Can Lifting a Heavy Baby trigger CTS ?
22 January 2013 - 7:31pm
My CTS symptoms coincide with adopting an 8 month year old baby who weighs 11 kilos. I wondered if anyone had experienced this as a trigger?
I am aware that De Quervain syndrome is often triggered by heavy babies and it might be that this is what I have, although my night numbness indicates CTS. Which type of specialist should I ask to see to get a firm diagnosis?
Thanks
I rather suspect that almost any unaccustomed use of the hands can trigger an episode of CTS if you have the underlying predisposition to get it in the first place. It's easier to set off in some people than others and this is probably largely determined by genetics. A variety of specialists deal with CTS including, orthopaedic surgeons, hand surgeons, plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists and (in the USA and Canada) physiatrists. Who is best at it in your particular area is hard to predict. It's probably more imprtant to find someone who is interested in the disorder and sees a lot of it than it is to pick on a particular speciality. The diagnosis can be pretty firm based simply on listening to the symptoms but if you want additional confirmation from lab tests both nerve conduction studies and ultrasound or MRI imaging of the wrist will add further information and help in evaluating severity and deciding treatment.