I am still wearing my night splint. I don't wear it every single night like I did at first and if I'm traveling I'll go a week or two without wearing it. Otherwise, I wear it 3-4 nights a week. If it feels like it is tightening up, I'll be consistent about wearing it every night for several weeks.

I want my hand to feel a little uncomfortable in the morning because I want to push back on the DD. If yours leaves your hand too uncomfortable, have it adjusted a little if you can. That's what I did. That's what I like about this one. They can heat and bend to adjust.

This one had only two straps at first and it was not putting pressure on my palm to keep it from cupping. I talked with him about that and he added the top strap and put additional padding on it to make it tight across the top of my hand to press down on my palm. Dupuytren's is more aggressive in my palm, not my fingers.

One other note - if you have hyperextended fingers like I do, the table top test does not measure the contracture. Even now, I can put my palm down and it appears flat and I can lift my fingers up. My palm, however, is cupped. That will never go away, but the splint helps keep the cupping at bay. Eventually, I expect to need cords released again. RT stopped progression but the cords still are in there fighting to dominate.

Flojo, thank you for the very thorough answer about the night splints. My dupuytren's seems to be both in the palm and the fingers. The pinky, which had the PIP release inhibits the hand right now from fully extending/contracting. The nodules on the palms, which have been severed, are pliant and soft. I'm sure the splints are keeping the palms as straight as they can get at this point. Hearing how you manage them has been very helpful. Right now, the right hand---which is 8 weeks post-NA seems to be the same in the morning with or without the splint. I do notice that when I do not wear it, my "normal" inclination at night is to curl the fingers in, so I will continue the M-W-F routine with that splint and then try to go T-Th. Th other splint will be used nightly for quite a time longer.

Thank you again for explaining your management program and let's hope that we are both able to keep the Dupuytren's at bay!!

New ...diagnosed originally about ten years ago with Viking Disease. Pt not effective a nurse advised trying a scar gel. This I use for flareups. Am not disabled yet but am considering treatmenf. Dr Han hand specialist stated surgery or nothing...he was rude and fortunately for me this was not urgent. This forum is very informative. ..glad I was able to wait.
I was told also nothing would be done until I lost use of my hand...very strange concept!
I think there is more of this disease than known as its on the palm and not seen ...except for manicures. .and little to no pain. I forget about it as so many othef priorities in my life. Only on my left hand and affects ring finger only. My family has short life span so no family has this that Iknow of.I am 100percent Northern European per dna on moms side and French, Scottish. My father was all Prussian. ..but from over the pond from Scandinavia. Also French line from Normandy. ..French gave to Normans. So likely Viking genes. Central Iowa doesn't have sophisticated med ical community and don't expect good medical care so am very cautious. Hope you all appreciate the help you provide on this forum. Even too much information is better than too little. I will try to make adecision this year.

To all above,

It is extremely challenging to find physicians with experience in Dupuytren's Disease, an appreciation of the complications and the motivation to explore all treatment options. You should have all options. Treatment should begin early and this is not the medical opinion of years past. In years past the opinion was to delay treatment (they didn't really have any) and hope for the best.

Should you have a doctor who is not comforting and reassuring, dump 'em. If they are not knowledgeable about DD, dump 'em and seek other help. I am convinced we don't have to suffer.

Please note, after three failed surgeries, I am undergoing Xiaflex treatment after months of wrangling and study. I am not advocating Xiaflex but simply providing another option as you study and choose what is best for you. My first injection will be on January 28th with the "manipulation" (actually the straightening of the finger which "pops" the damaged tissue) on the 29th. I will report on this thread the entire experience without bias or coloration. I am fortunate in that my physician's father suffered from this disease and this gives him insight and motivation perhaps rarely found.

In the meantime look at DMSO as a topical. I have not used it yet, except on horses and other animals with great success in resolving musculoskeletal problems. I will try it myself and many people have. Wish me luck.

Hello to everyone. I'm a newbie to this forum and to DD. Lori was kind enough to give me some information on Dr. Crimaldi in Charlotte, as I'm also in NC.

I saw a hand specialist today to receive the diagnosis I already knew I would get - very early stage DD. Sadly, this Dr. was very much like many of the ones people on this forum have seen. Frankly, I did not care for him. His first comment was a giddy "oh, Dupy's!" like I should be excited about this. Other comments included, "Don't do anything. There's only a 20% chance it will progress. I've only done surgery on 4 women in my 25 years of practice (this I find very hard to believe). Do NOT have radiation therapy, there is no supporting evidence." The nodules are quite tender but he said the cortisone shot would hurt more, so to wait as the pain usually goes away in a few months. Has this been anyone's experience? I have a lot respect for all of you here who have had to weed through these kinds of doctors.

I'm not a 'wait & see' kind of person but I don't really know what I should do. I have a feeling other hand orthopedists are going to tell me the same thing. Radiation seems extreme, but so does waiting for contractures to have something done. I do think I owe it to myself to speak with Dr. Crimaldi about RT, so I have emailed him as well as making an appointment for the first week in Feb (the earliest they could get me in). While I was making calls, I also called the office of Dr. Goldner at Duke, who does NA, but his receptionist said there was no point in coming in if I had no contractures.

I'm also very concerned about insurance as I don't think we can afford radiation costs out of our own pockets. The very kind person I spoke with from Dr. Crimaldi's office told me that Cigna wants you to have the therapy first, and then they decide if they'll pay or not. I suppose that's better than a flat out no, but not all that comforting.