be around for long, and soon you will be snuggling your dear newborn wondering how fast your pregnancy has gone.
More to Read
- What Happens If You Don’t Eat Enough While Pregnant? – Surprising Facts
- Is My Baby Hungry When I’m Hungry During Pregnancy?
- Is It Bad To Not Take Prenatal Vitamins While Pregnant?
- Why Is My Pregnant Belly Soft When I Lay Down – What You Should Know
- Why Does My Pregnant Belly Look Smaller Some Days?
