Using my tools
Last night our family spent quite a lot of time outdoors. We were at the drive-in and the while the weather was pleasant, it was enough humidity to make me swell and the aching to come back in my right wrist.
Pregnancy related carpal tunnel is going to be a battle I endure until this kiddo is out of here. I was thrilled when the weather cooled down and it was as if my carpal tunnel had disappeared. I was scared not of the surgery my doctor said I might need, but the time it would eat up- extra doctor trips, surgery, and then recovery time (which varies from person to person). I don’t have that kind of time.
So, I am committed to icing my wrist and using a brace when it gets throbbing or when I sleep. And to be honest, my wrist has been feeling so much better the last few days, I wasn’t even sleeping with the brace.
Last night, I iced my wrist and went to sleep with the brace. Apparently I took it off during one of my bathroom trips because I didn’t have it on when I woke up and found it on the bathroom counter.
I think having the brace is an excellent way to assist in my carpal tunnel relief. I use something similar to the SmartGlove PM, which helps keep my wrist from getting into funky positions during the night.
But my brace is really bulky and has metal braces on the palm part, so if I wear it all day long (which I was a few weeks ago), it gets in the way of normal duties. When driving, I was constantly hitting the steering wheel controls, changing the radio station.
Which is why something like the IMAK Smart Glove would be better for the days when I need the extra support. It increases circulation and keeps the wrist in the proper position, but is missing the bulk of the metal brace, keeping my hands acting in a more “normal” manner. I can blog better, cook better, and drive better.
Everyone I talk to is surprised pregnancy can induce carpal tunnel syndrome. And since I am a person who swells in the heat, even when not pregnant, I am more susceptible to the syndrome. I am thrilled there are tools I can use, like ice, rest, and braces, to keep me on a road to recovery instead of straight to the surgeon’s table.
Technorati Tags: pregnancy, pregnancy related carpal tunnel, IMAK SmartGlove
August 17th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I have an IMAK Smart Glove for my right hand. It is quite comfortable. I bought it when my thumb/wrist was having trouble and I was trying various things to avoid going to the doctor. My self-diagnosis was “trackball thumb” from overuse of a too small trackball device in 2005 not carpal tunnel. The Smart Glove was one of the more comfy devices available to wear as a reminder that I had to not use that thumb. Also people tended to recognize it and assumed I had carpal tunnel so didn’t ask what was wrong.