I also go to the gym 3x per week but do not do heavy work that stresses my hands, particularly palms where there are nodules and cords. I tend to use lighter weights with more reps.

I have noticed that after a lot gardening, using a spade or crowbar, my hands ache but maybe they would have ached anyway.

I am not aware of any papers that show a genetic linkage between DD and diabetes ie that people with DD are more likely to get diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is more a lifestyle disease associated with obesity. Type 1 diabetes has strong genetic linkages.

Seph, I think I would put myself into some kind of hybrid Type I & II, as you described them. When I first developed DD about 12 years ago at age 50, I never heard of the disease, had no family history that I knew of, and was completely surprised by it. However, I was also undergoing physical therapy for some kind of tendinitis, which was causing me all kinds of misery and pain. Was that causal? Who knows. But it surprised my doc and the therapists as to how fast it was progressing. I ended up in surgery to remove the cords and nodules from my hand, which was about 30 degrees contracted on my ring finger at the time. While the surgeon was in there, he did a tendon release for miserably swollen tenosynovitis of my ring and middle fingers. That was my left hand, and it's been fine ever since, except for a cord and nodule at the base of my thumb, which developed just post op. But, that never contracted and never bothered me, so I continue to ignore it.

Then, about two years ago, at about the same time that DD and now pronounced contracture started developing in my right hand, my twin sister also shows signs of DD. But, so far, all she has are some do nothing nodules on her palm. She's in a kind of wait and see mode. So now there is a family history.

My sister does not have any kind of accompanying tendonitis. I don't have any accompanying tendonitis this time. My right hand is contracting like gangbusters, with pronounced large nodules and cords running up three fingers. The most severe is my ring finger, which is somewhere around 40 degrees right now. My sister's hand is doing fine with no contractures. Neither of us are weightlifters or golfers, or heavy construction workers. She's a midwife and I'm a landscape architect. The only connection I can see is familial.

Monday of next week I see the hand surgeon for the Xiaflex multi cord clinical trial intake (if they don't postpone it AGAIN). I'll likely get the injections the following week. I just want to put this behind me. And, there's no way I want this to progress beyond 40 degrees. It's already screwing up my daily functioning. How some of you have endured more major contractions is something I hope I never see, but my heart goes out to you, and my hat's off to you. This is one lousy, insidious disease. ~ Diane

Thanks, Seph. Of course, you're right. There are way worse things to have. Doesn't diminish the misery of this, however, and we have to deal with it as it comes. As far as diseases go, my psoriatic arthritis is WAY WORSE. I take Enbrel injections 2X/week, and have been doing so for over 10 years. If I stop, my hip pain becomes so intense, I can hardly walk. With Enbrel, I could abandon the cane. Very cool stuff, in my opinion. It changed my life. So yes, I do hear ya!! ~Diane

I do weight lifting at the gym and find my wrists feel weak and sore. (I have been weight lifting for 30 years). I had a double carpal tunnel release nearly two years ago and since then my DDs have appeared. Because of my DDs I use two pair of gloves at the gym but feel I need more wrist support. Has anyone else felt they needed more support at the wrist when working out, or maybe its related to my carpal tunnel issue? Look forward to feedback.

JanMathews - this is a very old string and I imagine you may have moved on. I am relatively new here, but do have wrist pain above my Non-Dupuytrens hand. Only in certain positions.