Arm Pain & Tingling in Pregnancy: Causes & When to Worry

Question
I'm at the beginning of my 3rd trimester and i'm experiencing aching and tingling in my right arm. At first i thought i had slept on it wrong but it has now been about 6 hours and my symptoms have not persisted. what could this be? should i be concerned?

Answer
Dear Mandi,

First, I would ask how your blood pressure has been during the pregnancy. It will be important for you to make sure that you keep your regular appointments with your doctor so that blood pressures and protein in your urine can be monitored. A blood pressure increase or proteinuria can suggest the onset of a condition known as pre-eclampsia, which is potentially serious.

What you are describing as aching and tingling in your right arm may be suggestive of carpal tunnel syndrome if it includes your hand. This is again very common in the late stages of pregnancy and is due to fluid retention and the swelling, which it causes, causing pressure on the median nerve as it runs along the inner aspect of the wrist. When there is fluid retention and swelling due to high levels of estrogen, there is less room for the nerve and therefore pressure upon it increases. This pressure in turn affects the blood supply to the nerve creating these pins and needles and the numbness in the fingers, particularly the thumb and the three fingers next to it. Symptoms are usually much worse during the night and sufferers often have to hold their hands out of bed to obtain relief. The good news is that carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy usually disappears very quickly after the birth of the baby when the fluid retention settles down again. Doctors are reluctant to treat it during pregnancy with diuretics and a surgical incision to incise the fibrous sheath at the wrist would certainly not be appropriate in view of the temporary nature of the symptoms.

Now, this tingling may also be a temporary condition for you. You may very well have done something in your sleep to have cased a nerve to be pinched a little and it will go away. However, I would suggest that you might want to keep tabs on your blood pressure and mention this to your doctor the next time you see him for a visit.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda