New mommy syndrome

So, this isn't the official name of the chronic thumb and wrist pain that I have been feeling since late September but my new chiropractor has nicknamed it "new mommy syndrome" because she has seen so many new mums with it. She even had it herself, which is pretty wild considering that she uses her hands all day every day in her work and never had a problem! The official diagnosis is de Quervain's tendonitis. Here's an official blurb:

"First dorsal compartment tendonitis, more commonly known as de Quervain’s tendonitis or tenosynovitis after the Swiss surgeon Fritz de Quervain, is a condition brought on by irritation or inflammation of the wrist tendons at the base of the thumb. The inflammation causes the compartment (a tunnel or a sheath) around the tendon to swell and enlarge, making thumb and wrist movement painful. Making a fist, grasping or holding objects—often infants—are common painful movements with de Quervain’s tendonitis. The cause of de Quervain’s tendonitis is an irritation of the tendons at the base of the thumb, usually caused by taking up a new, repetitive activity. New mothers are especially prone to this type of tendonitis: caring for an infant often creates awkward hand positioning, and hormonal fluctuations associated with pregnancy and nursing further contribute to its occurrence."

Yuck. On the plus side, it is nice to finally know what it is and some options to treat it. The chiropractor is doing muscle therapy and I'm icing the area as many times a day as I can. The main thing I have to do is be careful when feeding and picking up the little man. It is certainly a challenge.

Wish me luck in kicking this pesky thing to the curb!!! I need healthy wrists and thumbs to keep up with this growing boy.

p.s. I need to do a little shout out to our friend Is. My new chiropractor and her partner work with Ray Zahab! There are signed photos and articles all over the office!

p.p.s. And a shout out to my sister who passed her driving test this morning after only 12 minutes in the car. Go Lar go!!!