de Quervain's tenosynovitis (postpartum wrist pain)

Re: de Quervain's tenosynovitis (postpartum wrist pain)

• laylababe3 member

  August 2015

  I've had carpel tunnel in both wrists for about 4 years. I know pregnancy has made mine a lot worse, I now have new pain in both thumbs. I wear wrist supports at work, but that's about it. I'm nervous to see how much worse it gets after birth, I should bring it up to my ob too. I honestly never thought about asking just because i've dealt with it for so long. Let me know if your dr suggests anything! Good luck!

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• ajilli member

  August 2015 edited August 2015

  There's something called a thumb spica. It's like a wrist support that you can buy in drug store but includes the thumb (Google comfort cool arthritis wrist and thumb splint). I'd wear that at night and during activities that cause pain.
  
  It happens from too much thumb abduction and extension, which is what you do when you pick up LO under the arms. Try scooping baby up with thumbs in at the sides of your palms. Additionally, hot packs and massage are good (Google wrist dorsal first compartment or dequervains massage to see where to do it) but if both thumbs are affected you'll want someone to do it for you.
  
  There's a stretch you can perform too. It looks like the provocative test for dequervains called the finkelstein test, you'll tuck your thumb under your fingers in a fist and then bend your wrist downward as tolerable, hold the stretch for a few seconds a few times a day to loosen the tendons that do abduction/extension actions.
  
  I hope this was helpful. I'm a hand therapist. I've never typed things out before so not sure I'm being clear. Generally resting the thumbs is your best bet but if they feel stiff then do some gentle motions like touch the tip of your pinky and slide down into the palm.
  Good luck!

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• ajilli member

  August 2015

  Splint pic, probably in drugstore. It should be like this and include the wrist: https://www.pricefalls.com/product/comfort-cool-arthritis-wrist-and-thumb-splint-comfort-cool-thumb-and-wrist-splint-small-right/
  
  Stretch:
  https://www.physiohub.com/activities/132

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• gmd88 member

  August 2015

  Thanks so much @ajilli you definitely made sense. I'll give the stretches a try and try to be careful on how I pick up the munchkin.

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• castlec3 member

  August 2015

  I've had de Quervain's for a couple of years now. It is commonly referred to as "mother's thumb" so you are probably right. You can go to an orthopedic but when I did all they did was give me a steroid shot instead of actually resolving the problem. I find the best solution is wearing a wrist brace, even when sleeping. If you are feeling a lot of pain when waking up, it is probably because you are curling your write when sleeping, and a brace is prevent that. I also use Biofreeze, not Icy Hot. Hope that helps and you find relief soon! 

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• AGundy member

  August 2015

  I went to an ortho that specialized in hand/wrist for this. I got a cortisone shot in each wrist for it. Completely took the pain away. Since I was breastfeeding, my doc only did one wrist, rhen had me come back a week later for the other one.

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