I have popped two DD contractions by carrying buckets of rocks to build my patio. The rocks in the buckets are very heavy. It was not my intention to release the contractions that way. It hurt a little but not for long. I was black and blue for a while but my fingers are straight.

I first noticed the signs of DC about 8 years ago. It progressively got worse, and even painful. I wasn't surprised to learn that it tends to affect those of Northern European descent who are diabetic or smoke and drink. I have all of those backgrounds/maladies. I'm writing because I was just feeling my left palm beneath my ring finger, where the irritating contracture had been. While it hasn't disappeared entirely, the lump and cord are about one-fifth the original size, it's almost unnoticeable to me and completely unnoticeable to anyone else. I've never had surgery, and I only take vitamins or other supplements sporadically. The only thing I can attribute it to is that I started exercising a while back--both aerobics and weightlifting. I don't know which is responsible--if either, or both. I have become aware that while I lift weights, nothing particularly heavy (I'm 52 years old and diabetic), my hands are stretched in every direction. The aerobics might help also because of the increased blood flow. (You have to figure that anything affecting diabetics and smokers in particular has something to do with circulation.) On the other hand, maybe it's neither and just some peculiarity dealing with me exclusively. However, I tend to think the combination of lifting weights and exercise is probably responsible. Hope this helps.