How I healed my Mommy Thumb in 4 natural steps

The pain at the base of my left thumb was excruciating. I was only 2 months into nursing my new baby and the pain in my wrist and forearm area was unbearable. It’s a condition called Mommy Thumb. Here’s what it is and 4 simple things I did to heal without meds, surgery or physical therapy.

 

Mommy Thumb is a very painful type of tendon inflammation that occurs in the wrist area at the base of the thumb. It’s medical name is de Quervain’s tendonitis. It’s when the tendons that move the thumb become inflamed. In De Quervain’s tenosynovitis the tendon sheath around the tendons is also inflamed.  It is sometimes  called Mommy Wrist and it is a common condition among new moms whose thumbs experience a whole new type of ‘workout’ from lifting, carrying and feeding a new baby. 

 

Intense pain on movement is an understatement. More than once I was winded after merely bumping my inflamed wrist against something. I could not believe the pain. It is also painful to touch. I experienced a dime sized point of tenderness about an inch below the base of my thumb bone.

 

As with most tendonitis, a sudden increase in movement  or repetitive movements will cause inflammation. It is often seen in women after pregnancy due to a series of new and really awkward demands placed on the thumbs while parenting a new infant (bending, lifting and nursing). Hormone related joint changes that accompany pregnancy may also contribute.

 

I was bummed when I looked up this condition online. Anti-inflammatory drugs and surgery were the main healing strategies I came across. I opted to try a few different all natural steps to address my pain and am happy to report that it resulted in a fast and complete healing. Yay! I noticed instant pain reduction and full healing within 3 weeks when I took the following steps: 1) reduced inflammation 2) corrected faulty posture 3) removed repetitive movements 4) released trigger points and MELTed. 

 

My Dad swears by an all natural inflammation control lotion called Rixx.  He uses it every night for his neck and shoulder pain and when he saw the pain I was in he suggested I use it on my wrist. Less than 24 hours after applying it I noticed a 90% reduction in the dull achiness that permeated the entire wrist and forearm area. It was still extremely painful when I moved my thumb into its end ranges of motion or bumped it, but the pain was noticeably reduced. I used it daily rubbing it all over my wrist and thumb area.

 

I analyzed my nursing posture. It was terrible and definitely the cause of my pain. It was pretty obvious that the combination of the kinked position of my arm plus the compression of the forearm nerves and muscles by the weight of the baby’s head were creating the inflammation. I got to the point where it was too painful to hold the baby. I couldn’t rest his head on my painful arm so I bought a nursing support pillow. This eliminated both my kinked arm and the compression of the forearm. I was also able to sit upright with balanced posture instead of the slouched sideways posture that restricted circulation to the hand and wrist area.

 

While on vacation I treated myself to a massage. I told the massage therapist about my thumb issue. He  dug his thumbs into my forarm muscles to assess and I winced in pain. That’s when I realized the whole forearm was involved and I incorporated some trigger point work into my treatment strategy. I continued to do gentle self massage on my whole forearm to release the ‘knots’.

 

I used the MELT Method hand treatment (R) to drive energy and fluid into the thumb, forearm & wrist area. The MELT Method is a gentle self treatment technique for reducing pain. I have completed the full MELT Method Hand Training course, but this is a self treatment that everyone can learn. You can watch MELT creator Sue Hitzmann demonstrate the Melt Method Hand treatment: Melt Method Hand Treatment

 

This healing strategy worked for me because I knew the exact source of my problem, which isn’t always the case with tendonitis or tenosynovitis. If nursing your new baby causes the same wrist and thumb problems, it’s likely Mommy Thumb so try this safe and simple strategy first!