I've been a guitarist for 28 years. I started at 14 years-of-age. I practiced incessantly every free hour I had. By the time I was 17, I felt a small nodule at the first joint of my pinky on my left (playing) hand. I went to my Doctor and he dismissed it as a ganglion cyst.

By my mid-20s, that "cyst" was getting bigger and I was getting a slight "dimple-pucker" next to my ring finger when I extended all my fingers. I still had full dexterity on the fretboard, so it wasn't of concern.

By my mid-30s, the node didn't seem much larger, but I had a little difficulty getting my pinky to lay completely flat on a table. I had no idea what was happening until I did some research on the internet that what I was probably experiencing was DC.

I am now 42 and I have a new node in my second joint. It seems like it showed-up shortly after I started playing really dramatic stretching runs on guitar. I now have a noticeable curve in my pinky. I cannot simply wave "hello", without my pinky sticking slightly forward. To get my hand completely flat on a table requires pressure to flatten my pinky.

I'm not having a problem if my thumb is high on the back of the neck where the fingers are curved on the fretboard, but stretched on barre chords and "flat" runs are now difficult.

I have a "snapping-type" motion when I try to move my pinky laterally to my ring finger. It's *very* disconcerting and I know I need to see a specialist.

I don't know if NA will help, but I'm willing to try anything (including fasciotomy).

Does NA help? And how long?

Any other musicians who've had surgery? How did it work-out for you?

Thanks in advance and keep playing,

Bill

Edited 01/23/09 13:34

Hi Bill Australia Calling,
For your interest sake have a look at the article written by LUCK,located under Literature-Dupuytrens"s disease. Your explanation describes the "Involutional Stage " to a T, where the puckering takes place and draws in the surrounding skin where the nodules form and join up forming cords. Not many patients experience this puckering which they can visibly see in the hand. LUCK explains that " 1 millimetre at the joint will cause several degrees of flexion contracture. Radiotherapy works best on the nodules before there is any contracture. Look at all options. I was diagnosed at 35 Yr had no surgery until I was 50 Yr. Since then I 've had 15 surgeries including 4 grafts. In some patients the surgery triggers the next. I've had RT. in 2007 after a repeat surgery where I developed new nodules.The results of the RT.have been posative. Finally I do stretching exercises daily .Keep Playing . Regards

Edited 01/24/09 02:04

Bill,

Welcome to this forum. If you didn't already notice there is a list of Doctors in the USA and Canada that perform NA. There is Dr. Pess and Atik from Eatontown, NJ which shouldn't be that far of a drive for you.
As a matter of fact, I'm scheduled for NA with Dr. Pess this coming Wed. It's a five hour drive me. I live two hours east of Pittsburgh in a small town called Altoona, PA.
Let us know what you find out at the two Institutes you mentioned and whether they do NA.
Hope the info helps.


Joe

DC, NA, RT..... Guys I'm sure you're just trying to save 3 or keystrokes here, but it'd be a great help to those of us who are unitiated, if you'd use the actual terms the abbreviations refer to. Just for the sake of communications/clarity. Thanks.

As well as the usual well known Internet forum abbreviations, such as used here IANAD I am not a doctor, we use DD for Dupuytren's Disease and LD for Ledderhose disease.

We do it on purpose, not to confuse or baffle, but to make sure you dig deeper.