The medical community generally describes the spread of Dups as "painless". This seems to fly in the face of numerous posters who have experienced quite he opposite. Why do some experience pain in their diseased tissue while others don't? Why was there no pain in the onset of Dups in my left hand while there is now pain as the diseased tissue rapidly spreads in my right? Having read and participated in the posts here for some time, I believe I may have seen a correlation between PAIN and the SPEED of Dups growth. Does anyone's experience equate the relative aggressiveness of the disease with the degree of associated pain?

Randy,
It's been my experience over the last 30 years that the pain and/or tenderness associated with the nodules is greater when they are growing. So, yes. I've noticed that too.

I discussed this with a doc long ago (who thought I had neurofibromatosis). Told him when they were growing they were sore; he said no, when they're sore they're growing and advised me to avoid physical work and take ibuprofen.

But the link to physical labor is weak if any- mine have grown the most in the past 5-6 years, when I've done virtually no manual labor.