| Frustrated! No firm diagnosis |
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04/19/2016 16:41
Minnedolin 
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04/19/2016 16:41
Minnedolin
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Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
![]() Hello,
I am a 33-year-old Caucasian male with no family history of DD but my grandmother had some pretty progressive RA where the fingertips "crooked" at the tips. As of late I've been having some numbness and stiffness in my hands. The stiffness has been specifically linked to my index finger on my nondominant left hand. I chalked the numbness up to acute CTS and the stiff finger to maybe some early trigger finger. I have for years held fairly labor intensive jobs and my most cherished hobby is playing guitar and the mandolin. So hands are constantly busy.
A couple years ago I noticed what I thought was a slightly enflamed tendon on the palmside of my index finger just under my knuckle. Obviously it is more noticeable when I stretch out that finger. The "tendon" seems to travel down towards the "bed" of my thumb but can really only see this when I bend back the finger.
Anyways I Finally thought I'd get some pros to take a peek. My GP said it was nothing, just an overworked tendon. I saw a chiro who of course said the same thing. I saw an ortho who said it could possibly be an early onset of DD but couldnt be sure. There are no nodules formed on my hands and no contractions. Just feels tight and a little stiff in the am. There is some tenderness to that knuckle as well. I see no pads on the knuckle. The most frustrating part of this is that I can get no clear diagnosis. Obviously I know the internet isn't the greatest place for answers and it's hard to tell by a picture and a poor description but I'm hoping this community can provide some insight. Thank you all[img][img][img][img][/img][/img][/img][/img]
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04/19/2016 17:04
spanishbuddha  Administrator
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04/19/2016 17:04
spanishbuddha Administrator
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Re: Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
Welcome to the forum Minnedolin
You don't say if you've seen a hand specialist? Most likely a hand surgeon, but it is such a person who is most knowledgable about the complex structures of the hand. That would my next step.
Best wishes
SB
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04/19/2016 17:11
Minnedolin
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04/19/2016 17:11
Minnedolin
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Re: Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
Thank you for the response Spanish Buddha. I should've clarified--the "ortho" should be orthopedic specialist---specializing in hands. But his assessment was so quick and unconvincing that I'm unsure. Several times I asked "so is it DD?" and he said "it could be" and "don't lose sleep over it". Definitely a non proactive approach if you ask me. Horrendous social skills--the guy was a freakin mook. Anyways....
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04/19/2016 18:39
spanishbuddha Administrator
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04/19/2016 18:39
spanishbuddha Administrator
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Re: Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
Minnedolin:
Thank you for the response Spanish Buddha. I should've clarified--the "ortho" should be orthopedic specialist---specializing in hands. But his assessment was so quick and unconvincing that I'm unsure. Several times I asked "so is it DD?" and he said "it could be" and "don't lose sleep over it". Definitely a non proactive approach if you ask me. Horrendous social skills--the guy was a freakin mook. Anyways....
I would have thought that he could have distinguished between a DD cord and a tendon, if he has sufficient experience. Finger tendons in the relaxed position are usually quite soft, difficult to feel, whereas cords presence can often be felt relaxed or not and also quite firm. Compare with the other hand, but an inflamed tendon sheaf (possibly painful) might just be as confusing, so if it's too difficult to discern the difference yourself it's probably best to just see another hand doc if possible.
Since you use your hands a lot, I was wondering too if there's some chance of resting it for a while with some RICE type treatment to see if it responds. A tendon type injury would likely improve whereas a cord would just stay the same or get worse. Or just find another hand doc.
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04/22/2016 14:54
Minnedolin
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04/22/2016 14:54
Minnedolin
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Re: Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
I get the feeling that no one really uses this forum. It's kind of a downer anyways
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04/22/2016 16:13
econn 
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04/22/2016 16:13
econn
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Re: Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
If three docs had a problem diagnosing your condition, it's going to be harder for us DD/DC sufferers to give you a positive ID. It affects everyone differently and manifests itself in different ways. I think the purpose of this forum is to exchange ideas on how to live with/deal with this condition, share personal experiences on various remedies, etc and refer fellow sufferers to qualified, knowledgeable practitioners with DD experience. You might tell folks where you live and ask if anybody can refer you to a doc in your area who knows about this condition. I know it's frustrating, I had to diagnose my DC myself, one "hand specialist" diagnosed me with osteoarthritis. Just find a GOOD doc and get a GOOD diagnosis, your health insurance won't do anything until that happens.
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04/22/2016 16:24
Minnedolin
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04/22/2016 16:24
Minnedolin
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Re: Frustrated! No firm diagnosis
Yes I am frustrated. Thanks for the response and putting it into perspective
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