What causes carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy?
The carpal tunnel is a bony canal formed by the wrist bones on three sides and a ligament that runs across the wrist on the other. The swelling and fluid retention that’s so common during pregnancy can increase the pressure in this relatively narrow and inflexible space, compressing the median nerve that runs through it. The median nerve gives sensation to the thumb and the index, middle, and half of the ring finger and is responsible for movement of a muscle at the base of the thumb. Pressure on this nerve is what causes the symptoms.
