PREVALENCE OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME IN MULTIGRAVIDA PREGNANT WOMEN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel, causing tingling, numbness, and pain in the hands and fingers. To diagnose CTS in pregnant women, the Boston Questionnaire was used alongside physical tests such as the Phalen test, carpal compression test, and Tinel's sign test. Objective: To determine the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among multigravida pregnant women. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over six months. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 218 multigravida pregnant women of various age groups. Data were collected using a consent form and a questionnaire on carpal tunnel syndrome. Results: Out of 218 participants, 90 (41.3%) were diagnosed with CTS, while 128 (58.7%) did not have CTS. Among the 218 women, 86 (39.4%) reported an impact on their activities of daily living (ADL), while 132 (60.6%) reported no difficulties in ADL. The association between age and the prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) among the participants illustrated the highest prevalence of CTS among the 32–35 age group. Conclusion: According to the study the overall finding was that the severity of symptoms of the CTS were not often seen in multigravida pregnant women. The general effect of the condition was mild and did not affect daily activities and participation to any significant extent. Furthermore, it was also observed that the prevalence of CTS among multigravida women was comparatively lower than that recorded for primigravida women.