How to sleep with carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy

Video: Sleep with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome While Pregnant

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 2: Creating Comfortable Conditions at Night
Method 2 of 2: Identifying Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tips

Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when the median nerve that connects the forearm and hand is compressed in the wrist. During pregnancy, the amount of fluid in the body increases, and as a result of the swelling, pressure on the wrist canal (the passage on the palmar side of the wrist) increases, so the median nerve becomes trapped by the flexor tendons, connective tissue, and wrist bones. The syndrome is manifested by prolonged pain and numbness in the fingers of the hand, and at night the condition can worsen. Fortunately, there are several methods available to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome. If you are not sure that this syndrome is the cause of your pain, first read the description of its manifestations described in the second part of the article.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Creating Comfortable Conditions at Night

1 Maintain a neutral hand position in bed. The position of the hands during sleep is the first thing a pregnant woman should pay attention to if she develops carpal tunnel syndrome. You may find that your arms are bent at the wrist during sleep. Try to avoid this situation. Try to straighten both your hands and arms (called the neutral position). Try to keep your arms and hands extended while you sleep.
- Neutral positioning of the arms while sleeping can reduce the intensity of pain in carpal tunnel syndrome.
2 Try not to sleep in your arms. The value of this advice is as great as the neutral hand position. Some people are used to sleeping on their hands, but this comfortable position for carpal tunnel syndrome increases negative symptoms.
- Try to keep your hands on the edges of your body. You can place your hand under the pillow if necessary, but avoid putting your head directly on them while you sleep.
3 Apply a splint or other brace before bed. Some women find it difficult to keep their hands in a neutral position during sleep. When faced with this problem, you can wear a hard sleeve or use some other splint to keep your hands in a neutral position even when you fall asleep. Such a simple device will help protect yourself from pain attacks at night.
- Special splints and pads are available at any pharmacy.
- You can also bandage your wrist.
4 Use a pillow to support your arm while you sleep. When you do not already have a guiding anchor, you can simply place a small pad under your arm that is showing pain. This step helps to keep the hands in a neutral position during sleep.
- Some people find it easier to keep their hands in a neutral position by sticking their hand between the pillowcase and the pillow.
5 Try to sleep on your side rather than on your back. For pregnant women, this position is usually the most comfortable, besides, sleeping on the side promotes blood circulation, so it is better for the development of the baby.When a woman lies on her back, the uterus puts pressure on the spine, which in turn can increase the pressure in the blood vessels. As a result, symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome may increase in intensity.
- If sleeping on your side is uncomfortable, try changing the right and left sides, but not rolling over onto your back.
6 Avoid activities that increase your chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and / or its symptoms. In most cases, the condition worsens towards the end of the day, therefore, while awake, you need to minimize the activities that make the discomfort worse. Take good care of your hands by allowing them to rest, especially after activities that require exertion in the wrist area.
- Try to avoid work during which the brush is bent for a long time or is subjected to strong pressure.

Method 2 of 2: Identifying Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

1 Pay attention to tingling and numbness. With carpal tunnel syndrome, pregnant women may notice these symptoms in the forearm, wrist, and hand, and they are often more pronounced at night.
- A tingling sensation and numbness may be felt as if there were needles in the palms, forearms, or wrist. Some sensations may be similar to the fact that one part of your body, for example, your leg, “fell asleep”.
2 Pay attention if there is pain in the forearm, hand, or wrist.The pain may be more severe if you use your hands frequently, twisting or bending your wrists, or holding objects.
- There may also be severe pain in the area of the forearm midway between the elbow and the wrist.
- Sometimes with carpal tunnel syndrome, pain is a burning sensation.
3 Track how the stiffness of your fingers increases. In pregnant women, rigidity or stiffness may be noticed in the morning, usually such stiffness is noticeable in the fingers at the time of waking up. This is a natural consequence of the compression of the median nerve, and with the development of carpal tunnel syndrome, these sensations increase.
4 It is necessary to note the deterioration in the ability to hold objects. The grip weakens if numbness occurs in the area of the hand, wrist, or forearm. The person may also feel as if their hand or fingers are loose, which is also a consequence of the tightness of the median nerve.
- As a result of these processes, it becomes difficult to perform even simple actions such as holding a comb, and you need to be ready to overcome difficulties in ordinary situations.
5 Pay attention if you accidentally drop objects. If you experience stiff fingers in the morning, you may accidentally drop objects, and this happens more often than usual. Take special care when lifting heavy objects, especially immediately after waking up, when the fingers are not yet developed.
6 Expect your pinch power to weaken. This refers to the force applied to grip an object between your thumb and forefinger, such as when you take an olive out of a can.
- It may also be that simple operations have become much more difficult, for example, it is more difficult to use a screwdriver or open a can.