Brittany Mahomes, mother of three and wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has gone public with a parenting injury serious enough to require a medical brace for roughly a year, describing the condition as “pretty bad” and showing off the brace to her followers.
Her candid disclosure puts a celebrity face on a condition that quietly sidelines millions of caregivers every year.
According to Brittany’s public reveal of her wrist brace and the parenting injury behind it, the 28 year old has been managing the problem for approximately twelve months.
She attributed the injury directly to the physical demands of raising her three young children.
The disclosure resonated widely because the condition she is dealing with, de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, commonly called “mommy wrist” or “mommy thumb,” is far more prevalent among parents and caregivers than most people realize.
The Biomechanics Behind “Mommy Wrist”
The injury is not random bad luck. It follows a very specific and repetitive motion pattern that caregivers perform dozens of times every single day.
UNC Health orthopedic surgeon Dr. J. Megan M. Patterson explains that the problematic movement is one that requires the wrist to travel from the pinky side to the thumb side, repeatedly, which is precisely what happens every time a caregiver scoops a child up under the armpits. As Dr. Patterson told UNC Health Talk, “When you’re lifting 15 pounds of weight, or more, over and over, you can get this problem.”
The underlying anatomy makes the condition self reinforcing. Two tendons — the extensor pollicis brevis and the abductor pollicis longus — run through a tight tunnel along the thumb side of the wrist.
According to Marin Health orthopedic surgeon Dr. Thomas Kim, repeated overuse causes both the tunnel and the tendons inside it to become inflamed and irritated, and as that inflammation accumulates, the resulting tightness generates even more friction.
Dr. Patterson told UNC Health Talk that the cycle is difficult to interrupt because “it just keeps feeding on itself.”
Dr. Patterson, who prefers the more inclusive term “caregiver’s thumb,” notes that the condition is not limited to mothers — fathers, nannies, day care workers, and anyone else who regularly lifts children can develop it.
Parents dealing with this condition typically notice pain and tenderness at the base of the thumb that worsens when the thumb is flexed downward or when the wrist is moved in a dart throwing motion, the same arc used to pick up and reposition a child.
As Dr. Kim explained to Marin Health, swelling is common, and some patients can even feel a soft, globular mass at the site where the inflamed tissue has built up. According to Dr. Kim, the right time to seek medical attention is when the pain begins limiting everyday caregiving tasks, such as lifting a child, or interfering with the ability to perform work.
Treatment Options: From Braces To Surgery
The good news is that the condition responds well to treatment when caught early. Treatment follows a clear progression depending on severity. At the most conservative end, the RICE method, rest, ice, compression, and elevation, can reduce pain and swelling in mild cases.
Anti inflammatory medications like ibuprofen are also a first line option; Dr. Kim noted to Marin Health that ibuprofen is safe to take while breastfeeding, which matters for many new parents navigating this injury.
Wearing a brace is a cornerstone of treatment, which is exactly what Mahomes has been doing. Critically, Dr. Patterson stresses that the splint must immobilize both the thumb and the wrist simultaneously to be effective, a standard wrist brace that leaves the thumb free will not provide adequate relief. This specific device is called a wrist thumb spica splint.
When conservative measures fall short, a cortisone injection directly into the tendon compartment is the most effective nonsurgical option available.
Dr. Patterson told UNC Health Talk that at least 60 percent of the time, a single injection resolves the problem entirely.
A second injection is sometimes necessary, and in cases where two shots do not provide lasting relief, surgery, which involves opening the tendon tunnel to reduce pressure, becomes the recommended path.
Dr. Kim explained to Marin Health that the surgical goal is to relieve the constriction on the inflamed tendons so they can move freely again without pain.
Physical Therapy and Strengthening Exercises
Recovery does not end with a brace or an injection. Rebuilding strength in the thumb and wrist is an important part of getting back to full function.
Dr. Kim outlines a series of targeted exercises, including gentle thumb lifts off a flat surface, assisted thumb stretches, controlled wrist drops off a table edge, and resistance band finger extensions, each performed in sets of ten repetitions, three to five times per day. Starting without weights and progressing gradually as comfort improves is the recommended approach.
Brittany Mahomes is one of the most visible parents in American sports culture, and her willingness to talk openly about a physical injury caused by caregiving does something important: it normalizes a condition that many parents quietly endure without seeking help.
The injury is not a sign of weakness or poor technique, it is a predictable consequence of the repetitive physical labor that raising young children demands. Recognizing it early, bracing correctly, and knowing when to escalate to medical care can mean the difference between a manageable inconvenience and a year or more of chronic pain.
If you have been noticing thumb side wrist pain after lifting your child, you are not alone, and you do not have to wait until the discomfort becomes debilitating before talking to a doctor.
