There are many prenatal discomforts that can be expected to experience during pregnancy such as backaches, sciatic pain, leg cramps and swelling. Not talked about as often is carpal tunnel syndrome, another discomfort that effects 25% of pregnant women. Carpal tunnel is the narrow passageway between the wrist and hand that holds the median nerves and tendons responsible for flexing the fingers.(1) The fluid retention you are experiencing during pregnancy throughout your body is also affecting the nerves of the hands causing a weakened grip, a pins and needles sensation and pain that can start at the fingertips and work its way through the wrists- even up to the shoulders. Let’s figure out what we can do to help avoid some of the pain!
What can we do to ease or avoid some of the pain?
Get a Grip: Avoid including anything that makes you grip tightly. If you exercise on a piece of machinery (like a stair climber or elliptical) try not to grip the handles tightly. Also keep in mind that some exercises may be more easily done using bands then dumbbells and vice versa.
Shed the extra weight: Not literally, but by making your body lighter through body positioning does not put excess weight on your hands/wrists/forearms. For example, doing a pushup can be painful so you may want to try a wall push up.
How to do a wall push up: Stand on the ground with feet shoulder width apart in front of a wall. With both hands in push up position against the wall, press into the wall and back to starting position. Your feet may rock slightly.
Substitution: Instead of a push up altogether, try a chest press with weights. It’s working the same muscles, but again takes the pressure off of the arms. Just remember to keep a loose grip on the weights and to use a light weight. If using dumbbells is still too much pain you can try using a cable machine with different attachments or bands!
Moderation, Moderation, Moderation: Practice moderation in your workouts. In most cases, the more difficult the resistance training exercise, the more pressure placed on the median nerve — not only because of the excess weight, but also due to increases in blood flow that occur during resistance training. Use the talk test in your workouts to check that you are not overexerting yourself.
Additional Exercises
Wrist extension stretch: Hold your left hand out in front of you, wrist up, palm facing out. With your right hand, gently press against your left fingers, pushing them back toward your chest. Stop when you feel tension (but not pain) and hold for 15–20 seconds. Repeat twice on each hand.
Wrist flexion stretch: Hold your left hand up with your palm facing you. Place your right hand on the backs of your left fingers and gently push your fingers forward, toward your forearm. Stop when you feel tension; hold for 15–20 seconds. Repeat twice on each hand.
Wrist rotation: Hold both hands out in front of you, palms facing each other, elbows bent and upper arms by your sides. Rotate hands upward 15 times, then downward 15 times, making sure the rotation is coming from the wrists, not the shoulders. When this is no longer challenging, do the same exercise while holding a 1-pound dumbbell in each hand.
If you have any additional questions about how exercise can help ease some of the aches and pains of pregnancy, contact us.
References:
- “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet”. Accessed 4, January 2016. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Nih.org. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm#3049_2
- Image courtesy of phaendin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
