Common conditions of first time parents

The following conditions are very common to be seen on new parents:

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

Most of time mothers require to carry infant after postpartum. As infant becomes heavier and mothers are carrying them with an incorrect posture, their wrist and finger will eventually become inflamed and this condition is not uncommon for them. In medial term we call this condition as De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. Since this mostly happens on mother; people usually call this condition as “mother’s hand”

Cause of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

Tendons are rope-like structures that attach muscle to bone. When you grip, grasp, clench, pinch or wring anything in your hand, two tendons (abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendon) in your wrist and lower thumb normally glide smoothly through the small tunnel that connects them to the base of the thumb.

Repeatedly performing hand and thumb motions such as grasping, pinching, squeezing, or wringing may lead to the inflammation of tenosynovitis. This inflammation can lead to pain and swelling of the wrist.

Symptoms of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:

  • Pain near the base of your thumb
  • Swelling near the base of your thumb
  • Difficulty moving your thumb and wrist when you’re doing something that involves grasping or pinching
  • A “sticking” or “stop-and-go” sensation in your thumb when moving it

Risk factor

  • * New mother
  • * Office worker
  • * Athletes

Treatment

Heat to relax muscles tension; shortwave, ultrasound, and shockwave to decrease inflammation.