Dupuyrten's Disease

[purkolator]

Hi all,

I've been diagnosed with early onset Dupuytren's disease. I first noticed something several weeks ago while riding. I started to have some pain in my clutch hand between my thumb and the base of my index/middle fingers. Felt kind of like I had pulled something at first. The pain would be worse if I was wearing a pair of gloves with a seam going across the area. At first I thought it was a new pair of gloves I had gotten, but then I started getting it with other gloves. So far only in the clutch hand, but after even a day of commuting, it can leave me with a sore hand for a day.

I went to see a friend of the family who is a hand surgeon this weekend and he very quickly diagnosed Dupuytrens. I can definitely see a bit of a lump at the affected spot and many of the risk factors are there (northern european, male, etc). It typically hits people a few years later in life (I am 39) but I seem to be a magnet for stuff that should happen to older people (I had major back surgery at 29). The disease is a thickening and contraction of the interstitial tissue between your skin and muscles/tendons and typically progresses until you can't open your hand all the way. There are surgical and other intrusive treatments available but I am thinking I am too early on for that. Also, the doc tells me that pain associated with the disease often goes away after a while.

I am wondering if anyone else here has had any experience with this issue and, in particular, any natural or home remedies that I might try to reduce pain and potentially slow the progess of the disease.

thanks all,
Purkolator

 

[970mike]

Wow so sorry to hear this. I have never heard of this before. I sure hope you find some help for this soon. Please keep us posted on updates. Take care.

 

[Bacon]

By chance, I was at the Hospital last week for a lung issue when the Consultant checked my hands and told me I had it in both hands and if it got much worse, there was a releasing operation to help with it. I've known I had lumps there for many years and had always put it down to using tools in my early days as an engineer. It does not affect anything I do on a daily basis nor does it hurt even when riding or clay shooting for example. The little finger on my left hand which was broken a few years ago gives me more trouble. I'm a wee bit older than you and I realise we can all develop our symptom's differently but my aim here is to give you more hope and a better feeling about the condition as I don't even notice it now. I hope this helps.

 

[purkolator]

Thanks Alex, good to hear. I have found a few things regarding using DMSO lotions or cremes to help manage the pain and also to help break down some of the collagen in there. Worth some more research at least and possibly a try.

 

[GetaHandleOnit]

It isn't associated with hair on the knuckles, is it?

 

[Geoff]

Amazing that this comes up. I have had the disease for years. It's also called Vikings Disease (google that). My sports orthopedic surgeon advised me about 6 months ago to just "live with it". Surgery is a possibility but has no guarantees. I have it in both hands. Both of my pinkies are now becoming deformed b the pulling or contracting of the tendons in the hands. There is no known cure and very little in relief to take or rub on to lessen the problem. I believe about a year ago i posted something on here about and I thnk it was "KAREN" who had some advice about it. Believe me I feel for you. I know exactly what your going through. Wish I could give you better advice but I can't.

 

[ksievers]

both my parents have it, and I do too. It is very common. It is problematic for some and for others just a nuisance associated with aging. At its worst it ain't good. My mom's hands are becoming deformed from it.

you should be taking fish oil anyway. It is not voo-doo. It is accepted by the heart experts as being good for heart/artery health. Get the good stuff, pharmaceutical grade, so it won't contain heavy metals.

what people don't realize is, fish oil is a fabulous natural anti-inflammatory. It helps with whatever is inflamed... prostate, you name it. I am not saying it will heal your hands, but you should be taking 3 grams a day if you are average weight adult male, it's good for all kinds of things, won't hurt you, and may help. take it with food, and you won't have "fish burps" etc.. if you stay with it, you won't even notice the fish part of the experience

 

[Peppermint]

Ah, Purkolator, welcome to the gnarled hands club. We are of Irish/Scottish/Norman extraction (red-headed Vikings, basically ), and Dupuytrens runs rampant in my family, affecting mostly the men, which is usually the case. By the time he died at 91, my father could only use the thumb and forefinger on either hand. His was quite a severe case, mind you, and he had had surgery years before to release some of the shortening effect of the tendon. But of course, he didn't persevere with his hand exercises and wound up with two 'claws.'
So far, I haven't been affected by it, and there may be good reason for that - I play the guitar, paint and throw pots (on a wheel, not at people! . My doctor once suggested that keeping your manual dexterity up may be one way to help keep it at bay. I sure hope so!

Good luck with it - I hope at least you find a way to manage the discomfort until it goes away on its own.

Patty

 

[Grizzley]

After my crash, I saw a hand therapy specialist in Ottawa and showed her these lumps that had popped out since the accident. My right hand is the one that got crushed/broken but these lumps showed up on the left palm and Dupuyrtens was the diagnostic. For me it hasn't been painful yet, I do occasionally get cramps that causes my hand to turn into a claw.
This O.T. works at a plastic surgeon's office. She told me they have good success with operation. I was advised that when it comes to hands, to get a plastic surgeon to operate; not Orthopedic surgeon. After my operation on the right hand done by an Ortho. I would tend to agree.
If you can find hand therapy specialists in your area, they would know the best place to go looking or asking.
Good luck,
JD

 

[BigTom]

Dupy's. I don't, yet (I'm a bl/drbr hair guy).

My buddy Ray had surgery on his left so he could keep shooting trap at age 74 (he'd have kept riding if he had to use his elbow to pull the clutch). My brother has not had surgery yet at age 55, though he will not make it to 74 like Ray.

My brother swears he gets some relief from the (copper) pain braclets. He has copper and some form of 'unobtanium' I don't remember which particular element.

 

[purkolator]

Well, I got an adjustable clutch lever for a VFR the other day and installed it. Also put some foam grip covers on and both things seem to help quite a bit. The pain is also changing and morphing daily and is getting to be less of an issue (or maybe I am just getting used to it). Anyhoo, I am going to try some of the naturopathic options as well. More soon...