How To Get Relief From Mommy’s Thumb Pain?

Mommy,s thumb is a condition that we usually called de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. It is a kind of tendonitis in the wrist that is usually seen in caregivers of young children. So it gets its nickname from there itself.

It causes pain in the thumb side of the wrist and starts getting worse with the movement of the thumb. This means if you involve yourself actively in the activity that demands a continuous use of the wrist, you are not doing any good.

When it comes to its treatment or getting relief, there is a de Quervain tape for the same. You can also go with icing, exercises, medication, and if necessary the outpatient surgery.

Let us discuss some ways to get relief from mommy’s thumb pain.

Lift Baby Differently

If you are continuously facing pain and discomfort, you can modify how you lift your baby. This means if you are picking up your baby under the arms, you need to scoop up by lifting under the baby’s bottom. And yes, keep the palm of your hand up. This will help in redistributing the pressure that can create problems in tendons especially when you lift with your hands in an “L” shape. 

“L” is a shape in which you keep your one hand on the baby’s back and the other on the chest.

This position puts most of the strain on your thumb and wrist thus causes pain and swelling. So, changing the position will really help you a lot in getting relief from pain.

Change your Breastfeeding Position

You need to examine your breastfeeding position. The thing is, there are some breastfeeding positions that put a strain on the mother’s wrist. This causes pain especially when inflammation is already present.

You can change the position or use a pillow for support. This will prevent the full weight of the baby’s head from completely resting in your hand.

Rest

When it comes to motherhood and nursing, a lot of things come into play. Managing all sometimes becomes difficult and if you continue with the hectic schedule the problem can become worse.

All you need is some rest. You can take the help of your partner or another family member. Try to avoid several activities that can worsen your pain or that can increase pain. You can also use your other hands for several tasks like brushing your teeth, picking a cup of tea, limit the use of smartphones, and so on.

You can also prevent other activities like cutting vegetables, cooking food as you can take help of some other family member or you can hire a helper for the same. This will provide you with enough rest to get rid of pain and the condition too.

Try Splints

Although wearing a splint will reduce some of your usual activity but it will give you enough relief to work normally. The thing is, a splice splint immobilizes the thumb. This will reduce both pain and swelling of the tendon.

You have to wear a splint for 24 hours for 4-6 weeks and you will yourself notice the difference. Although you will start getting results after 2 consecutive weeks, consistency can benefit you a lot.

Apply Ice or a Bag of Frozen Vegetables

Applying ice or a bag of frozen vegetables can help you a lot in getting relief from pain and swelling. You can apply the same to the base of your thumb and wrist several times a day. It will help you a lot in decreasing inflammation. But do not apply ice directly to your skin as it may cause burns.

Exercise

Flexing the wrist with or without weight can help you a lot in getting rid of pain and swelling. All you need to do is to keep your palm facing up, then you need to make a fist and flex your wrist towards you and down away from you.

Once you start feeling comfortable you can add a little weight as per your comfort level to increase the impact of this exercise. You can go with 3 sets of the same with 10 reps each. Keep in mind to go for an exercise in a slow-motion and controlled manner.

There are several other exercises that you can perform to get relief from pain. Exercises will also help you to get rid of mommy’s thumb. You can consult the physical therapist for the same.

Medication

When the home treatment doesn’t work, it’s time to pay a visit to the doctor. You will be given ibuprofen or other NSAIDs to reduce the pain and inflammation. If this doesn’t work you will be treated with injections. In most cases, 1 or 2 injections do the job.

Surgery

This is one of the final options and when there is no response from conservative treatment. Decompression surgery will help relieve pressure on the affected tendons. The overall recovery will take about 4-6 weeks.

Parting Words

Mommy’s thumb pain is something that is common with mothers. When it comes to treatment or relief from excessive pain, there are several ways for the same. Some of the ways are presented to you here in this resolute dossier.