Antenatal and postnatal class: Prevention of wrist pains
Transcript
Title：Antenatal and postnatal class: Prevention of wrist pains
Narrator: Wrist pain is quite common among pregnant and postnatal mothers.
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis is a common condition among pregnant women and postnatal mothers. The tendons from the thumb to the wrist become inflamed. And this causes persistent pain at the wrist. It is known as mother's wrist or mother's thumb.
The causes are overuse of the thumb and repeated wrist motions.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy also triggers this condition. Repeated use of thumb and wrist during breastfeeding or expression of breastmilk may lead to Mother's Wrist. Improper gestures, For example, lifting up a baby with the L-shaped thumb and finger position. may aggravate the wrist pain.
Another common wrist problem during pregnancy is carpal tunnel syndrome. Hormonal changes during pregnancy increases oedema in the carpal tunnel, causing compression on the nerve. This causes pain and numbness in the hands.
There are 3 ways to prevent or reduce wrist pain:
Firstly, keep wrist and fingers in a neutral position. Avoid excessive flexion of wrist and thumb. This would reduce symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist pain.
Secondly, mothers should avoid lifting the baby under the arms with L-shaped thumb and index finger position.
Support the baby's buttocks, neck and head with palms.
When cradle the baby, support his body and buttocks with forearm. The hand should be in line with the forearm
Avoid L-shaped thumb and finger position. Don't overstrain the thumb.
Use left and right hand alternately Rest the wrists and thumbs regularly.
Thirdly, do regular stretching exercise to relieve hand discomfort.
Physiotherapist: Let me show you the two hand stretching exercises.
Narrator: Exercise 1: With palms inward, wrap thumb with the other fingers and form a fist. Bend your wrist down until you feel a slight stretch. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 5 to 10 times as one set. Perform 1 set every hour.
Exercise 2: Raise the straighten arm with wrist pain. With palm facing down. Pull the finger up with the other hand. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 5 to 10 times as one set. Perform 1 set every hour.
Consult a family doctor if the hand pain persists.
The film is produced with the information and support from the physiotherapy departments of Hospital Authority
Produced by Family Health Service, Department of Health