Pain & Numbness in My Right Hand and Shoulder After C-section

I had a similiar problem in my arm & shoulder but it was from how i was holding my daughter & had nothing to do with my c-section. Try a physical therapist and/or chyropractor to see if you can work it out that way.

Hi S.,

When I had my second c-section, I had tremendous pain in my left shoulder during the actual surgery. I almost passed out it was so unbearable. The anesthesiologist said that it is very common - when the uterus is out of the body, 2 out of 3 women get the pains. He said they are not quite sure why this happens, but they think it has something to do with a nerve that is connected to both areas. The pain could continue after the surgery as well.

I am not sure the cause of your pain and numbness, but it reminded me of my situation. I would see a neurologist. At the very least, they can do cat scans to rule things out and hopefully get you the relief you need.

Hang in there,
L.

I had numbness/pain in one hand after my c-section. I had retained ALOT of water during the pregnancy - I honestly think it was like 50 lbs of water because it all came pouring out in the first 2 weeks after I gave birth. When the numbness in my hand wouldn't go away, I saw my orthopedic doctor who explained that when you have a lot of swelling during a pregnancy, sometimes the water gets trapped in a hand (I had a bit of carpal tunnel prior to the pregnancy). My doctor gave me a big shot of cortizone and that did the trick.

Not sure it that helps you at all, but I would definately check with an ortopedic doctor (I have, over the years, lost almost all faith in neurologists). I would also consider a chiropractor, but only after having an MRI to check to see what's going on with your nerves/spine. Probably nothing to be too concerned about - your body has been through a lot. I think I'd be uneasy about taking meds which can just mask the pain without finding the cause of it. Good luck & feel better.

It might not be related to your surgery. You could have a pinched nerve in your back. I would see either a neurologist or an orthopedic doctor (a slipped disc could be pressing on the nerve).

After having our second child in January 2009; I gave birth vaginally but had unknowning suffered nerve damage from the epidural and IV. My hands were numbing, my shoulder was out of sorts and numbing off & on, my hip was out etc. My obgyn wanted to prescribe me drugs but i figure they did enough harming me; so I saw a Chiropractor. The Chiropractor did wonders; i know how better feeling in my hands (had to have my wrists , fingers adjusted) Use a squeeze ball and whatever that hard metal thing that looks like an A to build up strength in the hand and wrist. My grip isn't 100% yet; it went from 5% grip to now 80%; my chiropractor expects it to 100 by Christmas.

I'm sorry you are going through numbness, it could be time to try a good chiropractor. I also have a holistic doctor. Do what you can to return yourself to normal the healthiest way because these regular docs will pump us full of drugs to make their wallets fat. I hope you get to feeling better soon.

I would see a neurologist right away.you need to find the cause of the problem and not just temporarily treat symptoms w/o understanding why it's happening to begin with. A neurologist is probably best trained & equipped to determine that. They may be able to determine if it's nerve damage from the epidural or something completely different (neurological or autoimmune disease).Good luck!

Edit:
After reading some posts, I would also recommend consulting a chiropractor if the problem turns out to be pinched nerves.

Hi S.,

Go see a neurologist. I experienced almost identical issues 6 months after my son was born via C-section, and saw a few docs, but didn't get any real answers until I saw a neurologist.

Good luck!
F.

I had a lot of carpal tunnel pain and numbness in my wrists and fingers after the birth of my daughter. It seemed like I suffered through it a few months before birth and 10-12 months after... However, her birth was not by c-section. I really swelled up and retained quite a bit of water before and after birth... and that triggered most of my carpal tunnel issues. (Honestly, post-pregnancy edema and wrist/finger pain/numbness did not subside until after I stopped breast feeding and lost some weight from the pregnancy.) It was a difficult time, because I had gone back to work and computer/keyboard typing seemed to aggravate the pain.

I iced my shoulder and wrist often and saw a chiropractor. The shoulder muscles were getting too overstressed by having to support and "float" the arm while moving the mouse. Also bought an ergonomic arm rest (it was expensive, but worth it! I still use it. Basically gave relief to the arm that navigates the mouse) and that took the stress/weight off my shoulder muscles.

I hope you feel better. Don't rely on pain medication too much, as extended use can cause stomach bleeding and ulcers.