Hi, I'm 36 and an avid/serious/intense rock climber of 15 years (climb 5.14- or French 8b/+, for those who climb) and have early stage DC in both hands. No contracture, but nodules for ring/pinky and a developing cord in my right hand. I am very passionate about climbing and am concerned (and curious) about what the effects on hand strength/performance are from NA or radiation therapy (RT). RT sounds very attractive in that it stops the disease, but collateral damage is a concern. What kind of post NA recovery do people achieve in terms of hand strength? Are people feeling better about RT after Dr. Seegenschmeidt's 10 year longitudinal study? I have lots of questions as I just discovered the site and just discoverd (after the recent NYT article) that NA and RT even exist, so I'm trying to figure out my next step. I consulted with a Dr. Keith Denkler in Larkspur (I'm in Marin in California) who is a CHS trained in NA in France, and we came up with RT as the best option at this point. Any helpful advice would be welcome.

Thanks,

Ethan

Raynora- Thanks for the feedback. Are you experiencing the "dryness" people talk about in your palm skin? I'd love to hear about any changes you notice over the next few weeks, and I'm glad to hear it sounds like the treatment is going well for you, your hands, and your music. Are you working with someone who is very experienced in RT for Dupuytren's?

Ethan

Hi ethan,
I just got diagnosed myself and have some contracture in the pinky finger. I also enjoy rock climbing, not nearly as avid as you, mostly indoor walls 5.10 type stuff. Have you had anyone relate the disease to the rock climbing have you heard of anyone making a correlation between the disease and the sport.

Thanks for the reference, Wolfgang, I think I've seen that before. sjohn-- as I understand it there is a theory that some kind of hand trauma can be the start of the onset of dupuytren's syndrome, but you have to have the genetic predisposition to having the syndrom, which is possibly an over-active wound healing response with the fascia in your hand. I've run into other climbers who have it too. It's hard to know whether it was brought on early from the climbing or was going to happen anyway. I still hope to continue climbing, but I am seriously considering radiation therapy as a way to slow the progression down. It's possible that climbing exacerbates it I suppose, but it becomes a quality of life issue to just give climbing.

Hope the info helps.

Ethan

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I've run into other climbers who have it too. It's hard to know whether it was brought on early from the climbing or was going to happen anyway. I still hope to continue climbing, but I am seriously considering radiation therapy as a way to slow the progression down. It's possible that climbing exacerbates it I suppose, but it becomes a quality of life issue to just give climbing....

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.... up? Climbing at your quoted level, that doesn't seem likely. I've been a climber, off and on, for 40 years. At 60 I climb upto US 5.10c and French 6b+. As I have probably pointed out before, DC has only affected my jamming ability (I live in UK close to gritstone -jams needed) but on continental sports climbs even a last-year contracture of 90deg+ on the little finger gave no problem. After surgery (January) on that finger (earlier NA treatment didn't help too much) I can now stick a hand in a crack, and expect to take it out again (at 90deg it worked like a Friend, only more difficult to remove). In my case DC is hereditary, and neither my dad or sister were/are climbers. I've met a few climbers with it, and what little research there is might suggest a linking, but that's tentative. I don't know about US, but over here there are increasing numbers of older climbers now, so Its perhaps likely that more will exhibit DC. Have the treatment, keep climbing. You KNOW it makes sense

Cheers

Richard