| could this be Dupuytren's? |
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03/14/2011 15:46
altoclef 
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03/14/2011 15:46
altoclef
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could this be Dupuytren's?
I'm glad to have just found this forum, and to see that it is so active.
I had surgery in December for a trigger finger. The doctor also removed some scar tissue on the tendon. I never regained good range of motion at all, and have lost much of my grip strength. My finger is still quite swollen, and the top two joints are painful. I can't get it less than about 45 degrees from straight, with both the middle join and the joint at the base permanently bent. There is some hard tissue in my palm, and a visible cord. Any attempt to straighten the finger causes searing pain in the surgical site, and that area is still quite sensitive to touch.
I had a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago. To my frustration, the doctor was out of town. The PA said that this looks exactly like Dupuytren's contracture. I see in some old posts that it can follow trauma, such as surgery. Does it happen this fast? I've read that Dupuytren's is painless, and this sure isn't! I see the doctor in a couple of days, but I'm the sort who wants all the information I can get going in!
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03/14/2011 17:47
spanishbuddha  Administrator
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03/14/2011 17:47
spanishbuddha Administrator
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Re: could this be Dupuytren's?
It's difficult to say without seeing and touching it and I think you need your surgeon or physician to advise.
Three months can still be early to expect recovery from some types off hand surgery. Was you provided with a recovery protocol, such as icing, splinting, physical therapy and so on? So maybe you still need this to clear up, especially as you mention swelling and pain on the surgery site.
Dupuytren's can be differentiated from scar tissue, keloids, etc, but it needs an experienced hand physician to do this. Do you have signs of Dupuytren's on the other hand or feet?
BTW are you a musician? Or singer?
Edited 03/14/11 19:49
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03/14/2011 20:41
altoclef
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03/14/2011 20:41
altoclef
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Re: could this be Dupuytren's?
This surgery should have been forgotten about by now- most people are fine within a month or less, without physical therapy. I was sent to therapy when I got the stitches out, two weeks after. Therapy, if anything, has aggravated the situation. I'm not sorry that the insurance approval for it has lapsed.
No family history of Dupuytren's, no problem in my left hand or feet, no diabetes, liver problems, or any of the other conditions commonly listed as risk factors. (I do, however, have a couple of autoimmune problems. I see this site suspects that Dupuytren's is also autoimmune.) My right index and ring fingers are starting to draw in towards each other, but they still straighten. I was surprised when the PA said it looks like DD, as I thought that was years in the making, and this happened almost overnight. I'll see what the surgeon says, if he can be bothered to be in the office for my next appointment.
Yes, I am a musician, primarily a violist. I'm glad this is my bow hand.
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03/15/2011 19:49
lori 
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03/15/2011 19:49
lori
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Re: could this be Dupuytren's?
altoclef,
I will be curious to see what the doctor says as to the diagnosis. When my DD started it went from a sore spot in the palm at Thanksgiving to a hard knot by Janury and by March I had a 5 inch cord, dimpling, puckering and a slight contracture. Mine moved very fast. I also had a lot of pain. My palm hurt and the pain started going up my arm to my shoulder when I developed the nodule. I could not sleep on that side and could not find a position that did not make the arm ache. It ached when I typed or did anything with that arm. I was always in pain. Some peoples DD is slow and without pain, others are like me that have a lot of pain and are rather aggressive.
Keep us posted as to what the doctor says.
Lori
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03/15/2011 19:49
altoclef
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03/15/2011 19:49
altoclef
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Re: could this be Dupuytren's?
I saw the surgeon today. (He showed up for this appointment, an improvement over last time!) He concurs that there is some Dupuytren's going on. He's sending me back to physical therapy, although I was pretty clear about feeling that PT was aggravating the situation before. (I've actually had slightly better range of motion and less pain the couple of weeks I've taken off.)
I don't see physical therapy listed on the "treatment" section of this site. Why not? His other suggestion was cortisone injections, although I had a bad reaction to that last time.
Can anyone offer any suggestions or insight? I'm beyond frustrated.
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03/15/2011 21:10
fjellver 
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03/15/2011 21:10
fjellver
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Re: could this be Dupuytren's?
altoclef:
I saw the surgeon today. (He showed up for this appointment, an improvement over last time!) He concurs that there is some Dupuytren's going on. He's sending me back to physical therapy, although I was pretty clear about feeling that PT was aggravating the situation before. (I've actually had slightly better range of motion and less pain the couple of weeks I've taken off.)
I don't see physical therapy listed on the "treatment" section of this site. Why not? His other suggestion was cortisone injections, although I had a bad reaction to that last time.
Can anyone offer any suggestions or insight? I'm beyond frustrated.
Hi,
My DD was stable in both hands until I broke a Cartilage rib, then it grew rapidly and became quite painful.
I saw a hand surgeon and he said trauma often triggers DD and that he Avoids surgery, if possible with folks with DD.
He said these growth periods Usually last 3-6 months, and that PT is "difficult and prolonged with DD pts postsurgically".
A PT who specializes in hands said there is nothing she could do for DD, she reccomended iceing and Gentle stretching.
But, since you had surgery you might benefit from PT, maybe find one who knows about and has treated pts with DD.
I found out about Radiation Therapy(RT) from this great website. And I am between RT sessions at MGH.
My Radiation Oncologist mentioned that RT theoretically should help Postsurgical cases of DD but there are no good studies
about post surgical RT. My hands seem to be less painful after the RT and its only been 2 weeks.
Best Luck,
Fjellver
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03/15/2011 21:20
spanishbuddha Administrator
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03/15/2011 21:20
spanishbuddha Administrator
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Re: could this be Dupuytren's?
altoclef:
I saw the surgeon today. (He showed up for this appointment, an improvement over last time!) He concurs that there is some Dupuytren's going on. He's sending me back to physical therapy, although I was pretty clear about feeling that PT was aggravating the situation before. (I've actually had slightly better range of motion and less pain the couple of weeks I've taken off.)
I don't see physical therapy listed on the "treatment" section of this site. Why not? His other suggestion was cortisone injections, although I had a bad reaction to that last time.
Can anyone offer any suggestions or insight? I'm beyond frustrated.
See under Treatments->In research a paragraph on Mechanical and Massaging.
On other threads there are anecdotes of the benefits of using a tennis ball on the feet for LD.
See also this report on our sister site http://www.dupuytrenfoundation.org/Complementary-Procedures
Edited 03/15/11 23:22
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