Here are my pics for those who are curious as I was . I an 4 weeks post op and can make a fist but still have a bit of swelling and numbness in middle and ring fingers along with palm.
Been just doing straight forward exercise that PT had me do. Rub cream into hand many times a day. Splinting at night only. But need to stretch ring finger during the day and after normal stretching. Seems to want to bend a bit forward. I just wish swelling would go down. It's the only thing making it hard to completely make a full fist.
Hello! so great to connect with you all...I am 7 weeks post op and wondering why I have numbness in the tip of my middle finger...sometimes my index finger and the dupuytrens wreaked the most havoc on my ring finger. I ask my PT if it is normal and he seems so uncommital. I do my exercises regularly and maybe I am too anxious to have this healing come along more quickly. I cannot make a fistl. anyone have any other similar experiences?
Interesting. I am 11 years since surgery but remember the post-op well. I used Aveeno lotion 24/7 and a night splint for 2 1/2 months. I only went to PT twice. Once to get the night splint and the other time to get list of exercises. I got into a habit of flexing my hand as much as possible during the day. I did not over-do the exercises to the point of pain.
I too had swelling that lasted for about a month and a half. I also noticed a little loss of sensation in my finger for about two months. It didn't cause any problem ... it just felt differently. That got fully back to normal in about 6-10 months.
The best thing I did from 5-10 weeks for making a fist was to cut about 10" long pieces of 1 1/2" self adhesive flexible bandages (it comes in a roll). I made like a rubber band with it and slipped it tight over my fist. I would use this for three or four days and then get another 10" strip. I would put it on for about ten minutes at a time maybe three times a day.
My finger is still as good as before Dupuytren's (zero contracture).
One additional comment. I had almost no pain from the start of surgery until post-op was over three months later. I did take Tylenol for a few days following surgery.
Callie.... You ever feel that you worked your hand too much and the swelling got worse ? My hand seems to have gotten a bit more swollen making it harder to make a fist from more swelling. Also I feel a couple hard bumps on hand that were not there before surgery .
I think you make a good point. I was kind of lead to believe by the hand therapist (in my first visit) that it was a "no pain, no gain" situation. I really don't accept that idea. I think flexibility and motion was the most important part of the healing. Every time I think I might have over done my stretching I would feel a little bit of swelling as though I was setting back the healing process. My hand has healed as good as possible by using mostly flexing and motion and not forcing the process. I would massage the scar healing scar tissue while using the Aveeno lotion to lubricate the massaging.
The "hard bumps" could be scar tissue that needs to be massaged.
Bumps may be scar tissue. That's what I suspect. I only saw PT peeps 3 times. 1st time was right when bandage came off. Was given the exercise list and breifly went over them and they made me a splint. The PT peeps actually have a person at docs office for first visit then I went to main PT office after. Second visit was more of let's see how your doing and I was just about fully making a fist. Still had stitches in. 3rd appoint I was checked and told to continue exercises and massage. Since My hand had justn gotten stitches out we really could not do any massaging yet. I basically made that my last visit. BUT, I am going back tomorrow just to be shown how I should be massaging and stretching as to NOT overdo.
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