Postnatal Wrist pain: How massage can help New Mums in Northumberland and the North East
Relieving tension and overuse in the hands, wrists and forearms.
The constant carrying
The strange feeding positions
The lugging around of heavy car seats, prams, other bigger children.
Motherhood takes its strain on so many parts of the body… And in my experience the wrists is one of the key areas.
I found this to be the case less as a second time mum. But as a first time mum there were some mornings that I actually struggled to make my fingers work. Was it sleep deprivation. nutrient deficient, nervous system overload?
It’s safe to say that it was a combination of all three. Plus the complete identity shift that comes with transitioning form maiden to mother.
You might have tried some gentle stretching. Perhaps your bird dogging like no-bodies business to improve your core strength but your wrists seem to thwart you at every turn. Maybe there is a softer way to soothe the pain.
Postnatal massage often looks at the lower back, shoulders and legs. But in my postnatal massages I also like to bring some focus to the wrists. Gently massaging around the joint helps to soften the muscles and facia that support the movement of the hand and often that is all we need to improve our wrist pain. There is also something so beautiful about holding another mothers had. Part of the way I soothe the wrist is to hold your hand and use my other hand to gentle release the fibres of muscle around your wrist. And this holding of you, as you hold so much feels really significant to me.
I often feel a tear running down my cheek when I receive a massage and Rachel (Life Hollistic therapies in Morpeth - Amazing) also holds my hand. That simple gesture of touch without expecting anything in return feels so beautiful.
Supporting circulation and reducing swelling in the wrists after birth
The hands (and the feet) are the end points. Anything that moves around our bodies can get a little bit stuck here.
It is often where we see swelling in pregnancy and after birth and often the swelling causes the sensation of pain. Massage gently encourages blood to the fluid and tissues. The increase is circulation can sometimes be just what to you need to encourage the feeling of pain to dissipate and the swelling to reduce. (I will say here the arm and the leg are also key players in allowing the build up of fluid to move around the whole body so a massage would need to gently work these tissues too!)
Beyond the pain in your wrists and honouring the rest of your postpartum body.
The pain in your wrists might not just be because of repetitive strain.
It could be the wider physical system. Like a shoulder that’s not quite access its full range of motion. Or perhaps your rib cage being a little more squashed on one side or the other. So in a postnatal massage I use my knowledge of the bio mechanic changes I know your body has made (and of course a visual assessment to see if those changes are present in your body) to assess where in your body needs the most support.
We also allow plenty of time to talk before and after (as you enjoy a nice cup of tea of cacao or anything else I can make for you) and I slowly fold the blankets. This can be a time where realisations, thoughts, feelings and emotions that came up in your massage can be voiced in safe space by somebody that you trust.
We have to look at all of you to support any pain that you have. And that is where I come in. My wisdom, my knowledge based on my studies, my lived experience. It all comes together to hold you in the most beautiful way.
If you live the North East of England and would like to book a pregnancy or post partum massage you can click here to read more and book.
I also share closing the bones ceremonies in Newcastle and Northumberland and the details for those ceremonies are here.
If you live further afield and cannot access my hands-on work I have a number of different movement programmes for each stage of motherhood.
And if you would like to be a part of my online community MotherWorth is a space the runs around 6 times a year. We come together for around 4 weeks and I hold you with daily card pulls, reflections and movement and bodywork that soothes your very soul! I would love to have you with us.
