Hi everyone,

I had a question about NA. I know that they cut the cords that are in the palm of the hand. What I am wondering is about the fingers. Are they able to cut cords that are up in the fingers. My pinky is at about a 60 degree contracture with a cord that runs from the palm up to the PIP joint. Do they do anything up into the finger? Just wondering.

Thanks!

~ dawn

Seph:

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Dawn; In my experience NA is more about the cutting the cords in the fingers than the cords through the palm of the hand so yes they do.

Don't leave your finger too long. I left the little finger in my right hand too long and the knuckle fused. Each time I get NA done now the doctor gets about 10 degrees improvement but it doesn't last long. My other fingers though have been great. I have have multiple fingers done on each hand.

Seph:

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Dawn; The plaster cast sounds weird. Are you sure the doctor has a lot of experience with NA.

I have had NA done 5 times by two different doctors in Paris. I go to Paris because the doctors their have a lot of experience. It is also cheap (2-300 euros per hand). So I get a trip to Paris on the money I save.

With both doctors the procedure has been the same. They work by sight and feel making cuts along the full length of the cord. New needle for each puncture, entry to the depth of the cord, inject very local anesthetic wait 30 seconds for the anesthetic to take effect then start cutting. Take needle out, take a new needle move along the cord and do it again. After 4-5 cuts the doctor takes the finger and pulls it hard. With luck there is a loud snap (sometimes heard by my wife in the room next door) and voila the finger is straight.

Each time the doctors have moved along the cord wherever it goes. Not restricting to any part of the hand.

After each procedure my hand has been bandages and I have been told to keep the bandages on with the hand clean and dry for 3 days. On one occasion I was given a splint but otherwise nothing extra. Never talk of a cast?